2016 Broncos Training Camp Preview

The Broncos enjoyed tremendous success and national appraisal during the Peyton Manning era in Denver from 2012-2015. Last year, Manning retired, and the Broncos set out to defend the Super Bowl with a unproven Quarterback in Trevor Siemian, an ailing Head Coach in Gary Kubiak, and a top-notch defense led by Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips. All three of those key positions are either led by different men or could be led by someone else in 2017. The Broncos enter training camp with Head Coach Vance Joseph replacing the retired Kubiak, and the team is certainly not the favorites in the AFC, a distinction they held every year Manning was in the Mile High city. The Broncos head into camp this year as underdogs, and many people are picking them last in the AFC West. The Broncos are not rebuilding but really rebooting, but the consensus around the team is that just making the playoffs this season would be a success. That is a far cry from just a few years ago when the consensus was that the Broncos were one of the few teams in the entire NFL with a legitimate shot to win the Lombardi Trophy. As we get set for training camp, here are some facts and questions for the team as the new season is almost upon us.

Where We Left Off: The Broncos defeated the Raiders 24-6 in Mile High in Week 17 to finish the 2016 season with a 9-7 record. The Broncos didn't qualify for the playoffs and their fate was sealed the week before in a loss at Kansas City, which officially eliminated them from playoff contention.

What Happened Since? In the never ending drama that follows the Broncos, Gary Kubiak announced right after the Week 17 win over Oakland that he was retiring from coaching the Broncos. Kubes stepped down from his duties due to his health concerns that plagued him the last few seasons. In his place, the Broncos hired Vance Joseph, formerly the Defensive Coordinator from the Dolphins. Joseph is a first time Head Coach, but he brings in a good staff, which includes new Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy and QB coach Bill Musgrave. Unfortunately, Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips left after his contract expired to go to Los Angeles to coach the Rams. In his place, DB coach Joe Woods was promoted to DC. The Broncos biggest offseason personnel move was the signing of Guard Ronald Leary from the Cowboys and the selection of 1st Round pick OT Garett Bolles in the draft. The Broncos lost a key leader of the team when DeMarcus Ware announced his retirement leaving a huge void on this team.

Position Battles at Camp: All eyes will be on the QB battle between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. Siemian has the edge going into camp since he started the majority of games last year, but Lynch came on pretty strong in OTAs, so we will find out more about his progress during camp. I think that everyone in the Broncos organization wants to see what they have in Lynch, and I think a majority of them want Lynch to get the job, but Siemian won't go down without a fight. We'll see how this plays out, but I am rooting for Lynch, and I think he will be the starter unless he really struggles in camp and in the preseason games.

Surprise Cuts: After the drafting of WRs Carlos Henderson and Isaiah McKenzie, there seems to be a plethora of options at that position. I would think that one or even two out of these three players could get cut out of nowhere: Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, or Jordan Taylor. Also, don't be surprised if a guy like Jared Crick gets let go in camp based on the improvement of Adam Gotsis and the play of rookie DE DeMarcus Walker

Out of Nowhere Players: I know he kind of made a name for himself last year in camp, but lookout for LB Vontarroius Dora and his impact during the preseason and training camp. Dora turned quite a few heads last summer, and let's see if he will get a more expanded role in 2017.

Biggest Questions That Need To Be Answered: The biggest question is who will win the starting QB job? Can Paxton Lynch step into the starting role? The answers to those questions will determine how successful this season will be for the Broncos. Also, the contract status of GM John Elway is still an issue and there are a lot of questions of why this new deal didn't get done yet. That question will linger over training camp until Elway signs a new deal.

As I stated before, the Broncos come into the season lacking a lot of respect from a lot of experts and analysts from around the media world and the NFL universe. The Broncos have been flat out disrespected, and they can use that as motivation once training camp and the season begins. It is a different world from the one they enjoyed when Peyton Manning was the quarterback, but that doesn't mean that this franchise is far away from being a playoff caliber team. The Broncos could be a darkhorse in the AFC and a team that surprises a lot of experts this coming season.