Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Broncos Mailbag Part 2: The Offseason

In Part 1 of the mailbag, I tackled questions regarding the Broncos regular season. Here, I will tackle the issues facing the Broncos going into the highly crucial offseason.

Who are the Broncos 2018 opponents?
The Broncos will host the Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Houston, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks. Their road opponents are the Chiefs, Raiders Chargers, NY Jets, Baltimore, Cincy, Arizona, and San Francisco.

What are the Broncos 2018 draft picks?
The Broncos will pick 5th overall in Round One. They have a Second Round pick #40 overall. They have a Third Round Pick #71 overall. They also two Fourth Round picks, two fifth round picks, one Sixth Round pick, and one Seventh Round pick. Some of the overall draft order will be affected by compensatory picks.

What is the Broncos Salary Cap Situation?
Right now, the Broncos have just under $27 million in cap room. That number can grow with the release of certain veteran players.

What players could be getting released in this offseason?
There will be some moves made for sure but look for Menelik Watson, Aqib Talib, and C.J. Anderson being three names that could be on the move. Also, keep an eye on Emmanuel Sanders and Brandon Marshall's status.

Who are the Broncos free agents this coming offseason?
Unrestricted Free Agents:
Brock Osweiler, QB
Virgil Green, TE
Jamaal Charles, RB
Cody Latimer, WR
Todd Davis, ILB
Corey Nelson, ILB
Allen Barbre, OL
Donald Stephenson, LT
Billy Turner, G,
Jared Crick, DE
Billy Winn, DE

Restricted Free Agents:
Shaquil Barrett, OLB
Matt Paradis, C
Bennie Fowler, WR

Exclusive Rights Free Agents:
Jordan Taylor, WR
Zaire Anderson, ILB
Casey Kreiter, LS
Shelby Harris, DE
Kyle Peko, DL
Elijah Wilkinson, OT
Jerrol Garcia-Williams, ILB
Joe Jones, OLB

Which free agents do you think the Broncos should try to retain and which do you think they will let go?
I think that the Broncos should try to re-sign Cody Latimer and either Todd Davis or Corey Nelson. I would also try to bring Billy Winn back relatively cheap. Depending on who they sign at QB, I wouldn't be opposed to bring Osweiler back as a cheap backup. I would let Virgil Green go, Allen Barbre and Donald Stephenson can go as well. I would put high tenders on Shaq Barrett and Matt Paradis in the RFA category as well.

What are the biggest storylines facing the Broncos as they head into the offseason?
The biggest storyline the Broncos have in the offseason is who is going to be their QB next year. Are they going to sign a big-name free agent (Kirk Cousins) or draft a QB high in the first round (Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen)? It is all about the QB in 2018.

Who do you want to be the Broncos next starting QB in 2018?
It is hard to say because the Broncos will do everything they can to get a new, quality starter in there. I would bet on Kirk Cousins right now. Just a hunch, but I think if you put a gun to my head, I think it is Cousins.

Are you optimistic the Broncos will get back into contention in the near future?
This depends a lot on the QB situation. If they get a guy like Cousins, then I could see them improving enough to be in the Wild Card mix. If they draft a QB early in the draft, then it might take a year or two to get back into contention. I believe in John Elway to fix this broken team, but I don't believe in Vance Joseph as a head coach just yet. We'll see but it comes down to the QB. If they improve the QB tremendously, then they can be right there next year.

1 comment:

guardian said...

I have been touting the Kurt Cousins trade since mid season! It seems the right move considering we (Broncos) need a quality "young" quarterback who will bring them several quality years, and Washington has totally disrespected him by not committing sooner...