The Denver Broncos roster is in a much better place now than where it was last year, but is the team relying too much on these players? There is absolutely nothing wrong with hoping or banking on a young player developing. After all, that's how NFL teams sustain success; with player development.
However, insuring against that player not developing with other bodies is also a good practice. This is why you may see teams be active in free agency; often times, they are replacing players that did not develop in their organization. The Denver Broncos might not yet be ready to contend, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't still look for some upgrades.
In fact, the team has too much faith in these players.
3 players the Denver Broncos have too much faith in for the 2024 season
Baron Browning/Jonathon Cooper
Nik Bonitto is the best EDGE rusher that the Denver Broncos have, but the other starter besides Bonitto is kind of up in the air. The Broncos did take Jonah Elliss with their third-round pick in 2024. I personally do not think that Elliss will end up in the starting lineup come Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season, but rather one of Baron Browning or Jonathon Cooper could end up there.
While Cooper did put up solid stats in 2023, the Broncos pass-rush was up and down, mostly down. Denver should have invested more into this unit this offseason, but seeing as they didn't, Browning and Cooper are likely taking the starting job. They're average players at best, and seeing as getting to the QB is the second-most important quality for a winning football team, you'd think the team would have done more here.
Greg Dulcich
What is going on here? Why didn't the Denver Broncos draft a tight end or add one in the 2024 NFL Draft? The team did re-sign Adam Trautman, who saw most of the TE work as Greg Dulcich hardly played in 2023, but Trautman is a floor-raiser. He's good for about one, maybe two receptions per game, and can contribute as needed as a blocker.
Overall, though, this TE room is probably the worst in football, and part of me thinks the Broncos are simply banking on Dulcich being able to stay healthy, which has not been the case through his first two seasons. They surely can bank on that, but should have added some insurance with it. Signing someone like Gerald Everett, who went to the Bears, would have brought another viable piece into this room.
Alex Forsyth
Alex Forsyth snapped balls to Bo Nix when the two of them were at Oregon in 2022. Forsyth already has some existing chemistry with Nix, which is awesome, and I do believe he's got the slight advantage to earn the C1 job for 2024. Former center Lloyd Cushenberry departed for the Tennessee Titans in free agency. And he got way too much money for the Broncos to match. Good for him, nonetheless.
Anyway, the Broncos did bring in a low-end free agent center in with the signing of Sam Mustipher. He's likely competing for the job alongside Luke Wattenberg and 2024 draft pick Nick Gargiulo. Just because Denver may have four bodies competing for this job, doesn't mean a viable one will emerge.
There are two iOL players named Connor still on the free agency market that the Broncos should sign immediately. The first one is former Bronco Connor McGovern, who has spent the last four seasons with the New York Jets. He's a quality center. The second one is Connor Williams, formerly of the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys.
Both players were injured in 2023 but are both above-average centers when healthy, which is something the Broncos cannot say the have on the roster.