This is the most important offseason in the history of the Broncos

The Denver Broncos are still undergoing a search for their next head coach. I feel that within the next week or so, we will have an announcement as to who that is going to be. We can speculate left and right which candidate is going to get the job, but we need to step back and acknowledge this is just part of the process.

It’s an important part, but it’s the first move in what must be multiple moves – BIG moves – to get the Broncos back in the playoff picture. If the Broncos make the right hires and make the right moves, then they could be back in the Super Bowl picture sooner than some think. If they fail at any one of these steps, the franchise could continue to be stuck in the purgatory of the NFL.

They’re not a bad team, but they’re not a good team. The Broncos are certainly not a great team as former head coach Vic Fangio helped run this team into the ground. Nobody is afraid of the Broncos anymore, and nobody talks about this team. They have become an afterthought in the NFL, and that’s sad to see for a team that is one of the most historic in the annals of the NFL.

This is the most important offseason for the Broncos in recent history – perhaps for the entire history of the franchise. Let’s examine why.

***

It All Starts at the Top

The biggest attribute the team is looking for in their next head coach is leadership. Broncos general manager George Paton, the man heading up the search for a new head coach, talked about the importance of leadership when asked about the qualities he’s looking for.

Like all businesses, things start at the top. In coaching circles, it’s tough for assistant coaches to do their job at a high level if the guy at head coach is incompetent. We saw that with Fangio in place as the Broncos head coach.

He was a nice guy, sure, but Fangio was not a strong leader. Instead of delegating the authority for someone like Ed Donatell, Fangio made sure to oversee the defense while largely ignoring what was happening – or not happening – on the offensive side of the ball.

The Broncos need a leader. They need a head coach who can delegate authority and trust his assistant coaches to get the job done. Yes, the new head coach is going to have an expertise on either offense or defense, but that doesn’t mean he should ignore the other side. The Broncos need someone involved, but also a head coach who knows what to look for on both sides of the ball.

***

Quarterback Desperate League

The NFL is not a quarterback-driven league, it’s a quarterback-desperate league – and the Broncos are certainly desperate to finally find the right quarterback. They stumbled through nearly a dozen different starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning hung up his cleats after winning Super Bowl 50. Finding a head coach is first on the list, but next up is likely the most important step for the Broncos – get the right quarterback.

That may come via trade. In fact, I think finding the right quarterback does come via trade. This is not a great class of rookie quarterbacks, although I still think three or four of these passers will get selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft – again, it’s quarterback-desperate league. It’s not a great group of free agent quarterbacks and teams will hesitate just a bit when it comes to handing out big-money deals to these tier-three (at best) veterans.

If and when the Broncos finally get the quarterback right, whether that’s a veteran or a rookie, they need to build everything around him. Yes, defense and special teams (and the rest of your offense) is important, but it doesn’t all come together unless you have the right signal-caller under center. Paton must be bold when going after a quarterback via trade.

He wanted to add Matthew Stafford last offseason, in what would have been his biggest and first move as GM, but the Los Angeles Rams doubled down and outbid the Broncos. Stafford is preparing for the NFC Championship Game this week, while Paton is still in need of a franchise quarterback. The Broncos have to get this move for a quarterback correct or all the other hard work they’re doing will all be for naught.

***

Keeping Up With the Joneses (aka the Chiefs)

Today’s game is all about offensive football. We saw that in arguably the greatest game in NFL history last week during the Divisional Round when the Buffalo Bills took the Kansas City Chiefs to overtime. The Bills have Josh Allen, arguably the best young quarterback in the league, leading the way. The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, arguably the best quarterback overall, marching them towards the Super Bowl for a third time since he took over as the starter. The Broncos don’t have any of that.

It’s not just about the quarterback, although that is obviously the biggest concern, but it’s about the philosophy as well. Who are the Broncos? What do they want to be? What kind of philosophy do they have as a team?

Paton was part of the Minnesota Vikings for years, but that’s a team that hasn’t competed for a Super Bowl in decades. Yes, the Vikings made the postseason and they were around the playoffs a bit but they never had enough to take them over the top. Does Paton want to build the Mile High version of the Vikings? I hope not.

Winning with defense is what Fangio wanted to do, and his defense wasn’t as strong as advertised. Yes, Fangio blamed the offense for the team’s shortcomings, but his reputation as a defensive mind did take a hit in Denver – especially after Paton gave him more talent and more depth on that side of the ball in 2021 via the draft and free agency. The Broncos need to catch up with the times.

Yes, defense is still important – this isn’t fantasy football – but they need to focus on offense. No matter who is named the head coach, the Broncos need to emphasize that side of the ball. Instead of barely mustering 20 points per game like they’ve been striving to do for five years, the Broncos need to be explosive. The rest of their conference is full of explosive offenses – not just the Bills and the Chiefs. Denver needs to understand the “neighborhood” they live in.

***

Winning Bid

The Broncos are likely to be sold this offseason, and it may come in the form of an auction. Nothing is official yet, but soon the Broncos should announce that the team is for sale. After that, it won’t take long for a new buyer to win the bid to buy the team.

Then, things will get tricky as the NFL owners need to approve whatever ownership group this is or if there is an individual who buys the team. Things are procedural, so they will take time and the officially official owner may not be in place until the fall. The new owner of the Broncos will want to put a stamp on the team. That may mean new uniforms, or that could mean a new stadium. However, that could mean fingerprints on the roster and the coaching staff ASAP.

The decisions that Paton makes at head coach and quarterback could all be swatted away in a year if things don’t click quickly. Who is the new owner going to be? Fans are hoping that Peyton Manning will lead an ownership group and get into the front office himself. What does that mean for Paton if Peyton is in the building? Nobody knows, but if things are on track I would imagine Manning would keep the status quo.

***

Summary

So, let’s go over the shopping list for the Broncos this offseason. First, they need to find a head coach. Next, they need to find the right quarterback. After that, the Broncos need to make sure they are philosophically on the same page – and that philosophy must be one that reflects modern football. Finally, the team needs to be sold and the new owner needs to let the football minds do the work. Oh yeah, then this needs to work – quickly – or else more changes will be made.

I can’t remember a team that had a larger checklist in one offseason. We all want the Broncos to make massive changes, but this is a monumental task for Paton. If he hits on all cylinders, the Broncos will be back on top. If he misses on the things he can control (coach, quarterback, philosophy), then one of the changes the new owner could make is to find a new general manager.

***

Follow @CecilLammey