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What else do the Broncos need to do to make the playoffs in the AFC?

AJ Schulte and I dive deep into Paton’s second free agency and what’s left to do on this week’s Cover 2 Broncos

It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks in Broncos Country. The Russell Wilson trade occurred shortly before the craziest free agency I’ve witnessed since I began following the NFL. For this week’s Cover 2 Broncos Mile High Report’s A.J. Schulte and I decided it best to stop and take stock of where the Denver Broncos find themselves in this weird period between funny money season and the NFL Draft. What follows is a brief rundown of the topics we discussed.

State of the roster following the splash in free agency

  • What stands out about George Paton’s foray into free agency?
  • How does Ben Braden fit?
  • Did the Broncos overpay for D.J. Jones?
  • What does the Jones signing mean for Mike Purcell?
  • Did Paton make the right call with Randy Gregory?
  • Do the Broncos have enough of a pass rush to contend in the West?
  • Should Alex Singleton start at linebacker?
  • Reports suggest Baron Browning is no longer a starting linebacker, headed to edge. Why?
  • Was Eric Tomlinson enough at tight end?
  • Is it Tom Compton vs. Calvin Anderson at right tackle?
  • What would a Brandon Shell signing mean?
  • Is Josh Johnson an upgrade on Brett Rypien?
  • Does J.R. Reed close the door on Kareem Jackson?
  • Will K’Waun Williams be enough to slow down Davante Adams?

What else could Paton do before the draft?

The Broncos cap space is a bit of an open question right now. According to the NFL Players Association, Denver has $18,122,914, which is peculiar because they had $14,904,580 before the K’Waun Williams signing on Tuesday. According to Over the Cap the Broncos have $20,722,913 in cap space, but OTC does not yet have the D.J. Jones, Alex Singleton, Josh Johnson, J.R. Reed, or K’Waun Williams contracts on the books.

With the number a question it’s hard to pin down exactly where the Broncos stand, but it seems safe to assume that barring some cap gymnastics the major moves are now finished.

  • What are the Broncos remaining needs?
  • How can the Broncos best address the remaining needs?
  • Hypothetically if the Broncos still had the ninth pick of the draft who stands out as an ideal option?
  • Are there any players who stand out as ideal fits that may be available?

Current draft picks

64

75

96

115

116

145

207

233

Are the Broncos a legitimate Super Bowl contender?

  • How does Russell Wilson fit the new offense?
  • Any concerns?
  • Is there a championship window? If so, what does said window look like?
  • How far do the Broncos need to go to have a successful season in 2022?