Mile High Maniac
Fansided

Broncos: Early 2017 Team Needs and Free Agent Decisions

By Gordon Trickel

Jun 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Denver Broncos executive vice president and general manager John Elway (L) and Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak (2L) listen as President Barack Obama (M) speaks at a ceremony honoring the Super Bowl champion Broncos in the Rose Garden at The White House. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Denver Broncos executive vice president and general manager John Elway (L) and Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak (2L) listen as President Barack Obama (M) speaks at a ceremony honoring the Super Bowl champion Broncos in the Rose Garden at The White House. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next
Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway
Sep 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Denver Broncos general manager John Elway prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

The Denver Broncos are only two games into the season, and both of them wins. However, the team already has personnel looking to next year. They are preparing plans for free agency and setting budgets. What will be the Broncos team needs and free agent decisions?

To start the 2016 NFL season, the Broncos have won their first two games. As the defending Superbowl champions, that isn’t a bad way to start by any means. What makes it even better was everyone in the national media going on and on about how this Broncos team would struggle.

They had their reasons, and all of them valid. Denver lost their two quarterbacks who started games for last year and replaced them with Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian and first round pick Paxton Lynch. Of course, Siemian was on the roster last year and ended up the starter while Sanchez was let go.

Then looking at the defensive side of the ball they lost Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan. No way the defense could survive without those two, right? Wrong. Not only has the defense survived, they have thrived and even looked better than the defense from a year ago.

If there is one thing that general manager John Elway has desired for the team, it is to stay competitive. He mantra wasn’t to win now, but to win from now on. With Head Coach Gary Kubiak, Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison and Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips, Elway has the staff to keep his team competitive.

It shows week in and week out what Elway intended for this team. They don’t give up when behind or in close games, unlike the Broncos that were coached under John Fox. They keep fighting until the final whistle signaling the end of the game.

What has kept these Broncos competitive is smart drafting, smart free agent pickups and decisions and excellent evaluation of the teams needs. Elway and his staff have grabbed the attention from the rest of the NFL with how the Broncos operate in the offseason.

Elway doesn’t overpay his own free agents. He evaluates the market, sets a max budget and doesn’t budge. This is what lost Denver Brock Osweiler and Malik Jackson. Other free agents, like with Danny Trevathan, Elway and the coaches see a viable replacement already on the roster and choose to let them walk.

Now that how John Elway works his magic has been stated, we can look at the team needs, free agent decisions and a mock draft. All three of which are really early and could drastically change over the rest of the season, and likely will change.

Home/Denver Sports