How do the Denver Broncos bounce back from their 2020 Season?
By Noah Smith
4. Change the culture in the locker room
The Broncos have done an excellent job of adding leadership and accountability to their locker room in recent years, through free agency as well as the draft. Now, it’s time to add a new identity to the locker room: winners.
Ultimately, everyone in the locker room wants to win, and they play for the love of the game along with the money. However, adding proven winners, players who will infect the locker room with a drive to win above all else should be Elway’s next goal as general manager.
The Broncos have plenty of talent throughout their roster, and adding the missing talent from the 2020 season will surely lead to more wins. However, the locker room is used to losing, and the standards have seemingly changed.
By adding proven winners, the Broncos will rally around their vocal leaders and truly play for each other, and play to win at all costs. The Broncos have shown a lack of effort at certain times throughout the season, and adding a fiery new voice or two in the locker room should help shift the culture.
Just as important as adding new voices is retaining the current locker room leaders. Shelby Harris and Justin Simmons are both in contract years, and both have a massive say in the Broncos’ locker room. Retaining both of these players will provide a consistency in the locker room, and keep their excellent on-field play in the Mile High City.
After five straight seasons of no playoffs, the standards have changed from the glory days of Elway and Pat Bowlen. Adding proven winners into the Broncos locker room will bring a new intensity to the Broncos players and coaching staff, and will help the team bounce back from the 2020 season.