Riddick: Siemian ‘efficient enough’ for Broncos to contend in AFC

Before 2011, a year in which the Broncos backed into the NFL playoffs with an 8-8 record in John Fox’s first year as head coach and Tim Tebow at quarterback, Denver hadn’t been to the postseason since losing in the AFC Championship in 2005.

That half-decade of failing to advance past the regular season led to the dismissal of two coaches, the hiring of both Fox and John Elway, drafting — among others — perennial All-Pro Von Miller, a string of five-straight AFC West titles (mostly with Peyton Manning under center), and a Super Bowl 50 win.

So, it’s only natural to correlate last season’s speed bump —wherein the Broncos lost four of its last six games and missed the postseason for the first time since 2010 — to a potential set of down years for the franchise.

But despite a new coaching staff, a rookie left tackle, and a 50-50 competition between two young quarterbacks, ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick told 104.3 The Fan’s “Schlereth & Evans” Denver will be “right back in the hunt.”

“They’ll play good enough complimentary football, just like they did when Peyton was there. Maybe of a different variety, obviously, but they’ll play good enough complimentary football to be contenders again,” Riddick said.

And Riddick believes last year’s starter Trevor Siemian can be “efficient enough” at quarterback to contend for AFC titles, should the team build a “roster strong around him.”

“I think it’s just going to be a function of this offensive line getting back to where it needs to get to,” Riddick said.

That means players like first-round pick Garett Bolles needs to own that left tackle role, free agent signings Ronald Leary and Menelik Waston need to step up too, and possibly Donald Stephenson needs to “start finally capitalizing on his potential.”

“I think everything will roll from there on the offensive side,” Riddick said.

Riddick also said the Broncos need to fortify the interior defensive line, though he believes second-round draft pick DeMarcus Walker will fit in nicely and be a guy “who Broncos fans will be very, very happy about.”

“DeMarcus Walker is one of the best combination inside-outside players in the draft who really wasn’t talked about leading up to the draft,” Riddick said.

“He can be one of those guys, I think, when you look at all the defensive players, especially the front seven players in this draft, people are going to go, ‘How did we not talk about him more?’”

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.