Even though the major roster movement across the NFL is likely over, the Denver Broncos can still make a few moves to get them into Super Bowl contender status. I'm not sure there are 10 teams in the NFL with an overall stronger roster than Denver's, which is excellent news.
Between their coaching and personnel, they have one of the better situations in the NFL and should be in a great position to compete in 2023. There are still a few knots they can untie to put the finishing touches on a roster that could be even better than what it is now.
Let's look at three major moves the Broncos can make to get them to the Super Bowl in 2023.
Three major moves to get Broncos to the Super Bowl in 2023
1. Denver Broncos should get Dalvin Cook in the backfield
Right now, it's not clear whether or not the Minnesota Vikings will release Dalvin Cook or not. They could be holding out for the right trade offer. Either way, the Broncos need to be all over this addition. Cook was taken by the Vikings in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft while George Paton was in the front office.
His cap hit is clearly too much for the new Vikings' regime to ignore, and they not only extended Alexander Mattison, but they also took DeWayne McBride in the 2023 NFL Draft. It's clear that Cook is not in their long-term plans, but he should be in the Broncos' plans.
It's truly unknown at this point whether or not Javonte Williams will be ready, and 100%, for week one. The team is apparently high on Samaje Perine being able to handle the workload while Williams is out, but I do not buy that for one second. Perine has been an RB2 for his entire career for a reason.
Adding Dalvin Cook to this backfield, a four-time Pro Bowler who has rushed for at least 1,100 yards in the last four seasons, would make the Denver Broncos a seriously deadly offense. The amount of skill players within that offense with Cook in the mix would make them too much to handle.
Three major moves to get Broncos to the Super Bowl in 2023
2. Denver Broncos need to sign Ben Jones
You've likely heard us talk about these first two moves on many occasions on this website, but we're doing that for a reason. Ben Jones is one of the best centers in football and was cut by the Tennessee Titans earlier this offseason.
And, as of right now, the only question mark along the Denver Broncos offensive line is at center. I'm not sure Lloyd Cushenberry is going to be a viable starter in the NFL. Denver did also add Kyle Fuller and Alex Forsyth to the mix at center as well.
Between those three additions, Quinn Meinerz, and Luke Wattenberg, Denver currently has a ton of bodies that can play center. However, none of them would be particularly close to being as good as Ben Jones is, who spent his entire career with the Houston Texans and Titans.
Just look at the two teams in February's Super Bowl; what did they have in common, among many other things?
An elite offensive line.
The Chiefs and Eagles had arguably the two best offensive lines in football, and that is no accident. Games in the NFL are won at the line of scrimmage, and if Denver would just sign Ben Jones, they'd boast one of the five best units in football.
Seriously, where would the OL weakness be with Ben Jones in the mix? The answer is nowhere.
Three major moves to get Broncos to the Super Bowl in 2023
3. Denver Broncos need to make two defensive additions
I think Denver needs to make two additions with their defense to put the finishing touches on the unit. The first one, which is again someone we've mentioned many times on this website, is Yannick Ngakoue. He's never had less than 8.0 sacks in the season, is still just 28 years old, and has been in the NFL since 2016.
He's a pass-rush specialist and would give the Broncos a much-needed boost with their pass rushers, who look like the weakest part of the defense, and maybe even the team. Pass rushers are becoming more and more valuable, so why not sign the best one left on the market?
The second move the Denver Broncos should make is to sign another cornerback. The Broncos seem to have a decent CB room that includes Patrick Surtain II, K'Waun Williams, Damarri Mathis, and Riley Moss, but Mathis and Moss are very young and I worry how this room would look if Surtain or Williams had to miss some time.
I think signing a veteran like Marcus Peters, Bradley Roby, or even Bryce Callahan. I think adding another veteran body to this unit, especially in case of injury, would give Vance Joseph all the toys he needs to scheme up a top defense.