A look at major questions regarding the Broncos heading into the off-season.
1. Will Drew Lock be the Week 1 quarterback?
Is it time to start over again at quarterback with a first-round draft pick? No. Does it make sense to sign a veteran backup who could equal parts challenge and support Lock? Yes. We expected more consistency — more big plays/fewer turnovers — from Lock in his first full year as the starter. But why not give continuity a shot just to see if Lock can be the guy into the future? Who knows what kind of internal support Lock has, but if he has general manager John Elway in his corner, that’s pretty much the only vote that counts, so we’ll say, yes, Lock will start the opener in September.
2. Franchise tag or long-term contract for safety Justin Simmons?
It’s a safe bet Simmons will remain with the Broncos after playing this season on the franchise tag and leading the team with five interceptions. He is around the football. He plays every snap. He is a sure tackler. And he doesn’t commit penalties (his first of the year was Sunday). Here’s the other thing: The Broncos already have myriad roster holes and letting Simmons walk would create a gaping one at safety. Our guess is the Broncos and Simmons reach a long-term contract agreement before the mid-July deadline.
3. Which cornerbacks will return?
Time for a semi-major overhaul at this position after ineffectiveness and injuries plagued the position group. Cutting A.J. Bouye, who will be suspended the first two games of 2021, would create $13.375 million of cap space, money that could be allocated in myriad ways. The key is acquiring a cornerback who can be the immediate No. 1 because of Bryce Callahan’s health history and the up-and-down play from rookies Michael Ojemudia and Essang Bassey. The Broncos should use their first draft pick on a corner. A top four of first-round selection/Callahan/Bassey/Ojemudia has promise.
4. What position group doesn’t need to be addressed?
When the Broncos head to the draft, going multiple directions could be justified. That’s the state of their depth chart. Cornerback. Defensive end. Outside linebacker. Backup safety. Backup running back. As it currently stands, the Broncos should feel good about their group of receivers (assuming Courtland Sutton is ready for camp after his Week 2 ACL), their tight ends (led by Noah Fant, Nick Vannett and Albert Okwuegbunam) and their offensive line (four of the five starters are locked in and right tackle Ja’Wuan James is expected back and there is good depth with left tackle Calvin Anderson and guard Netane Muti).
5. What is outside linebacker Von Miller’s future?
Miller missed the entire season with an early September ankle injury. That came after an underwhelming eight-sack 2019 season. The Broncos have three plays: a) let Miller play out the final year of his deal (team-high cap number of $22.125 million); b) add 2-3 years to his contract to lower that cap number and allow Miller to be a lifetime franchise player; or c) cut him to create $13.875 million in cap space to allocate elsewhere. Our guess is Elway wants to give coach Vic Fangio a chance to have Miller and Bradley Chubb on the field together (just four games in two years under Fangio).
"five" - Google News
January 04, 2021 at 07:56AM
https://ift.tt/3nf826K
Five questions for Broncos as offseason begins - The Denver Post
"five" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YnPDf8
https://ift.tt/2SxXq6o
No comments:
Post a Comment