The Super Bowl is over and that means the NFL off-season is in full swing. The Denver Broncos had a great 2015 season, ending in a Super Bowl victory. They will, more than likely, be working on locking up Super Bowl MVP Von Miller to a huge long term contract. The Broncos have the 31st pick in the 2016 draft after finishing with a 12-4 record, 1st in the AFC West, winning the Super Bowl and New England forfeiting their first round pick in the draft. The Broncos have almost $12 million in cap space to work with anticipating that the cap will be raised to at least $157M. They have some notable free agents this off-season with Von Miller, possible 2016 starting quarterback Brock Osweiler, defensive end Malik Jackson and inside linebacker Danny Trevathan.
Denver Broncos 2016 Off-Season: Top 3 Needs
Quarterback
First and foremost, the Broncos need a quarterback. Osweiler is 25 and has experience working in head coach Gary Kubiak’s offense which is perfectly tailored to his skill set. Peyton Manning is gone, whether retiring which would free up $19 million in cap space or playing a final season in Los Angeles for the Rams or in Cleveland for the Browns. It is highly unlikely that he will be back in Denver in 2016.
The Broncos do not have a lot of cap room as of right now to really be a big factor in free agency but they could go for someone like Chase Daniel from the Chiefs, RG3, or work with Osweiler to keep him around in Denver. The draft has some pretty good quarterbacks but drafting 31st overall does not lead to getting a guy like Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. Christian Hackenberg might still be around though. They might be able to target him.
Offensive Line
Just like every other team in the AFC West the Broncos have a need at offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, they ranked 20th overall in the NFL, 23rd in pass blocking and not much better at run blocking at 21st. Michael Schofield had a very rough year at tackle for Denver and especially did not do well when he had to go against Khalil Mack which will happen twice a year as long as both stay on their respected teams. They lost Ryan Clady early on the season due to an ACL injury as well as losing Ty Sambrailo and will need to find a way to bring these two back.
Free agency and the Draft will both work for finding offensive line. Whatever quarterback they decide to start for Denver in 2016 will need some sort of line to protect for him or their defense will always be on the field. It is reported that Ryan Clady will restructure his contract to stay with Denver so Elway should start right away working with him to get that done which will give the Broncos more room to spend in free agency
Inside Linebackers
Brandon Marshall will be a restricted free agent and Danny Trevathan unrestricted this off-season. It’s likely that they will both be casualties to Von Miller getting a huge contract. Other outside linebackers have received quite a pay day like Justin Houston, Clay Matthews and DeMarcus Ware. Speaking of Ware, he will probably need to restructure as well to even stay in Denver.
Most of this can just be assessed through the team themselves. They can look to free agency if they are able to restructure some contracts. It is more likely that Denver will go through the draft to fill defensive holes. Most of the Broncos defense that will hit free agency could be drawn away by other teams with a promise of a huge pay day. Once these players leave it will be easier to figure out which of the positions Denver will need to fill, more than likely, through the draft.
