I think the Denver Broncos plan has been made abundantly clear ever since free agency started, and the way I see it, it's a four-step process. Let's go over these steps in depth. While I was hopeful that the Broncos were planning on being aggressive but calculated in free agency, I am now much more hopeful of their rebuilding plan.
And the plan can really take off in 2025. I think that year could be the soonest this team can return to their Super Bowl glory. I have identified it as being a four-step process with deliberate action within each one. I think this can end up being a rather quick rebuilding process, too.
I don't think the Broncos are going to stink or endure a horrible losing season in 2024. Frankly, I think the Broncos can show a ton of promise in 2024 and can begin to break out in 2025. So, this article is going to outline the four-step process that the Denver Broncos need to follow if they want to return to their former Super Bowl glory.
Step 1: Draft a rookie QB that fits what Sean Payton is desiring
This is the first step, obviously not counting this free agency period, to get the Broncos back to respectability. There is no long-term QB answer on the roster, and all along, the plan might have been a quarterback room of a rookie draft pick + Jarrett Stidham.
Stidham is fine; he's nothing special as a backup but can serve as a QB2/mentor. He's an average backup QB and isn't going to be a massive liability if he needs to play. Well, Denver needs to come away with a QB in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Sean Payton seems confident in their ability to find one:
"Payton, though, believes the Broncos should have an advantage in evaluating those traits.Sean Payton / denverbroncos.com
We'll be really good at this, and I think, to some degree, we're glad that a lot of people aren't; Payton said."
I mean, it's hard to argue that one of the best offensive coaches of all-time is confident that his team can find a franchise QB. And frankly, I personally could not care less who that QB is. If it's JJ McCarthy, great! If it's Bo Nix, awesome! If it's someone else, that's amazing too!
I trust Sean Payton and what he desires in a franchise QB, and obviously, this plan hinges on the rookie QB being a hit. If he's a bust, then the rest of this plan is redundant, but I think you all know that.
Now, step two!