Both of Denver’s top offensive players, Phillip Lindsay and Emmanuel Sanders ended the 2018 season on IR. Between the two of them, they compiled nearly 2200 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Broncos offense, so Denver will be hoping both can come back to full strength from day 1.
While both players are progressing well and look to be ready for week 1, Steve Atwater posed an interesting question on 1st & 10 at 10 on Orange and Blue 760 today. He and Andrew Mason were discussing Denver’s offense in the upcoming season with NFL insider Benjamin Allbright and Atwater asked the question, who does Denver’s offense absolutely have to have for the upcoming season between Sanders and Lindsay?
I’d like to pose the same to everyone here, but open it up even more if you think one of the other skill players is more crucial to the offense’s success, obviously excluding the quarterback position.
I tend to agree with Benjamin Allbright that Emmanuel Sanders is the most irreplaceable skillset due to Denver’s lack of speed at receiver behind him. Sutton, Patrick, and Hamilton are all young, talented players, but none of them bring the speed that can take the top off a defense or scare the safeties back.
While Lindsay’s specific skillset at the running back position is irreplaceable, Denver has Royce Freeman who I believe is more than capable of operating with success in Scangarello’s zone scheme.
Obviously, the hope is that both are available and ready to go come September so hopefully we’ll never have to find out, but I think Sanders is going to be the most crucial cog to Denver’s offense at the skill positions.