With the right quarterback, the Broncos are Super Bowl contenders

A great debate is raging among NFL fans when it comes to whether or not the Denver Broncos would be Super Bowl contenders with the addition of a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson. I think the answer is a resounding “yes,” but many do not.

Broncos fans are so downtrodden now they’ve lost their way. After the last six years of being a punchline instead of a contender, so many fans just can’t believe that high-level talent is here and ready to do more.

The Broncos are closer to being contenders than some think. Let’s examine why.

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Overflowing With Receiver Talent

There is no doubt the Broncos have a talented group of wide receivers. Courtland Sutton is a player I believe in. He’s been banged up and not himself over the last couple of years due to a 2020 knee injury. However, when healthy I think he can be one of the best receivers in the game. Look at what the Bengals were able to do with Tee Higgins, and you can see the type of player Sutton can be at the pro level.

Tim Patrick is a player every team would love to have. He’s one of the hardest working players in the NFL and his receiving talent is strong. Patrick has a size/speed combination that most receivers strive for, but on top of that he’s got incredible ‘my ball’ mentality. When the ball is in the air – it’s his. He’ll go up and get passes that others shy away from. His consistency makes him a trusted target for whoever is throwing him the ball.

Not only are Sutton and Patrick fine talents, but they are both under contract with good cap numbers. Last year, the Broncos were able to secure both with contract extensions. These are cap-friendly deals and fair compensation for both players. Those deals help Denver’s salary cap situation, and they also might be attractive if the Packers want either one in exchange (along with a couple of first-round picks) for Rodgers.

As I’ve written on DenverFan.com, I think Jerry Jeudy can be part of the solution for the Broncos. He’s a great route runner and can get open consistently. His hands need improvement, but better passes from a better quarterback should equal better production from Jeudy in his third season. Sometimes it takes three years for a wide receiver to get going in the NFL (Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Marvin Harrison, etc) so give Jeudy one more year. Give me a great quarterback and watch his numbers skyrocket.

Add in K.J. Hamler and that blurring speed, and you can see how the Broncos have so much wide receiver talent that it’s falling out of George Paton’s pockets. Not only wide receivers, but the Broncos have a couple of tight ends who can make plays as receivers in Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam. Fant is a mismatch anytime he’s on the field as he’s too big for safeties to cover and too fast for linebackers to cover. Okwuegbunam is the same – except he’s larger, stronger and faster than Fant.

Any quarterback who comes into this situation is not going to be hurting when it comes to receiving weapons at both the wide receiver and tight end position. Add in Javonte Williams and Mike Boone as rushing and receiving threats, and you’ll see just how stacked this offense is when it comes to skill position players.

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Questions – and Answers – in the Trenches

One argument you’ll hear often is the Broncos offensive line isn’t good enough to protect someone like Rodgers. It seems to be the snooty answer that Broncos doubters bring up when talking about the team making a run at a franchise quarterback. It’s partly true – there are questions on the offensive line, but the answers are there as well if you look a little closer. It’s easy to say, “The o-line stinks!” but it’s necessary to closely examine the situation and find that proclamation to be untrue.

Yes, there is a question mark at the right tackle position – and there has been for years. Last year, Bobby Massie played 796 snaps in 13 starts and was the best they’ve had in a long time on the right side. He was making just over $2 million last year but hits free agency this offseason. Bringing him back is an option for the Broncos if they want, and his price tag should not be that high. If not, right tackle should be a target for the team with the no.9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft (if they even have the pick).

Right guard and center are also a concern for the Broncos – but the situation may not be as dire as some are trying to project. Graham Glasgow reworked his deal this offseason to stay with the team, and he will get a chance to start at right guard – his usual spot. Glasgow is also going to push Lloyd Cushenberry at center this year as well. If Cushenberry doesn’t take a much-needed leap in his third year, the team could go to Glasgow who has started a whole season (2018, Lions) at the center position. If Glasgow gets banged up again, the Broncos can easily turn to Quinn Meinerz to start at right guard. In fact, Meinerz may be the favorite to land the starting job in 2022.

Left guard is Dalton Risner who enters a contract year with detractors to prove wrong. Left tackle is Garett Bolles, who is currently the highest-paid player ($21 million) on the roster. Two of the five offensive line spots are set, and the other three have talent that can be added to via the draft. Broncos general manager George Paton has an eye for talent and should be able to continue drafting quality players like he did in his first season with the Broncos last year.

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Evero Defense > Fangio Defense

I believe the Broncos defense will be better under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero than it was under former head coach Vic Fangio. This isn’t some sort of “hot take” (because I hate hot takes), but a statement that I think everyone should get behind. Fangio has tremendous knowledge of defensive football and is one of the best defensive minds in the game. However, his defense in Denver never played up to their potential or had the impact that everyone thought they would when Fangio was hired as their head coach.

Evero brings a fresh perspective to the defense. He has a ton of energy and will work hand-in-hand with head coach Nathaniel Hackett – as the two have a friendship going back to their days at UC Davis. Evero will be able to connect with his players in a way that Fangio just could not. Fangio had Von Miller for over two years and didn’t know how to unleash him the way Evero’s defense did with the Rams on their way to the Super Bowl.

Fangio spent years in the coaching booth running defenses, but with the Broncos he had to be on the sidelines during games as the head coach. Evero won’t have that issue, and he won’t get plays in late the way that Fangio did too often to count. The talent is there on defense, and Paton will add more talent to that side of the ball in the draft.

Oh yeah, a great quarterback means the Broncos will score more points. Scoring more points will mean opponents have to put the foot on the gas when they face Denver, something they didn’t have to do against Fangio. When pressure is applied to an offense via the scoreboard, that makes things easier for the defense who can tee off against an opponent in “catch up” mode. All of these factors – with the right quarterback – will put the Broncos defense in a higher category than they were with Fangio. It will also put them in the Super Bowl conversation.

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Summary

Yes, the Broncos are Super Bowl contenders with the right quarterback. It must be Rodgers, Wilson or Watson – but the potential is there for this team to be in the championship conversation with the right quarterback.

If they weren’t, why add the quarterback and give up future assets. Of course this team is in a Super Bowl window with that quarterback – just like they were in 2012 when Peyton Manning came to town. It’s difficult for some to believe, but it’s true and will be true if one of those three top quarterbacks is added.

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