The Broncos aren’t far away, except where it matters most
Nov 19, 2019, 6:19 AM | Updated: 6:29 am
After yet another gut-punch loss dropped the Broncos to 3-7, the optimistic part of Broncos Country immediately proclaimed, “But we’re better than that. We could easily be 6-4 or 7-3!”
I’m normally a cynical (pragmatic!!) type who subscribes to the old Bill Parcells line “You are what your record says you are.” I don’t buy the idea the Broncos are much better than 3-7. However, I do see encouraging signs.
The youth movement on offense was on full display against the Vikings. The three leading receivers were Courtland Sutton (24 years old), Tim Patrick (25) and Noah Fant (21). The leading rushers were Philip Lindsay (25) and Royce Freeman (23).
That’s a nice re-build happening right before our eyes. It would point to a turnaround that could put the Broncos back in playoff contention as early as next season.
Until…
Until you realize the critical areas the Broncos are still lacking. Those include quarterback, offensive line and overall roster depth.
Look, Brandon Allen has been okay. He’s shown me enough to think he can be a good backup/spot starter in this league. But he’s not The Answer.
It speaks to how quarterback starved we’ve gotten around here that we’ve lowered our standards for what passes for good QB play. The reaction to Allen’s first two starts makes me believe when Drew Lock ultimately gets his chance to play he will have to be really bad to not receive overflowing praise.
So the Broncos remain unsettled at the most-important position in all of sports.
Then, there’s the offensive line. It still needs a massive overhaul. Dalton Risner is a keeper. He’s a huge part of the youth movement. Other than him, Denver needs upgrades at the other four offensive line positions.
Then, there’s the matter of roster depth. The defense is starting to get a little old in the tooth. When it comes to starters on offense and defense, plus good backups, I put the current number at about 25. I know you can’t expect a 53-man roster to truly go 53 deep, but I believe that number needs to be around 35 to 40. Obviously, the Broncos have a ways to go.
The bottom line is simple: The Broncos situation is far from hopeless, but a return to glory is not right around the corner.
There is still a lot of work to be done. At least a few years worth before the Broncos can be realistic contenders.