Broncos Have NFL’s Third Most Talented Roster Per NFL.com
The Denver Broncos and GM John Elway have done a great job of putting together a championship caliber roster, as we’ve seen since he came aboard in 2011.
The Broncos have been AFC West Champions every year Elway has been in charge of the roster, even once without Peyton Manning, and they’ve also been one of the best at putting together a roster full of big time players.
Bucky Brooks at NFL.com took a look at all 32 NFL rosters and came up with a list of the top 10 most talented in the league minus the quarterback. He placed the Broncos third on the list.
Elite @nfl teams typically feature 8-10 "blue chip" players excluding the QB. Here are the 10 most talented rosters: http://t.co/pCv1QSGZ1S
— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) May 25, 2015
Brooks was a scout with the Panthers during the time they reached the Super Bowl, and he does a really good job covering the NFL and the draft for NFL.com. He says that the Broncos have eight ‘blue chip’ players on the roster outside of the QB position, including the following:
OT Ryan Clady
LB Von Miller
LB DeMarcus Ware
S T.J. Ward
CB Aqib Talib
CB Chris Harris Jr.
WR Demaryius Thomas
WR Emmanuel Sanders
The one player I really feel like he could have added to this list is RG Louis Vasquez, who is one of the best in the league at his position when he’s actually playing it. He was playing right tackle a lot last year and was clearly out of place. When kicked inside at guard, he’s elite, and I would bump him on this list to give the Broncos nine blue chip players.
Other players who are borderline blue chip are Malik Jackson and Brandon Marshall, who were on Pro Football Focus’ top 101 players of 2015.
Brooks also says that cornerback Bradley Roby is the Broncos’ player ‘on the rise.’
“John Elway has done a great job of surrounding Peyton Manning with a championship-caliber roster as the QB attempts to win the second ring of his illustrious career. In recent years, the Broncos have invested heavily on the defensive side of the ball with Talib, Ward and Ware coming over as marquee free agents. The team also plucked a blue-chip talent at the top of the draft (Miller) to fortify the pass rush and preserve leads against opponents forced to play catchup against Denver’s fast-paced scoring attack. On offense, the Broncos have a dangerous WR tandem with Thomas and Sanders on the perimeter. Each player is capable of turning short passes into long gains or blowing past defenders on vertical routes. Given Manning’s ability to “dink and dunk” with the best of them, the presence of two explosive playmakers in the passing game keeps the Broncos’ offense rolling despite the physical limitations of an aging quarterback.”
The two teams ranked ahead of the Broncos on this list are the Seattle Seahawks (nine blue chip players) and the Buffalo Bills (eight blue chip players).
The Bills are a shocking addition to any list that includes ‘elite’ things in the NFL, but they have assembled a really talented roster over the last couple of years. If (Broncos free agent target) Tyrod Taylor can elevate himself to the starting position on that team, they are a squad to keep your eye on under the tutelage and direction of Rex Ryan.
Obviously, the Broncos have a phenomenal roster, and it’s really well constructed. Of the ‘blue chip’ players on their list, Demaryius Thomas and Von Miller are the only ones with contracts expiring after this season.