What is the Broncos’ ceiling if they don’t trade for Aaron Rodgers?

The last week of the 2021 NFL season is upon us, and the Denver Broncos played a key role in the Los Angeles Rams pursuit of a Lombardi trophy. With L.A. set to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals for all the marbles, I thought it a great time to chat with Mile High Report’s AJ Schulte about the last week in Broncos Country as well as the big game on this week’s Cover 2 Broncos. What follows is a brief rundown of the topics of our conversation.

Will Von Miller win the Super Bowl?

Von Miller is playing against Brandon Allen in the Super Bowl.

• Who will win?
• What matchups will matter most in this game?
• Is there any areas of concern?
• Any hopes for the commercials?

Nathaniel Hackett’s coaching staff

Since we last spoke the Broncos elected to hire Nathaniel Hackett to be their 17th full time head coach in franchise history. Back when he was one of 10 candidates he was the top choice for both of us, so it seemed pertinent to talk about how feel about the hire.

Hackett’s begun to fill out his coaching staff. As of now it looks like only 4 holdovers will remain from the Broncos 2021 staff:

• Zach Azzani
• Christian Parker
• Justin Rascati - QC offense
• Bill Kollar - former DL coach moving to consultant

So far we have five new names confirmed for the new staff:

• Justin Outten - OC
• Klint Kubiak - QB/Passing game coordinator
• Butch Barry - OL coach
• Ben Steele - assistant OL coach
• Peter Hansen - LB coach

Additionally

• While the Broncos showed interest in Jon Embree, he looks headed for the Miami Dolphins.
• Ejiro Evero is all but locked in as the DC.
• Dwayne Stukes will take over for Tom McMahon as the STC.

We know Hackett is going to install a version of the Packers system in Denver, however Ejiro Evero is a bit of a question. He’s worked for Wade Phillips, Brandon Staley, and Raheem Morris during his time in L.A. and spent time under Vic Fangio when they were both in San Francisco. When speaking with Broncos’ media about various position groups George Paton seemed to suggest that he expects the defense to run a similar system in 2021.

Offseason talk

One of the popular sayings about this Broncos team the last six offseasons is that they’re simply “a quarterback away” and we’re seeing that getting amped up to 11 this year. I took a look at the roster last weekend and came away a bit dubious, but we discussed.

• Are the Broncos simply Aaron Rodgers away from being a Super Bowl contender?
• What are the Broncos biggest roster holes?
• Does FA or the draft look like a better way to solve these issues?
• Which free agents intrigue?
• Which draft prospects intrigue?
• Are there any players in FA or the draft that stand out as ideal fits with the Broncos new scheme?
• Can the Broncos contend for championships in 2022 and beyond with Rodgers?
• Who else makes the most sense as competition for Rodgers?
• What are the options if Rodgers doesn’t happen?
• Is Russell Wilson a realistic possibility?
• Is Kirk Cousins a realistic possibility?
• Who else is out there, really?
• Talking QBs in the 2022 draft.
• What’s the ceiling this year if Rodgers doesn’t land in Denver?