The NFL preseason is upon us, and for Broncos Country, excitement has filled the beginning of training camp.
NFL pundits don’t think the Broncos will be very good, with some projecting a 5-12 finish and others even lower. Broncos Country has every right to be excited heading into this season because rookie first-round pick Bo Nix will be adding youth and excitement to the quarterback position, and Sean Payton is in year two at the helm. With Nix at the helm of the offense (most likely), we will see Payton work magic with his hand-picked guy, among other things.
The wide receiving core for the Broncos is underrated, with Pro Football Focus rating the wide receiver and tight end room 30th in the NFL. I don’t think for one second that the likes of Cortland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Josh Reynolds, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims are the third-worst group in the league. Throw in that the oft-injured tight end, Greg Dulcich, appears healthy, and that room is dangerous. Sure, Jerry Jeudy is gone, but this season, I feel, will show that he won’t be missed. Nix and Frankin should put on a show this season that should excite Broncos Country (think "Tebow to DT in the playoffs" exciting.)
The Broncos' running back room is ranked near the bottom of the NFL; according to Pro Football Focus, it is ranked 29th overall. I don’t feel Broncos Country should have the doom and gloom like that. Jaleel McLaughlin is an absolute spark plug. Samaje Perine can catch the ball like no one's business, and while he didn’t perform well last year, Javonte Williams is already getting praised this year by Sean Payton. The Broncos also added two talented rookie running backs: Audric Estimé and Blake Watson. Not all of these backs are making the roster, but this room should be exciting, no matter how it shakes out.
What's another thing that excites me about this season? The Broncos' schedule looks pretty brutal (one of the hardest in the NFL), which will give us a look at where this team is. They have the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs twice, and the likes of the Ravens and the Bengals. There will also be the Anthony Richardson-led Colts, the Jim Harbaugh-coached Chargers twice, and potentially Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. And of course, the Steelers and Russell Wilson. Is this team in a multi-year rebuild, or can they compete? This schedule should let us know, and I think the result will be much better than the five projected wins.
Also, the Broncos have new uniforms heading into this season, which look great. So, with the new-look personnel groups, we also get a uniform look, and as they always say, if you look good, you feel good. We also don't have to wait much longer for the first preseason game against the Colts on August 11th.
I know that Broncos Country has had reservations since the Russell Wilson signing, and then the Sean Payton acquisition was supposed to take us to the promised land, but it didn’t. This year, the fans have plenty to be excited about, and it’s time to let those emotions flow, Broncos Country.