There have not been many NFL teams that have completely revamped their roster this offseason as much as the Denver Broncos. Acquiring Russell Wilson, Nathinel Hackett (Head Coach), Randy Gregory, DJ Jones, Tom Compton, Billy Turner, and K’Waun Williams has completely overhauled the Broncos’ offense and defense, setting them on track for Super Bowl contention.
We are approaching nearly a full decade since the Denver Broncos last made the playoffs. Yes, it will be seven years come the start of the 2022/23 season since Peyton Manning led the Broncos over Cam Newton’s Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Manning vs Newton for the Super Bowl. Hmm, that’s a throwback.
Doesn’t time just fly.
Well, probably not fast enough for the Broncos. Denver is now the holder of the second-longest active playoff drought in the NFL. Only the New York Jets have been unable to play meaningful football in January and February (11 years) longer. If only the Jets have a worse playoff drought record than you, then you know you’ve been doing something wrong.
And Denver did as they have finally replaced Peyton Manning with a worthy successor: Russell Wilson. The future Hall of Famer has consistently been one of the very best quarterbacks over the last decade and instantly upgrades the Broncos’ QB depth chart.
I mean, going from Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater, Joe Flacco and Trevor Siemian to Russell Wilson is an obvious upgrade that doesn’t need much discussion. What does need some discussion is the upgrade to the Broncos offensive. Last season, the Denver Broncos ranked 19th in terms of best offensive lines by PFF.
That’s not great.
What’s worse is that only two of Denver’s starting linemen last year had a final season grade of at least 70 (and one of those two was 71). By comparison, the team in 13th, the Detroit Lions, had only two starting offensive lineman that did not reach the 70 overall threshold.
Yeah, the DETROIT LIONS had a better offensive line than the Denver Broncos last season. Just let that sink in Broncos fans.
Anyway, Tom Compton (grade: 86.4) and Billy Turner (grade: 66.1) helps shore up Denver’s offensive line for next year, something Russell Wilson will be very happy and thankful for. (Offense Ranking Prediction: 7th-15th)
Moreover, adding Randy Gregory, DJ Jones, and K’Waun Williams fortifies an already outstanding defense. By Week 17 of last season, PFF rated the Broncos as the NFL’s 5th best defense. Clearly, defense was never the issue in the Broncos disappointing 7-10 record. (Defense Ranking Prediction: 1st-7th)
The loss of defensive-minded head coach Vic Fangio will hurt.
But hiring offensive-guru Nathainel Hackett as coach to work with Russell Wilson and the potent Denver passing attack should more than make up for any defensive struggles. If next season goes poorly for the Broncos, I can’t see how Russell Wilson, or his offensive, will be the ones responsible.
Nevertheless, Denver has made huge strides in their pursuit of ending the NFL’s second longest active playoff drought. If this team can’t lead Denver back to the promise land of Super Bowl contention, then this roster needs a full rebuild.
Plus, it will probably be the end for John Elway as Denver’s new owners, the Waltons (the Walmart heirs), will not tolerate losing in the Mile High City for much longer.
But that’s unlikely to happen. I think the Broncos will be one of the contending teams for the Super Bowl this upcoming season. I think they will even reclaim the AFC West crown from Kansas City for the first time in six years. They just need Russ to cook!
If you want to see the PFF stats, I’ve linked them down below:
Images Source:
Other Sources: (Pro Football Focus/PFF) (Final 2021 NFL Offensive Line Rankings | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics | PFF)
(Pro Football Focus/PFF) (NFL Week 17 Defense Rankings | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics | PFF)
