Denver Broncos: 4 positions the team must address in 2021.
The Denver Broncos have one of the most talented young rosters in the NFL, but injuries and difficult learning experiences have put somewhat of a “cap” on the excitement in 2020.
John Elway has some interesting decisions to make over the course of the next three months as he prepares this team for what will hopefully be a much healthier, more successful campaign in 2021.
At this point in time, it truly appears as though the Broncos will prepare to “run it back” with the current roster and the majority of players returning. We will see how Elway, Fangio, and the rest of the front office evaluate this roster once the season is complete, but if the Broncos could get mostly healthy, this is a roster that should be competitive enough for one out of seven playoff spots.
With that said, improvements should be pursued every offseason. What are some position groups Elway and company need to address in 2021?
Let’s take a look at four of them.
4. Safety
Justin Simmons is a free agent after the 2020 season. Since being selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Boston College, Simmons has truly been one of the best players for the Denver Broncos on and off the field.
Simmons has quietly picked off 15 passes in five NFL seasons and has finally, in year five, been recognized for the Pro Bowl.
In order to re-sign Simmons to a long-term deal, the Broncos may not be able to keep Simmons’ running mate at safety, Kareem Jackson. The Broncos could cut Jackson and save $10 million against the 2021 salary cap, though it’s not certain where they will make budget cuts.
Jackson has made some impressive hits this season for the Broncos, but the team may seek more turnover production from the safety running with Simmons, should they re-sign him.
The only issue with cutting Jackson to save cap space is that the Broncos don’t have anyone to replace him, except for potentially Will Parks who has played more nickel in Vic Fangio’s defense than safety lately.
The one reason to think letting go of Jackson and making safety a free agent priority is a realistic possibility? This year’s free agent safety class is loaded.
3. Hedge quarterback
The quarterback position is going to be talked about all the way leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft or until John Elway makes a move behind or even ahead of Drew Lock.
Is Drew Lock the Broncos’ “guy” going forward? Time will tell, but as of right now, the team does seem intent on giving Lock a chance at some continuity with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.
Lock has certainly shown flashes, but the team will be taking at least some level of risk in believing he can find consistency.
Should the Broncos decide to move forward with Lock as the presumptive QB1 for 2021, the team needs to bring in a better hedge at the position.
The Broncos brought in Jeff Driskel in the 2020 offseason and he’s been beaten out for backup QB duties by Brett Rypien.
With all due respect to Rypien, the Broncos should be looking to the 2021 free agent class for players who could potentially be the next Ryan Tannehill should Lock falter or regress to the point they decide to move on.
The ideal candidates for this position would be younger guys who still have upside. Sam Darnold’s name has been thrown around, but the Jets no longer hold the top overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and he might be staying put.
One name that makes a ton of sense is Mitchell Trubisky, the starting QB of the Chicago Bears currently. Trubisky’s play lately has piqued some interest, but it seems like he and the Bears are headed for a parting of ways.
Trubisky and Vic Fangio certainly know each other from their time in Chicago together, and the opportunity in Denver would make sense from Trubisky’s perspective at the very least because Lock has missed time in each of his first two NFL seasons due to injury.
Other options here include but are not limited to guys like Jacoby Brissett and Jameis Winston.
2. More pass rush help
The Broncos have traditionally invested heavily in their pass rush with John Elway in charge of putting together the roster.
Von Miller was his first draft pick, and he followed that up by taking Derek Wolfe with his top pick in 2012. In 2014, Elway signed future Hall of Fame pass rusher DeMarcus Ware to pair with Miller off the edge. One year later, he used a first-round pick on Shane Ray. In 2018, Elway used his first top-five pick since Von Miller on Bradley Chubb.
The Broncos are due to invest another high draft choice in their pass rush in the 2021 offseason.
The Broncos will have the contract situations of both Chubb and Miller to consider in 2021. Chubb’s fifth-year option will need to be exercised (or he will need to be extended) while Von Miller is entering a contract year.
Malik Reed has proven himself to be a worthy and starting caliber edge defender, but the Broncos really need more pop off the edge.
They could very well go with an edge rusher with one of their top two picks in the 2021 NFL Draft and there are plenty of “toolsy” guys in this class to choose from.
1. Cornerback
The top position group the Denver Broncos must address in the 2021 offseason?
Cornerback.
If the 2020 season has shown us anything, it’s the value of a strong secondary. The No Fly Zone is gone. The Denver Broncos revamped their secondary with a top four heading into the season of AJ Bouye, Bryce Callahan, Michael Ojemudia, and Essang Bassey.
Ojemudia and Bassey are young players with bright futures. Bouye and Callahan are veterans who are reliable when healthy, the only problem is they can’t stay healthy.
For 2021 and beyond, how much can the Broncos really count on Bouye, for starters?
He’s suspended the first two games of the season and is serving the other four games of his suspension to close out 2020. His first season in Denver was limited to just seven games and his second year (a contract year) will be limited to no more than 14 games.
Bryce Callahan played tremendous when he was out there for the Broncos in 2020, but he has had issues with his foot now for three straight seasons.
The Broncos used three selections in the 2020 NFL Draft on wide receivers, and they could at least double up on cornerbacks.
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With Bouye only playing seven games in 2020 and a maximum of 14 games in 2021, it would not be surprising if the Broncos saved the remaining nearly $12 million by cutting Bouye and going after another veteran in addition to some young players in the draft.