Will the Broncos be able to replace the production lost in the offseason?
Aug 7, 2024, 9:45 AM
It’s easy to say that the Broncos didn’t lose anything in the offseason that’s going to be a big concern. After all, they lost a lot of games with the players who left; if they were irreplaceable, the results on the field would’ve been better.
Fair enough. But that’s also missing the bigger point.
In any sport, it takes talent to win consistently. Yes, attitude and effort can get a team over the top in the short run, but those things only go so far. Eventually, the better team wins.
Thus, watching good players leave town is a concern. And the lack of adequate replacements is an even bigger worry.
Lloyd Cushenberry wasn’t a great center, but he was a steady influence in the middle of the Broncos offensive line. He started 57 out of 66 games over the course of his four seasons in Denver. He’ll be replaced by Luke Watterberg, a player who has a grand total of one start during his two years in the Mile High City.
Cushenberry was solid. Wattenberg has been a turnstile when he’s been called into duty. Most likely, this year will be a downgrade in the middle of the offensive line.
Kareem Jackson wasn’t very good last season. Heck, he couldn’t stay on the field, as he kept getting booted out of games and suspended by the NFL for hits that were outside the rules. But he did have two interceptions and 51 tackles in just eight games. He’s being replaced by P.J. Locke, a safety who had one pick and 53 tackles in 12 games. Call this one a wash.
Speaking of safeties, Justin Simmons was a Pro Bowl selection a year ago, one of only three players on the roster to earn that honor. Was he worth the $14.4 million the Broncnos paid him in 2023? Perhaps not. But he did lead the team in interceptions with three. He was also fourth on the team in tackles with 70 and second in passes defensed with eight.
How important was Simmons to the Broncos defense? In the two games he missed, Denver gave up a combined 98 points. That included a 70-point embarrassment in Miami.
Brandon Jones is going to fill that void? He started a grand total of 30 games during his four seasons in Miami, hauling in three career interceptions during that time. To suggest he’s the equivalent of Simmons is beyond looking at things through orange-colored glasses; it’s delusional.
Josey Jewell wasn’t a great player, by any means. But the middle linebacker was an integral part of what the Broncos did on defense. Last season, Jewell was second on the team with 108 tackles. He also forced two fumbles and recovered three. The options to replace him, Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith, aren’t exactly Ray Lewis 2.0. Barton will be on his third team in three years, while Griffith is coming off of a knee injury that cost him the entire 2023 season.
The Broncos have needed to upgrade from Jewell for years. The fact that he started 58 games at middle linebacker during his six seasons in Denver is a prime example of the front office not paying enough attention to that position. But Barton and/or Griffith are most likely a downgrade, at least based on history.
On the other side of the ball, Jerry Jeudy was a loss this offseason. The wide receiver was shipped to Cleveland in a trade that few lamented. For the most part, a feeling of “good riddance” was the vibe in Denver.
But Jeudy is a talented player. He was second on the team a year ago in receiving yards with 758, just 14 behind Courtland Sutton. He was also third in yards per reception, outpacing Sutton in that department.
The former first-round pick is being replaced by Josh Reynolds. The eight-year veteran comes to Denver after two seasons in Detroit. During his time with the Rams, Titans and Lions, the wideout has never recorded more than 618 receiving yards in a season.
He’ll get a chance to better those numbers in Denver. But is he a surefire upgrade over Jeudy? Hardly.
And last but not least, the biggest departure of the offseason – Russell Wilson. The much-maligned quarterback is gone, with the Broncos eating an NFL-record $85 million in dead cap over the next two seasons to get him out of town.
Without a doubt, the trade for Wilson was a debacle. The Broncos gave up two first-round picks, two second-rounders and three players for a quarterback who went 11-19 during his two seasons in Denver. That’s not what anyone had in mind.
Cleary, Wilson has flaws. And those problems drove Sean Payton crazy. So the head coach won the power struggle and the QB has moved on to Pittsburgh.
But he did make some plays last year. After all, Wilson three for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns, while tossing just eight interceptions. He also ran for 341 yards (third-most on the team) and three scores (tied for the team lead). That’s a lot of production to replace.
The options to fill that void are Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Bo Nix. Stidham is 1-3 during his four career starts; he’s thrown for 1,422 yards and eight touchdowns, while tossing eight picks. Wilson is 12-21 over the last three seasons; he’s thrown 23 career TDs, but 25 interceptions. Nix is a rookie, coming to Denver after being the sixth quarterback taken in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Wilson is public enemy No. 1 in Denver, so most people see his departure as addition by subtraction. But that’s so overly simplistic is ridiculous.
Yes, the Broncos only one 11 games during his tenure. But without Wilson at QB, it could’ve been even worse. Last season, he led an NFL-leading four fourth-quarter comebacks. In his two seasons, he had seven such wins. Without Wilson to save the day, Denver might’ve gone 4-26 in the 30 games he started.
Add it all up, and a lot of production has left Denver in the last few months. It’s kind of staggering.
They’re leading passer, third-leading rusher and most-prolific scorer on the ground. The players who finished Nos. 1 and 2 in interceptions, accounting for 45% of the teams total in that category on the season. The second- and fourth-leading tacklers. The wideout with the second-most receptions.
The list goes on and on and on.
And to replace them, the Broncos have brought in journeyman and/or rookies. It’s the main reason why most people are so down on Denver’s roster.
The Broncos were bad a year ago. On paper, they’re even worse this season. To ignore that fact is burying one’s head in the sand.
Can the roster surprise people? Sure. But some of the team’s best players are no longer here. That’s going to make it tough to accomplish.
