Most of the "fun" parts of the NFL offseason are over, but the Denver Broncos still have some major storylines that need followed. Most of the fun is over, but there is still a lot of fun to be had with the rest of the offseason activities, which feature various camps and other workouts.
The Denver Broncos have clearly embraced a new era of football, and it's nice to see the franchise take a deliberate direction. In the last two years, the team has installed a new ownership group, acquired a future Hall of Fame head coach, upgraded a ton of things within the organizational facilities and stadium, created new uniforms, and drafted a first-round quarterback.
There's a lot to love about where the Denver Broncos are going, but the work is not done yet.
3 major Denver Broncos offseason storylines to follow
What happens with the crowded WR room?
The Denver Broncos wide receiver room could still look different from now until the start of the 2024 NFL Season. The two notable additions made this offseason include free agency signing Josh Reynolds and fourth-round draft pick Troy Franklin. Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Marvin Mims Jr round out the other top players in this room.
With Reynolds and Franklin on board and not going anywhere, what does that do for the statuses of Sutton and Patrick? Patrick has not caught a pass in a regular season game since 2021, as he has missed each of the last two seasons with injuries. Patrick returned to the Broncos on a hugely discounted deal, but just because he's now back for cheap, does that mean he's a shoo-in to make the roster? I wouldn't be so sure.
And then there's Courtland Sutton, who has just $2 million in guaranteed money left on his deal. He's the Broncos' best WR until someone else proves otherwise, but will Denver end up trading him? The Broncos do have a handful of WRs who all have similar skill sets, so perhaps Sutton becomes redundant.
I think many of us are just assuming that Sutton and Patrick will be in the picture in 2024, but my guess is one of them is not with the team come Week 1.
Who emerges as the backup quarterback, Zach Wilson or Jarrett Stidham?
As far as I am concerned, Bo Nix is the starting quarterback, and I don't believe Sean Payton is going to be in the business of sitting Nix for a time to get him up to speed in the NFL. To some, the best way to introduce a rookie is to play him immediately, allowing the rookie to take his lumps and whatnot. The QB2 battle should firmly be between Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, and it'd be interesting to see how that plays out.
Zach Wilson has been abysmal in his three years in the NFL, but much of that was due to his surroundings. With a lot less pressure on his shoulders and not being in the New York media, maybe a fresh start is exactly what he needs. Wilson is significantly more talented than Jarrett Stidham, who might be the most stale player in the entire NFL.
I think ideally, Wilson shows enough to allow Denver to cut ties with Stidham, which would give the Broncos one of the youngest QB rooms in the NFL.
How will rookie QB Bo Nix look?
Maybe the biggest storyline to follow is how Bo Nix will look with his reps during the bulk of the offseason activities. Years ago, then-49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo had thrown something like five interceptions in a row during an offseason period. Well, that ended up being the 2019 season when Garoppolo and the 49ers earned a trip to the Super Bowl.
So just because Bo Nix will throw some picks, does not mean he'll do so to the same degree on the field. Now yes, we'd all love to see Nix operate the offense with efficiency during the offseason to at least spark some hope in the fanbase. Nix appears to be the most "NFL ready" of any rookie QB taken, so he'll probably have that hovering over his head all offseason until he proves he can in fact be an NFL quarterback.
Bo Nix is going to get the most attention of any player on the Denver Broncos this offseason.