Denver Broncos
It really doesn’t matter how good Denver’s defense is if the team doesn’t find a way to solve its problems on the other side of the ball. Even after both Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch struggled under center last season, the Broncos did very little to address the quarterback situation. This has put new head coach Vance Joseph in an unenviable position of having to hold an open competition for the starting gig during the summer. These two combined for 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while leading an offense that ranked in the bottom 11 in points scored.
Neither quarterback was aided by much help on the ground. C.J. Anderson dealt with more injuries and played in a total of seven games. Meanwhile, rookie Devontae Booker failed to do much of substance in his stead. This led to a Broncos rushing attack that ranked 27th in the NFL.
Attempting to fix these issues, Denver signed former Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles in free agency. The issue here is that Charles has played in a grand total of eight games over the past two seasons after dealing with the second torn ACL of his career. With no guaranteed money on Charles’ deal, there’s a chance he might not even earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
When we factor in Demaryius Thomas’ consistent struggles in seasons that Peyton Manning isn’t tossing him the rock, there has to be major concerns on offense for Denver heading into the 2017 season. Thomas himself is averaging just 639 yards in the three seasons that Manning has not been Denver’s full-time starter. It’s now at the point where his new head coach is calling the receiver out publicly.
We absolutely love what Denver has on defense. Von Miller remains one of the best all-around players in football. Young EDGE rusher Shane Ray looks ready to step up following the retirement of DeMarcus Ware. And the team’s secondary — led by Aqib Talib and Chris Harris — remains one of the best in the game.
But with Oakland going nowhere but up and the Chiefs coming off yet another stellar season, it looks like the Broncos are not even legitimate playoff contenders right now. Depending on how the Los Angeles Chargers perform, we could really be looking at a bottom feeder in Denver this upcoming season.