Broncos Offseason Update

The Broncos seem to be done in free agency as they set their sights on the draft in May. They did make a move last week when they signed C Will Montgomery from Washington. It is essentially a one-year deal without any real guarantees. Montgomery started the last three seasons for Mike Shanahan. He is a pretty durable player, and his signing gives the Broncos some options on their offensive line. If Montgomery beats out incumbent Manny Ramirez, then the Broncos slide Ramirez over to LG to replace Zane Beadles. If Montgomery doesn’t beat out Ramirez, then Denver still needs to find a replacement for Beadles in the draft and Montgomery will be an insurance policy in case there are injuries on the line.

John Fox signed a three-year extension last week. It was a foregone conclusion that Fox was going to get extended considering that he was entering the last year of his contract. Fox has done a really solid job since coming to Denver in 2011. The Broncos have gone 34-14, won three straight AFC West titles, an AFC Championship and a berth in this year’s Super Bowl. Fox did a great job fixing the locker room and the team after the disastrous Josh McDaniels era. It was a no-brainer to get a deal done with him. It deserves a raise and it is good to have Fox locked up for the near future, but I do think that he needs to do a better job in these big games. His ability to challenge plays is curious at times, but he needs to have a better performance in the big games. The end of the Baltimore playoff game last year and the way he got outcoached in the Super Bowl this year are two games that Fox needs to look at and fix going forward. I like Fox a lot, but he has to have some better moments in the biggest games of the year.

Denver lost some valuable free agents as well in the past few weeks. RB Knowshon Moreno signed with Miami. Shaun Phillips left to go to Tennessee, and Robert Ayers left to go sign with the NY Giants. All three guys can be replaced, and there are better options on the Broncos roster right now, but those three players all played a significant role in helping Denver get to the Super Bowl last year. I understand that you can’t keep everyone, but each of those guys were integral parts of that team and their success. Just go watch the AFC Championship Game against the Pats. Moreno had big runs in that game, Ayers had a solid game and key sack on Tom Brady, and Phillips played great and made a huge stop on Shane Vereen late in the game on a two-point conversion. All three will be missed in some aspect.