Broncos positions "Strength or Weakness"?

[MileHigh64]

As we gear up for camp (only 8 days away!!), it is going to be interesting to see how each position group looks. I've attempted to rank them from strongest group to weakest. I think it's a telling exercise in better understanding how our team might perform in 2016:

1. Defensive line. If you include our edge rushing linebackers (DE's at times), this is a strength of the Broncos IMO. Even with the loss of Malik, I think this unit can continue to be special and put enormous pressure on opposing quarterbacks, not to mention run-stuffing.
2. Defensive secondary. Talib, Harris, Roby, Ward, Stewart. Depth beyond those players. The "no fly zone" is the real deal and they really compliment or support our pass rush.
3. Receivers. There aren't many duos better than DT and Manny Sanders in the league. Depth players like Latimer, Fowler, Norwood and Sunshine make our future look bright!
4. Linebackers. The Broncos seem to have a lot of confidence in Todd Davis and Cory Nelson. With Brandon Marshall calling the plays and our edge guys, this is a competent group. This could also be a huge breakout year for the likes of Shaq Barrett and Shane Ray. Zaire Anderson could also be a sleeping monster!
   
5. Running backs. I like CJ. Add in Janovich in the fullback position and this year could be an ass-kickin' ride. Hillman may stick and there's always the rookie Booker, plus Thompson and Bibbs. Run the rock, Kubiak!
   
6. Special Teams. Lots of guys play here but can you say Brandon Mc "no miss" Manus?
7. Tight ends. Will Heuerman breakout this year? Can the Sanchize/Simien/Lynch-master get Virgil Green the ball more? A largely unproven group but integral to the Kubiak scheme. There should be some TE wrinkles this coming season.
8. Offensive line. While it would appear that the Broncos have upgraded the O-line, how long will it take to gel? These guys have never played together as a unit and we'll be adding the TE and fullback positions which could make life a little challenging early on. They're also blocking for an unknown quarterback who will at a minimum be a rookie or have some struggles with progressions. Makes for a tough day at the office.
9. Quarterback. Who the hell is going to be running our offense? Logical minds say Sanchez. Dreamers say Simien. Long term sufferers are yelling "throw Paxton out there!" I must admit that it's a bit alarming to see the weakest link be the most important position on the field but in Elway I trust. Although we know that the Broncos are seeking an answer to replace some of the worst quarterback play to ever grace a Super Bowl winning team, it can't be as easy as some would assert: "just have a game manager".

I know that I'm missing some other key or critical players on this list but I would be interested to see how others see it. Some of the rankings could probably be skewed a bit to each person's liking but this is how I see the Broncos heading into camp. Gotta figure out the O-line and the quarterback position. Our defense may give us the cushion or time to figure it out for a serious post-season run. Of course, we should be desperately worried about the Chiefs and the Raiduhhs! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

I'm out!

 

[SpiritOf77]

I would be inclined to bump special teams up over linebackers at this point .. For the first time, McManus has the confidence and starting job going into camp, and I see him only getting better .. Justin Simmons and Janovich will be great on special teams if they have similar roles as they did in college, and hopefully Will Parks will help out too ..

Jordan Norwood is a great punt returner too .. If someone beats him out ( which I doubt ) that will mean that they are even better ......

I'm a interested in the LB spots and how they will all pan out - I think much has been made about losing Malik, but not enough has been talked about in regards to losing Trevathan . . . . LB spots are too up in the air right now for me to say that I am fully confident that they will be lights out right off the bat ..

I think by the end of the year, Justin Simmons will be considered a future leader on this defense . .

On the flip side, I think when Talib gets hurt or suspended for a few games, Roby will be exposed and surprisingly toasted ... I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not sold on him taking over and playing opposite Harris - which is probably the plan after this season

( ... ducks flying tomato )

 

[Draft Crazy]

I like Norwood. But I think calling him "great" is a stretch. To me great label is a top/elite PR which he is not. I'd call him a decent PR.

End of the year? I'd call Simmons a future leader already!(Being technical here )

Curious why you think Roby will get toasted?

I mean any CB will from time to time, but why the comment? Is it something you see we aren't? Or just more pressure more responsibility and you don't think he will handle it?

 

[xBxtxDx]

I'm a interested in the LB spots and how they will all pan out - I think much has been made about losing Malik, but not enough has been talked about in regards to losing Trevathan . . . . LB spots are too up in the air right now for me to say that I am fully confident that they will be lights out right off the bat ..

The thing is though, Trevathan only saw the field on approximately 40% of the defensive snaps. When Marshall and Trevathan were hurt, Davis and Nelson spelled them fine, there was a noted drop off in the defense's play when Marshall went down, but not Trevathan. I am not saying Trevathan is not a good player, but he became less and less of a key cog the more Marshall emerged. If Marshall goes down, I would tend to be worried, Marshall is essentially the QB of the D. Trevathan could probably spell Marshall better than the other three, but in the world of FA, you just cannot keep everyone.

If we want to get right down to it, the bigger drop off in play occurred when Ward and Stewart went down. We had way more trouble replacing the two of them than we did Trevathan. I also think that the team agreed with me with the way they have drafted the past 2 years and how they treated the FA market. Note how Bruton and Bolden were let go and we have drafted 3 safeties in the past 2 years. Even my darkhorse player of this year is a safety, Glover, I am not sure why, but I like that kid and am rooting for him.

 

[CEH]

Defense

#1 strength Secondary with a healthy Talib
#2 strength front 7

#1 weakness - health

Offense

#1 strength - WRs Maybe not a better corp in the NFL.
#2 strength - Oline after gelling but health of Okung paramount. Stephenson will be a very pleasant surprise and most versatile Olineman.



#1 weakness QB. This is a production league not a try hard league so while Sanchez has been a tremendous teammate he still needs to produce in crunch time.

#2 weakness the TE position. A lot of unproven players and Kubiak's offense relies on heavy formations .

 

[SpiritOf77]

The thing is though, Trevathan only saw the field on approximately 40% of the defensive snaps. When Marshall and Trevathan were hurt, Davis and Nelson spelled them fine, there was a noted drop off in the defense's play when Marshall went down, but not Trevathan. I am not saying Trevathan is not a good player, but he became less and less of a key cog the more Marshall emerged. If Marshall goes down, I would tend to be worried, Marshall is essentially the QB of the D. Trevathan could probably spell Marshall better than the other three, but in the world of FA, you just cannot keep everyone.

If we want to get right down to it, the bigger drop off in play occurred when Ward and Stewart went down. We had way more trouble replacing the two of them than we did Trevathan. I also think that the team agreed with me with the way they have drafted the past 2 years and how they treated the FA market. Note how Bruton and Bolden were let go and we have drafted 3 safeties in the past 2 years. Even my darkhorse player of this year is a safety, Glover, I am not sure why, but I like that kid and am rooting for him.

I don't think it was a mistake to let Trevathan go, considering his history with his knee - it was a miracle of sorts that he held up and played the entire season having had multiple surgeries on the same knee ..

So I'm not so much as saying we will miss Trevathan the guy, but there will be change through out the position because of his departure - it could actually be a positive .

The thing with Marshall is that he is going to a new spot, and there is no way to tell how all this will play out until we see who rotates where ..

I hated losing Bruton and Bolden - but I really like Simmons, and if he plays on SP along with Janovich, I think we'll be in good shape there ..

 

[SpiritOf77]

I like Norwood. But I think calling him "great" is a stretch. To me great label is a top/elite PR which he is not. I'd call him a decent PR.

End of the year? I'd call Simmons a future leader already!(Being technical here )

Curious why you think Roby will get toasted?

I mean any CB will from time to time, but why the comment? Is it something you see we aren't? Or just more pressure more responsibility and you don't think he will handle it?

DC, I see Norwood as great in his role .. He is a high quality person - and that cannot be underestimated - he is fearless and he is so smart - he makes things happen ...

I believe that the character and intelligence aspects with him are very important and would be very very hard to replace ....

Roby has been great in his role so far .. I am not sold on him yet as the heir ( air ? ) apparent to Talib ... Roby grabs an awful lot, and I think when he is put on an island with some of the top WRs, he will have to adjust his game some ... I like him, don't get me wrong - in interviews, he's calm and very smart, and again, that is a big plus as far as guys taking the next step ...

I just don't think it'll me magic right off the bat if he has to step in for a guy like Talib .. I think he'll draw some flags and have to adjust ..

 

[MileHigh64]

I'm not as worried about linebacker this season. The Broncos seem pretty confident in the squad that they have and I think we'll see continued growth from the younger players. I agree that Trevathan's injury issues were troubling but the guy was a beast in Super Bowl 50. I do think Roby has an opportunity to become as good as Talib at some point. I think he'll need a season as a number one starter to develop but we'll see.

Quarterback, O-line and Tight End are the biggest question marks. The QB competition will get all the media's attention, starting in about a week.

Make no mistake, the Broncos are still a stacked team and I believe their pending demise is greatly exaggerated by the national pundits.

 

[SpiritOf77]

Maybe it's just because we've had no football for almost 6 months, but I am as excited and interested going into this camp as I ever have been ..

I am optimistic about the offense - it'll definitely been a work in progress, but with our staff, I am very excited

 

[MrDoc420]

Maybe it's just because we've had no football for almost 6 months, but I am as excited and interested going into this camp as I ever have been ..

I am optimistic about the offense - it'll definitely been a work in progress, but with our staff, I am very excited

I oddly feel the same way. I think the uncertainty at the QB position has my interest peaked especially high this year. I would love to see Sanchez come out and have a good year and lead us to another division win, or even a playoff berth. We are so stacked on both sides of the ball, that us who follow them closely know the Broncos are going to compete this year. All these "experts" have us pegged as an 8-9 win team this year, but I think these guys carry that into the season and really blow stuff up. Can't believe camp is just 8 days away.

Stoked.

 

[xBxtxDx]

Can't believe camp is just 8 days away.

Stoked.

The vets almost always report on my birthday, July 27th, which I count as the start of camp and I am always stoked for as a birthday present!

 

[Mingo]

The Oline and QB are weaknesses until proven otherwise. Probably in both cases they will be better later in the season - rather than early in the season.

Every other group on the team is either very good - to great.

 

[nflbronco]

How about depth though?

 

[SpiritOf77]

In somewhat related "depth" news, the Bears cut Omar Bolden . .

Not sure what this is about - Tillman is being brought back for a one day contract to retire, so will they resign Bolden ?? .. Probably not

Omar always left everything out there, and then some . .

Are we interested ?? ... He had a contract with the Bears for 800,000 , but only 80,000 guaranteed

Bears cut Omar Bolden

 

[Mingo]

How about depth though?

I should have added TE to the QB and Oline - unproven groups.

The Broncos have more depth than virtually any other team in the league. At QB they have their number 1 pick - who appears perfect for the Kubiak QB role - and he id 3rd string. Even though the Bronco QB situation is questionable - having the number 1 pick soaking up some learning before putting him out there as 3rd String is good depth.

On the Oline - they have high draft picks Sambrailo and Garcia along with proven starter in Matt Paradis in the Middle - backed up by a whole bunch of guys who can play center or guard - some of them with upside and pedigree as future starters. Okung and Stephenson at tackles - with our old friend Michael Schofield as the swing tackle (he played his best in the playoffs - which tells me something about this guy's character).

The Broncos go deeper than almost anyone in the league - at Safety - at Cornerback - at Linebacker - at pass rusher - at interior Dline - at WR and at RB.

I don't think the question here is going to be about talent or scheme fit - the question here is how fast can the Broncos get the Oline- the RBs - the FB - and TEs and the QBs in a rhythm? Kubiak shows himself to be patient in building his offense as the regular season goes along. This is a good strategy when you have a great defense to protect you and keep you close.

 

[MileHigh64]

Total and quality of the Broncos depth will be determined by how well our rookie draft class plays in 2016. If several of them step into their roles quickly, our depth will be solidified for sure. I agree that the Broncos have good depth but a couple of stud rookies will be the icing on the cake. Gotsis, Parks, Booker to name a few.

 

[Malibu]

As we gear up for camp (only 8 days away!!), it is going to be interesting to see how each position group looks. I've attempted to rank them from strongest group to weakest. I think it's a telling exercise in better understanding how our team might perform in 2016:

1. Defensive line. If you include our edge rushing linebackers (DE's at times), this is a strength of the Broncos IMO. Even with the loss of Malik, I think this unit can continue to be special and put enormous pressure on opposing quarterbacks, not to mention run-stuffing.
2. Defensive secondary. Talib, Harris, Roby, Ward, Stewart. Depth beyond those players. The "no fly zone" is the real deal and they really compliment or support our pass rush.
3. Receivers. There aren't many duos better than DT and Manny Sanders in the league. Depth players like Latimer, Fowler, Norwood and Sunshine make our future look bright!
4. Linebackers. The Broncos seem to have a lot of confidence in Todd Davis and Cory Nelson. With Brandon Marshall calling the plays and our edge guys, this is a competent group. This could also be a huge breakout year for the likes of Shaq Barrett and Shane Ray. Zaire Anderson could also be a sleeping monster!
   
5. Running backs. I like CJ. Add in Janovich in the fullback position and this year could be an ass-kickin' ride. Hillman may stick and there's always the rookie Booker, plus Thompson and Bibbs. Run the rock, Kubiak!
   
6. Special Teams. Lots of guys play here but can you say Brandon Mc "no miss" Manus?
7. Tight ends. Will Heuerman breakout this year? Can the Sanchize/Simien/Lynch-master get Virgil Green the ball more? A largely unproven group but integral to the Kubiak scheme. There should be some TE wrinkles this coming season.
8. Offensive line. While it would appear that the Broncos have upgraded the O-line, how long will it take to gel? These guys have never played together as a unit and we'll be adding the TE and fullback positions which could make life a little challenging early on. They're also blocking for an unknown quarterback who will at a minimum be a rookie or have some struggles with progressions. Makes for a tough day at the office.
9. Quarterback. Who the hell is going to be running our offense? Logical minds say Sanchez. Dreamers say Simien. Long term sufferers are yelling "throw Paxton out there!" I must admit that it's a bit alarming to see the weakest link be the most important position on the field but in Elway I trust. Although we know that the Broncos are seeking an answer to replace some of the worst quarterback play to ever grace a Super Bowl winning team, it can't be as easy as some would assert: "just have a game manager".

I know that I'm missing some other key or critical players on this list but I would be interested to see how others see it. Some of the rankings could probably be skewed a bit to each person's liking but this is how I see the Broncos heading into camp. Gotta figure out the O-line and the quarterback position. Our defense may give us the cushion or time to figure it out for a serious post-season run. Of course, we should be desperately worried about the Chiefs and the Raiduhhs! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

I'm out!

Great post!!! I would just flip the secondary and D line around and agree with everything else 100% Love this post. Great job. Peace.