Denver Broncos: Finding quarterback even more crucial now
There should be urgency for the Denver Broncos to find their franchise quarterback after the team traded Von Miller.
One would think that the Denver Broncos are in win-now mode. They have not won a whole lot as of late, so really, every week needs to be win-now. What does the trade of Von Miller say about this team in 2021?
It shows they’re planning for the future. Unfortunately, the NFL is a business and for whatever reason, the Denver Broncos decided to ship Miller off to Los Angeles instead of modifying his contract so he would be with the team a little bit longer with a lower cap hit.
With Miller gone, there’s one less star player on this team. They’ve already been lacking a quarterback for the last six seasons.
Denver Broncos: Finding quarterback even more crucial now
The Broncos didn’t make a blockbuster trade for a legitimate starting quarterback before Tuesday’s trade deadline, so Teddy Bridgewater will be the team’s starter for the remainder of the 2021 season barring injury.
This team could look quite a bit different in upcoming years. Among the pending unrestricted free agents are: running back Melvin Gordon, cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Bryce Callahan, linebackers Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell, safety Kareem Jackson, and wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.
Teddy Bridgewater is also scheduled to hit free agency in 2022.
I’m also not so sure that Drew Lock will be back as a starter for this team if Bridgewater left.
While some of these players would be easier to let go than others, you’re still losing out on veteran leadership and experience. Adding a quarterback that can lead the team to the playoffs again could create flashbacks to the 2014 year with Peyton Manning. That year, the team signed DeMarcus Ware, Emmanuel Sanders, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward.
There is no guarantee that Vic Fangio will even be retained after the 2021 season. If that’s the case, we could see a complete overhaul in terms of the coaching staff. If that happens, it would be surprising if the new coach doesn’t look for a long-term starter.
The other day, I mentioned Kirk Cousins as a potential possibility for the team in 2022. I’d hope the team would find a better, more effective quarterback than Cousins, but still do believe that it wouldn’t be such a terrible idea to bring Cousins in.