The Denver Broncos are in an odd position right now because bar injuries, they have a pretty solid team up and down the roster. The only problem is the roster doesn’t really have a lot of guys currently in their prime. They have quite a few solid old guys, like Jurrell Casey, Von Miller, and AJ Buoye. They also have some talented young guys like Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, and Bradley Chubb.
This means that if they go into an all out rebuild they really won’t get much value for their players. But if they try and become a win now team some of their young guys might not be developed enough for them to be a legit contender.
This brings us to the question, what do the Broncos do with Drew Lock.
He’s showed potential in some games but in other games he’s looked completely lost. Giving him time to develop could be smart but at this point the Broncos don’t exactly have time. In this league you can’t settle for anything but the best at the quarterback position, and that’s why I believe the Broncos should move off of Lock.
Depending on who’s available in free agency and trades, that may be the best route to go so that they can contend immediately. A guy like Dak Prescott would be perfect for a quick turnaround however, I advise that they don’t settle for an average starter like Jacoby Brissett because he really won’t get them where they need to be. Guys like Jimmy Garropolo may be also be available but I really wouldn’t get a free agent via trade unless they can land one of the top guys, say Matt Ryan or Matt Stafford.
They could also go the route of the draft and get a guy for the future. If this does end up happening I still don’t think that they should trade away some of their older players. The roster is good enough for a quick turnaround and establishing a winning culture for a young qb is important.
I could see them looking at options such as Trey Lance or Zach Wilson with their first round pick currently slated at where it’s at, or maybe even trading back and drafting a guy like Kyle Trask. Trask and Lance are the typical big strong arm guys that Elway likes, Wilson is a bit of a different type of quarterback but his play style would also be pretty effective.
The best case scenario would be to land one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft, Lawrence or Fields, however with the Broncos currently slated with where they are at that seems unlikely. A trade up seems unlikely and they would likely have to give up a massive haul to move up to get their which the Broncos are not equipped for.
Another big decision may be the next coaching hire. Vic Fangio has proven that his old school approach doesn’t work and the Broncos need to let him go for an offensive minded head coach. Guys like Eric Bieniemy, Brain Daboll, and Joe Brady should all be candidates to be the Broncos next head coach.
The AFC West is going to be a good division for years to come with the Chiefs looking like the next dynasty, a steadily improving Raiders team that looks solid, and a solid Chargers team that has found their franchise quarterback with Justin Herbert.
The Broncos are in a precarious position and they need to make the right choices going forward or else they might just screw themselves for the future.
Image: AP Photo / Jack Dempsey
