Silver and Black Pride is wrapping up it’s offseason preview for each of the Las Vegas Raiders’ division rivals, previously touching on the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. That means the Denver Broncos will round us out, and Ian St. Clair from our frenemies at Mile High Report was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Broncos for Raider Nation.
Q: Davis Webb received some head coach interest this offseason, including from the Raiders, and Sean Payton decided to fire his longtime assistant Joe Lombardi and promote Webb to offensive coordinator. Was that decision solely to keep Webb in Denver? Do you expect to see any changes in the Broncos’ offense with Webb’s promotion?
A: The move was two-fold: to change things up and get new voices/eyes on the Broncos offense, and to keep Webb with the franchise. There’s no question that Payton and the organization respect Webb. This is more than that. Payton didn’t want the offense to get stale, so potentially giving up play calling to Webb and bringing in a new crop of assistant coaches should help breathe some new life into Payton’s and Denver’s offense.
Q: The Broncos were a Bo Nix injury away from going to the Super Bowl this season and have a fairly complete roster. So, how do you think they will approach the offseason, and what positions do you think they need to improve to get over the hump next year?
A: This offseason is all about doing what the Broncos can to get Nix weapons on offense. To be specific, I’d like Denver to add a top-notch running back, a game-changing receiver, and, potentially, a tight end. Since the Broncos are finally free from the anchor of Russell Wilson’s contract, they have the salary cap space to make those moves happen. Getting Nix a consistent running game and a possible game-changer at receiver will only make Nix and the Broncos better.
Q: The Broncos’ rushing attack was significantly different without running back J.K. Dobbins in the lineup this past season, and Dobbins is a free agent this offseason. If the front office lets Dobbins walk, draft or free agency, who would be your top candidates to replace him?
A: There are two running backs Denver must target if they become available: Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III.
There’s some speculation that the New York Jets will do New York Jets things and potentially put the transition tag on Hall. That would mean he could still hit the open market, and he jumps to the top of the wish list. Hall with Nix would be a fun duo. As for Walker, we saw his value in the Super Bowl.
Either one of those guys instantly makes the Broncos running game drastically better. They make Nix better. They make the Denver passing game better. Given the importance of the running game in Sean Payton’s offense, and the lack of it the last two years, there’s no question that it will be the top priority for the team this offseason.
Q: Who do you think will be a surprise free agent or a salary cap casualty in Denver this offseason?
A: There’s talk amongst Broncos Country that Denver could move on from either right tackle Mike McGlinchey or left guard Ben Powers. I don’t see that happening. The Broncos have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Why mess with a great thing? So I think both guys will be back, even if the contracts are restructured.
Since Denver has shored up pretty much all the players they wanted to extend, there really shouldn’t be any surprises. John Franklin-Meyers won’t likely return to the Broncos, given the guys they’ve brought back on the defensive line.
Two guys to keep an eye on: Tight end Evan Engram and middle linebacker Dre Greenlaw may not return. If I had to put a name to your question, though, maybe safety Brandon Jones. After middle linebacker, safety could be the position the Broncos look to improve on defense.
Q: Of the Broncos’ in-house free agents, if you had to pick someone who you’d pound the table to re-sign and someone you’d have no problem with letting walk, who would they be and why? The caveat here is that the players have to have been significant contributors from this past season.
A: I mentioned him just now, but Franklin-Meyers is likely gone, and hopefully Alex Singleton is, too. Singleton has a great story, having survived testicular cancer, but he’s not good at all. He’s a liability every time he’s on the field in literally every scenario he faces, and I do not want him back with the Broncos next season.
What’s funny is I’d pound the table to keep JFM. Since the trade that brought him from the Jets, he’s been really good in Denver. But given the guys and the money they’ve thrown at the defensive line, Franklin-Meyers won’t be back. The second player I’ll pound the table for is Dobbins, but with a caveat. Only if the Broncos miss out on Hall or Walker.
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