The Denver Broncos offense is surely going to look different when the 2024 NFL Season begins, but just how will Sean Payton's vision look in year two? It does kind of feel like the Broncos are going to draft a QB in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, doesn't it? Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen recently reported that Payton is really falling for JJ McCarthy:
"“There’s just a little bit of steam that’s beginning to emerge locally that Sean Payton loves J.J. McCarthy,” said KFAN’s Paul Allen, the Vikings radio play-by-play announcer. “He’s a quarterback from a pro-style offense with a strong arm … a pretty reliable individual informed me over the weekend that Payton is quite enamored with J.J. McCarthy.”"Paul Allen / Max Weisman, NY Post
Now, to be fair, this could all be smoke from the Vikings side of things, as they too need a franchise QB and are currently slated to pick 11th overall, which is one pick above the Broncos. Allen may be doing this to nudge the Vikings a bit that they will need to move up in the NFL Draft to get McCarthy before the Broncos do.
However, Allen's report could also be 100% true. I think with Russell Wilson likely out the door, the Broncos are going to take a chance on a rookie QB in the first round. However, there are 10 other positions on offense to sort out as well, so let's try to predict the entire starting unit in 2024.
Quarterback: JJ McCarthy
I just have a feeling that Sean Payton is not going to be denied. I personally believe he is a fan of McCarthy and probably also recognizes that it'll be nearly impossible to draft the top crop of QBs in Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels. However, Payton and co. could have McCarthy ranked within the top three QBs in the NFL Draft on their own big board.
McCarthy did not have crazy numbers at Michigan, but when he was asked to produce, he did, and he's got a ton to like that could translate into the NFL. He's only 21 years old and is going to go within the top-10 in April's draft. The Denver Broncos are going to draft him.
Running Back: Alvin Kamara
One of the best Sean Payton draft picks of his NFL tenure, Alvin Kamara could find himself on a new team in 2024, and why not with the coach that drafted him in the first place? Kamara is one of the best dual-threat running backs this century and is exactly the type of player that could help a rookie QB's development in the NFL.
The Saints, yet again, are in "cap hell" as some have put it, and will have to at some point shed some contracts instead of restructuring over and over. Kamara turns 29 this summer and rushed for the second-lowest yards per tote of his career. The 2023 season was also the least amount of rushing yards he's ever had in the NFL and the least total scrimmage yards. Kamara may be declining, but he still did have over 1,100 yards from scrimmage and clearly had a big role in the Saints' offense.
Even though he might not be as explosive as he once was, I think Sean Payton would love one more chance to work with him. And the Broncos do need to add some juice to the backfield. Javonte Williams was pretty bad in 2023 and it's a bit puzzling why Jaleel McLaughlin didn't get more touches on offense.
Tight End: Hunter Henry
I feel very confident that the Broncos will make a notable veteran tight end addition in 2024. What's funny is that Noah Fant is a free agent and turns 27 in 2024, so he's not old and is a solid receiving tight end. Fant was drafted by the Broncos in 2019 and was sent over to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the Russell Wilson trade.
And it's especially funny when you consider how poor the Broncos' tight end room was in the receiving game in 2023. Fant would fill a huge need for the Broncos, but part of me doesn't think that the two sides have much interest in each other. Would Noah Fant really turn to the team that traded him away for a then 33-year-old QB who was in decline? Someone who could be cheaper and perhaps more productive is Hunter Henry, who just spent the last three years with the New England Patriots. Henry has caught 133 passes and 17 touchdowns over the last three seasons.
Wide Receivers: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr, Curtis Samuel
You'll notice that Jerry Jeudy is not in the starting lineup. At this point, the Broncos should seek a fresh start and get a draft pick for Jeudy. The team could save nearly $13 million in cap space and would not take on any dead money by trading him. I don't think the team is going to part with both Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, and Sutton getting an extension makes sense to me. That would also save the Broncos some cap space in 2024.
Marvin Mims Jr hopefully makes a huge leap in 2024, as he is clearly a big play waiting to happen, and I think the Broncos also make a modest free agency addition at the position. How about another speedster in Curtis Samuel? He's got 4.3 speed and is quite agile, much like Jeudy.
Denver should continue to bolster the WR in the offseason, perhaps with another modest free agency addition and also by taking a player or two in the 2024 NFL Draft. Bringing in some young talent at the position should be a priority this offseason, along with acquiring some immediate production.
The Denver Broncos could do a lot worse than having Alvin Kamara, Hunter Henry, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr, and Curtis Samuel as the primary playmakers.
Offensive Line: Garett Bolles / Ben Powers / Alex Forsyth / Quinn Meinerz / Mike McGlinchey
The NFL salary cap being set at over $255 million may allow the Broncos to keep a veteran player than they had originally planned on trading or otherwise moving on from. Perhaps that veteran player is Garett Bolles, one of the better left tackles in the NFL. Bolles has one more year left on his deal and could be extended to save some cap space.
The other notable think here is that the Broncos won't re-sign Lloyd Cushenberry in this scenario. He may cost a good bit of money and the Broncos may have other, cheaper options in the center free agent market. The team did select Alex Forsyth in the 2023 NFL Draft, so perhaps the second-year player can earn his way into the starting lineup.
All of Bolles, Ben Powers, Quinn Meinerz, and Mike McGlinchey return in this scenario, and Meinerz is now eligible for a contract extension. He's one of the best guards in the NFL and is a total mauler in the run game. Meinerz is easily the best player along the OL and the one person the team should look to keep for the long-term.
This offensive line I think would still be solid. The center production might fall off a bit but with two strong guards along the interior, Forsyth may actually play well. And the Broncos could do a lot worse than Bolles and McGlinchey as their starting tackles.
So, here is how the 2024 Denver Broncos starting offense could look:
-QB: JJ McCarthy
-RB: Alvin Kamara
-WR: Courtland Sutton
-WR: Marvin Mims Jr
-WR: Curtis Samuel
-TE: Hunter Henry
-LT: Garett Bolles
-LG: Ben Powers
-C: Alex Forsyth
-RG: Quinn Meinerz
-RT: Mike McGlinchey