Where We Left Off: The confetti was falling on Levi's Stadium at the conclusion of Super Bowl 50. The Broncos had just upset the Panthers 24-10 behind another stifling defensive performance. Von Miller was named Super Bowl MVP, and GM John Elway accepted the Lombardi Trophy and declared the statement that every Broncos fan was waiting to hear since their last Super Bowl win. Elway stated "This one's for Pat" for team owner Pat Bowlen, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and couldn't attend the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning was able to secure his second Super Bowl victory and it allowed him to retire and ride off into the sunset a perfectly cap an amazing career. Gary Kubiak became a Super Bowl winning head coach in his first year as Denver's head man, and John Elway brought back another Super Bowl championship to Denver after delivering two during the last two years of his playing career. It was the culmination of what Elway started back in 2011 when he became Executive and General Manager, and it fulfilled his promise to bring a World Championship back to Denver-especially since they came so close the past three seasons.
What Happened Since? After the Super Bowl win, the Broncos went on their victory tour and celebrated the championship with a tremendous parade and ceremony in downtown Denver. Once the party stopped, the Broncos had to get back to business. Peyton Manning, as expected, retired after a brilliant 18 year career, and he got to ride off into the sunset with his second Super Bowl under his belt. After that retirement ceremony, the offseason started off in a very negative manner. Key veterans like Owen Daniels and Louis Vasquez were cut to save money. Malik Jackson left for Jacksonville. Danny Trevathan, Aaron Brewer, and Omar Bolden left for Chicago. David Bruton bolted to Washington. Ryan Harris left for Pittsburgh, and Evan Mathis took off to go to Arizona. They traded OT Ryan Clady to the Jets. In perhaps the biggest surprise of free agency, Brock Osweiler spurned the Broncos and signed with the Houston Texans. It was a big blow to the Broncos and their plans had to change dramatically as their supposed future franchise QB just took off and left the team. The Broncos were able to keep some free agents as they re-signed restricted free agent C.J. Anderson to a new deal and they re-signed guys like Jordan Norwood and Ronnie Hillman. The Broncos also signed restricted free agent Brandon Marshall to an extension, and also signed OTs Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson in free agency to bolster their offensive line, and TE Garrett Graham to help add depth to their tight end group. They traded for QB Mark Sanchez from Philly once Osweiler bolted in free agency and there is the thought that Sanchez will be starting come Week 1. In the biggest and most important move, they reached an agreement with franchise player Von Miller on a new six year deal worth over $114.5 million. Miller now becomes the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, and he is the cornerstone as the face of the Broncos for years to come. Denver moved up to select QB Paxton Lynch in the first round of the NFL Draft in April, and many people feel that Lynch has the highest potential and the highest upside of all the QBs taken in the first round. He is obviously going to be called on to become the eventual future QB of the Broncos-it is just a matter of when he gets that shot. The Broncos also got a chance to visit President Obama at the White House in June and then a week later they hosted a private ceremony at their stadium to distribute their Super Bowl 50 rings to the players and staff. Throw in the fact that Aqib Talib was shot in the leg during some sort of altercation, and it seemed like the offseason was one drama and storyline after another.
Position Battles at Camp: The most important position battle at camp will be in the most important position: Quarterback. Sanchez, Trevor Siemian, and Lynch will all have a chance to win the job. In my opinion, I think Gary Kubiak will give Paxton Lynch every possible opportunity to win the spot. If he shows enough in preseason, I think he will get the job. If he shows that he really can't grasp the position right now and really isn't ready, then I think you will see Sanchez start over Siemian. Either way, it will be fun to watch an old-school QB battle as camp goes on.
Surprise Roster Cuts: There is a logjam at the receiver position this training camp. Demaryius Thomas is clearly the #1 WR, and Emmanuel Sanders is clearly the #2 guy. After that, you have Jordan Norwood, Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer and Jordan Taylor all battling it out. There is a chance that the Broncos could keep all those guys, but if there is a surprise roster cut, I would think that Cody Latimer might get the boot. The one thing that could save him is the fact that he is effective on special teams, but don't be surprised if he gets his walking papers come late August.
Out of Nowhere Players: There are a couple of players that could come with little publicity and little fanfare and get a spot on the roster or contribute during the year. Keep an eye on LB Zaire Anderson. He was having a great camp last year until he got injured. He might be able to push Todd Davis for the ILB spot that was vacated by Danny Trevathan. Also, I would look out for either Bralon Addison or Mose Frazier. Both are undrafted WRs and both have enough athletic ability to impress the coaches.
Biggest Questions That Need To Be Answered: The biggest question that needs to be answered is with the quarterback position. Is Mark Sanchez good enough to win games as a starter with a defending Super Bowl champion? Is Paxton Lynch ready to go in and win the starting job right away? Does Trevor Siemian really have a legitimate chance to start for this team? The answers to those questions will determine how successful the Broncos are in 2016.
This team enters the new season with a Super Bowl title, a great defense, and a murky QB situation. No longer is Peyton Manning there to set the tone for this team and the franchise. That leadership falls on guys like Von Miller and Chris Harris. It will be interesting to see how this team handles the pressures of being the defending Super Bowl champions week in and week out. It is hard to strap it up for a whole new season knowing that you just accomplished what you always set out to accomplish. It is easy to take the shortcuts and easy path after you won a world title. Can the Broncos avoid that fate with a team that lost a lot of those key members? Perhaps being slighted so much around the NFL will actually give this team motivation. That is what the 2016 Broncos are about to embark on.
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