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Editor’s note: It’s season preview week at SB Nation. Here is what has me excited about the Denver Broncos heading into this season. Share your reasons in the comments section below.
The Broncos are just a few years removed from winning Super Bowl 50, but for many of us it feels like a lifetime ago. John Elway did not have a good succession plan for Peyton Manning, which led to two seasons of backup or third-string quarterbacks starting for this team. It all culminated with a 5-11 season and the fifth-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
After nearly leading the league in three and outs in each of the last two seasons, the Broncos landed Case Keenum in free agency and drafted a lot of offensive fire power. Running back Royce Freeman and wide receivers Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton all figure to contribute heavily to an offense that has completely flopped for the last two seasons.
The Broncos are actually going to be able to score some points!
On the defensive side of the ball, they lost Aqib Talib to trade, but retain the rest of the group. They may not be the otherworldly unit that carried the franchise to a championship a little over two years ago, but they will still be nasty enough to finish in the Top 10 in most categories.
With an AFC West that is becoming more and more wide open with each devastating injury suffered by the Los Angeles Chargers, its easy to see how this Broncos team can come out on top by seasons end.
I have the Broncos winning 10 games this season - give or take. The schedule seems a bit easier this year compared to the brutal stretches the Broncos played through last year. It all should add up to more wins than most people expect. After a down year, that’s the least I could ask for.