Heading into the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos have a couple of glaring holes at a few key positions that will need some improvement before the regular season. Sure, there could still be a trade forthcoming, but the NFL Draft is where most of the Broncos needs will be filled before the season.
The Afternoon Drive with Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro discussed what positions needed the most help and Eric felt it was quarterback and running back. I absolutely agree on the quarterback position, but I think they could eek by without any big time running back moves.
The people at Pro Football Focus also agree on the quarterback. They are so concerned that they listed the Broncos quarterback situation as one of the ten most glaring roster holes in the NFL. That is a league-wide assessment.
It didn’t much matter to the Broncos that they received inconsistent QB play from their passers last season. Lombardi trophies rarely end up with franchises who lack quality signal-callers, but Denver was able to ride an insane defense to the big prize. Mark Sanchez, however, is a downgrade even on a Peyton Manning past his prime. Sanchez may have graded positively for the first time in his career in 2015, but he still showed the flaws that have persisted throughout his NFL tenure. He threw untimely interceptions, particularly in the red zone, losing his spot to Sam Bradford as soon as he recovered from injury. The Broncos could rely on an elite defense to succeed for a second consecutive year, but their chances of winning the Super Bowl will be greatly diminished without a more effective quarterback at the helm.
This is why I think a trade is going to happen at some point for Colin Kaepernick. At the very least he would provide a decent bridge to the next face of the franchise and give whatever rookie quarterback John Elway drafts time to learn the ropes and develop.
The team is still deep at most positions, especially on defense. They should win at least ten games in their sleep, but a quality quarterback could help ensure they contend for a second straight Super Bowl championship.