Broncos Offseason Update

With the calendar turning to April, the Broncos offseason will start to get more in depth. With most of the big free agent moves already transpiring, the Broncos look towards the NFL Draft late in April to finish off their roster for 2015. It is the perfect time for a Broncos Offseason Mailbag to try to catch up on where the Broncos are at as the Draft approaches….

Of all the players that the Broncos lost in free agency, how does each defection affect the Broncos next year?
The big four Broncos to leave via free agency were Julius Thomas, Orlando Franklin, Rahim Moore, and Terrence Knighton. Here is how I would rank them from order of least impactful to most impactful:
4) Rahim Moore: The Broncos are already loaded in the secondary with Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, Bradley Roby, and T.J. Ward. Although Moore played well last year, I think the Broncos can overcome his departure-especially with the signing of former Raven Darian Stewart to take his place.

3) Orlando Franklin: Although Franklin played really well for them the past four years, you can replace a Guard in this league with a younger player or even a veteran journeyman and hold the fort. The fact that he went to San Diego hurts, but the money he got from the Chargers was just too much.

2) Terrence Knighton: If you watched the Broncos the last two years, you know how good and valuable Knighton was. I know he only plays about 50% of the plays, but he was a force in the middle and he was a valuable guy in the locker room. I still can't believe he only signed a one-year deal with the Redskins for $4 million. His departure could have a serious impact on Denver in my opinion.

1) Julius Thomas: Just go back and watch Thomas' 2013 season and how dominant he was in that offense. Watch how he effective he was in the playoff wins over the Chargers and the Patriots from that playoff run. Look how much of a force he was the first half of the 2014 campaign. That is all you need to know about the impact he had on the Broncos offense. Maybe a lot of his production was a result of Peyton Manning, and maybe his ability to shake off injuries has come into question, but he will surely be missed in this offense next year.

Who was the best free agent signing for the Broncos this offseason so far?
Without a doubt it was TE Owen Daniels. Daniels fits in perfectly with Gary Kubiak and this offense. In fact, Daniels has been with Kubiak his whole career. Go back and watch Daniels in the playoff games against the Steelers and the Patriots, and you will see how effective he can be. Also, with Virgil Green coming back, Daniels and Green could be a really good duo from the TE position for Manning. I also like the signing of DE Antonio Smith for one-year at $2 million. Smith played under DC Wade Philips and Kubiak in Houston, and he provides another option as a pass rusher to go along with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

Who should the Broncos target in the upcoming NFL Draft?
It is still too early to look at specific players, but here are the positions that I think the Broncos need to go after come Draft day: Offensive Tackle, Offensive Guard (A player that can play both Guard and Center as well) Inside Linebacker, Wide Receiver (A slot guy perhaps), and a Defensive Tackle.

Speaking of the NFL Draft, what the are Broncos draft selections now that Compensation Picks have been awarded?
Here are the Broncos picks for the NFL Draft:
1st Round: 28 overall
2nd Round: 59 overall
3rd Round: 92 overall
4th Round: 133 overall (Compensatory Selection)
5th Round: 143 overall
5th Round: 164 overall
6th Round: 203 overall
7th Round: 250 overall (Compensatory Selection)
7th Round: 251 overall (Compensatory Selection)
7th Round: 252 overall (Compensatory Selection)

What is your general feel for the Broncos as they continue their preparations for the 2015 NFL season?
It is certainly different from the last three years. Even at the Owners meetings last week, Broncos CEO Joe Ellis said that he looks forward to the Broncos being a "competitive" team next year. That is a lot different from the previous "Super Bowl or Bust" mantra from the last two off seasons. The last three years saw big splashes in free agency and big expectations. This year is a little different. We have a new head coach, we lost some valuable starters to free agency, and the team didn't make the big moves that we are accustomed to in March. That doesn't mean that the Broncos are going to be a bad team next year. They will certainly be in the mix, and with Peyton Manning coming back, you know that the Broncos will be a factor in the AFC, but it certainly feels like they have taken a step back. The Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Ravens, Bengals and even the Chargers will get a lot of publicity over the Broncos as the season draws near. It is a different position for the Broncos, who dealt with being one of the two heavy favorites the last two off seasons. It will be interesting to see how the public and the experts view them as contenders once the season starts to rev up after the draft and into training camp.