Denver Broncos: 3 Observations for the New Year

The Denver Broncos are coming off of an uncharacteristic two-year downturn.  A coaching change is in the wind but there’s much more to be done.

After securing just 11 wins over two seasons for the Denver Broncos, head coach Vance Joseph was fired the day after the season drew to a close.  We debated that move often both before and during this season, not because Vance Joseph was doing a good job but because with the team in such disarray, more upheaval was a hard sell.

What this team needs, what players like Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr. deserve is stability. Broncos management has already squandered all but one or two seasons of those elite players.  As big as the personalities are for the two veteran defenders, it has to have taken a toll watching the offensive struggles, the coaching carousel and the decisions to send friends packing (Aqib Talib, TJ Ward, CJ Anderson, etc.) that did little to stem the erosion of the team’s standing.

We get to watch Michael Schofield and Russell Okung march through the playoffs with the LA Chargers while enduring a third season of sub par offensive line play in Denver. Virgil Green is enjoying a similar resurgence in Los Angeles.

We see Wade Phillips, still revered, living it up with the Rams while his former defense continues a steep decline.  There is a lot to be concerned about in Broncos Country.  Particularly when you add in the ownership situation and Joe Ellis’ role and focus with that.

Something needs to settle for the Denver Broncos.  The ownership, chain-of-command and a long-term solution at both head coach and quarterback are priorities.