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Denver Broncos: Remaining 2020 offseason inventory

By Nicholas Manning

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 18: Defensive back Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos runs onto the field as players are introduced before an NFL preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 18, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 18: Defensive back Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos runs onto the field as players are introduced before an NFL preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 18, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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Denver Broncos, Vic Fangio
HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 8: Head Coach Vic Fangio of the Denver Broncos on the sidelines during the second half of a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 8, 2019 in Houston, Texas. The Broncos defeated the Texans 38-24. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Choose a team identity… and make sure it’s aggressive.

Offensively, the Broncos will be trying to establish an identity with a plethora of challenges. On top of the external challenges influencing the shut down of facilities, the team has their 5th offensive coordinator in five seasons. Not only will the play-caller change again, but the system itself will be different.

The Broncos will move from a tight end focused zone system to a predominantly three-wide receiver look. To make that adjustment Pat Shurmur was chosen by Vic Fangio to come in and insert some aggressiveness to the play calling.

Additionally, the Broncos signed Melvin Gordon to improve the situational rushing that plagued the team last year and boost the passing game.

But, how will the splits look for the backfield look between Gordon and Pro Bowl running back Phillip Lindsay? How aggressive will Shurmur be if the young receivers struggle or the line fails to hold up?

Shurmur has historically been a play-caller willing to take shots and did so fairly consistently this past season with rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.

The Broncos must figure out how the team will attack their opponents. In the last few years, the offense was too comfortable taking what the defense gave them instead of putting them on their heels. Hopefully the Broncos commit to an aggressive mentality early as their offensive persona.

Defensively, there are fewer questions as to who this team will be. The questions that do remain will be, who will step up? With the return of Bradley Chubb, Jurrell Casey, and Shelby Harris up front, who will take the pressure off of Von Miller?

The team must also begin to evaluate Alexander Johnson as a long term option in the middle. Johnson broke out last season, and looks to be a fixture the team has been looking for quite some time. However, Johnson is a downhill player with adequate range and is already 28 and struggled to remain healthy through the season.

With the uncertainty on the back end of the defense, the Broncos must decide how they will defend opponents’ passing games. The Broncos may maximize pressure to try and hurry other team’s passing games and decrease the exposure of their young corners or will Fangio may prefer to drop more players in coverage to limit zone responsibilities.

So, who will the corners be?

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