If the Broncos won’t “force it” at quarterback right now, when will they?

According to the pundits, George Paton has had a tremendous start to the offseason. By retaining Shelby Harris, Von Miller and Justin Simmons, while adding Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller, they claim that the Broncos general manager has built a top-five defense.

That’s debatable, given that it adds up to a lot of the same parts that Vic Fangio has had at his disposal the last two seasons. And during that time, the head coach’s supposedly vaunted defense has fallen on its face, multiple times.

But for the sake of argument, let’s assume that it’s true. The Broncos have built a top-five defense.

Shouldn’t that make them a playoff contender in 2021? Of course. Being that dominant on one side of the ball should add up to a lot of wins.

The only way it wouldn’t is if their offense is simply atrocious. Based on how they’ve performed in the last five years, that’s certainly possible.

But it doesn’t have to be inevitable. There are pieces to work with on that side of the ball.

When the 2020 season ended, the Broncos already knew 10 of their 11 starters on offense for 2021. Other than quarterback, the lineup for Week 1 was set.

Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy are the starting wideouts, with K.J. Hamler in the slot. Noah Fant is the tight end. Melvin Gordon will be in the backfield. And the offensive line, from left to right, is Garett Bolles, Dalton Risner, Lloyd Cushenberry, Graham Glasgow and Ja’Wuan James.

That’s a ton of talent. It’s three first-round picks, three seconds, two thirds and two high-priced free agents. There’s isn’t a ton of room for upgrade.

Except at quarterback.

Drew Lock has certainly shown flashes during his first two seasons in the NFL, but he’s clearly the weak link on offense. He’s the biggest question mark.

And the Broncos know it. That’s why they’re trying to replace him.

They made a run at Matthew Stafford, but came up short. They’ve been in the Deshaun Watson conversations, before those came to a screeching halt due to the QB’s legal issues. And they’re scouting all of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft, with Paton attending pro days for Trey Lance, Zach Wilson and others.

But they’ve failed to make a bold move to address the problem. While others have pushed their chips in, the Broncos continue to remind everyone that they aren’t going to “force it” at QB.

Of course, they never define what that means. Instead, it’s just a vague comment used to explain away inaction.

We’re the Rams forcing it when they traded for Stafford? How about the Colts when they acquired Carson Wentz?

Did the 49ers force it when they traded up from the 12th overall pick in April to No. 3? How about Chiefs in 2017 when they moved up to draft Patrick Mahomes or the Bills when they moved into position to grab Josh Allen in 2018?

Of course not. They saw an opportunity to upgrade at the most-important position in sports and they jumped at the chance. They rolled the dice because they believed they could find an answer at QB for years to come.

The Broncos should’ve done the same. They should’ve “forced it” for Stafford. They should’ve “forced it” to get the third-overall pick from the Dolphins.

Why not?

The apologists will say that Denver isn’t just a QB away. They will argue that the timing isn’t right.

These are the same people telling everyone that Paton has built a top-five defense, however. They talk out of both sides of their mouths.

What are these missing pieces?

A middle linebacker? Sure, the Broncos could upgrade from Josey Jewell. But that’s going to make them significantly better than a top-five defense?

Maybe it’s depth. That’s been the rationale for the team’s awful special teams the past four years. But it’s a laughable argument.

Nobody has depth to spare in the salary-cap era of the NFL. Special teams are about coaching. They’re about attention to details.

That’s why the Broncos were fine in that category under Gary Kubiak. It’s why they’ve been awful under Vance Jospeh and Vic Fangio.

The reality is that no team is without holes. The Buccaneers have them. The Chiefs have them. Everyone does in the modern NFL.

The Broncos can’t wait for a perfect roster before addressing the QB situation. If that’s the plan, they’ll never pull the trigger.

That’s why people can’t have it both ways. If they believe Paton has built a top-five defense, and that John Elway stocked the cupboard with young offensive talent, they can’t defend the Broncos inactivity at the one spot that would push them over the top.

If the hype is real, it’s time for the Broncos to “force it” at quarterback. If that’s the only missing piece, they need to find one while everything else is in place.

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