Underrated issue could make or break Broncos’ season

The Denver Broncos don’t have a ton of needs on their roster, but one pressing need can make or break their season if they are not thorough enough.  The team does have some obvious needs on paper.  They do need to improve their offensive line, first and foremost.

Secondly, they need some sort of RB1 solution until Javonte Williams returns.  They could also use another pass catcher and some depth pieces on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the secondary and at defensive line.

However, there is one need, to me, that sticks out more than the rest that can make or break the team’s season, and it’s up to George Paton and Sean Payton to ensure they are thorough in free agency to keep this unit afloat.

What am I talking about?

Offensive line DEPTH.

Everyone and their mother should know that the Denver Broncos need a boost along their offensive line, but when we say that, we’re mostly talking about a handful of new starters.  I could make the case that the team needs four new starters in this unit, but the more realistic option is getting three new starters for 2022.

Well, that’s great!  We’ve successfully solved half the problem if the team brings in a few new starters, but the Broncos’ OL depth was tested last year, and frankly, they failed.

All of Garett Bolles, Billy Turner, Lloyd Cushenberry, Dalton Risner, Cameron Fleming, and Quinn Meinerz missed time this year with injuries.

At any point in the season, that is six starters on the OL that missed time due to injury.  That is a disgustingly high and sad number, and perhaps indicates a deeper problem with the Broncos training and nutrition.

My main point here is that while it’s great if the team invests legitimate resources into this unit, it’s not truly great unless they fill the backend of the roster with legitimate depth.

This is much easier said than done, but Paton and Payton need to ensure it gets done.