In Josh McDaniels' first season as head coach of the Denver Broncos, he got rid of quarterback Jay Cutler and surprised everyone by starting the season 6-0, beating the likes of the Bengals, Cowboys, Patriots, and Chargers. The hot start cooled off real fast, as the Broncos went on to lose eight of their final ten games of the season to finish the year 8-8 and outside of the playoffs. This offseason McDaniels got rid of another key player on the offensive side of the ball, as the Broncos traded away wide receiver Brandon Marshall. There is still hope that this team can at least compete for the division crown in 2010, but a lot of things point for a bit of a down year in Denver. Here is a look at what the Broncos bring to the table on both sides of the ball in 2010.
Offense: After acquiring Brady Quinn in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, the Broncos shocked everyone by trading back into the first round to select Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. The move likely seals McDaniels fate with the success of Tebow, who continues to climb up the depth chart and could see action this year if the Broncos get off to a slow start.
The running game should be strong with the return of Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter, but the big question on this side of the ball is what this team will do to replace the production of Brandon Marshall, who led the Broncos with 101 receptions for 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Broncos drafted Georgia Tech wide out Demaryius Thomas, and he will need to contribute right away, along with guys like Eddie Royal, Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Stokely, and rookie Eric Decker.
The Broncos expect both tackles Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris to be ready to go when the season gets underway, but Harris has to fully recover from a number of toe injuries, while Clady tore his patellar tendon playing basketball this April. The Broncos expect rookie J.D. Walton to take over at center, while Chris Kuper and Russ Hochstein will likely start at the two guard spots, but figure to get a big push from rookies Eric Olsen and Zane Beadles and second year pro Seth Olsen.
Defense: The Broncos made a bunch of moves to try and sure up a defensive line that struggled down the stretch in 2009. They brought in veteran Jamal Williams to take over at nose tackle, and added a couple more veterans in Justin Bannan and Jarvis Green to hold down the two end spots. The hope is this group can help the Broncos improve their 26th ranked run defense in 2009.
The Broncos got a pleasant surprise in their switch to a 3-4 defense in 2009, as Elvis Dumervil racked up 17 sacks after switching from defensive end to outside linebacker. The Broncos are hoping that 2009 first round pick Robert Ayers can step in and start opposite of Dumerveil, while Mario Haggan is expected to move inside to team up with D.J. Williams in the middle.
The Broncos had the third best pass defense in 2009, allowing just 186 passing yards a game. This is a very veteran unit that returns corners Champ Bailey (15th season) and Andre' Goodman (9th season), along with safeties Renaldo Hill (10th season) and Brian Dawkins (15th season). There has to be some concern for injuries with this group, but if healthy will be one of the top units again in 2010.
Prediction -4th AFC West: I like what the Broncos will send onto the field on the defensive side of the ball, but I am worried that this unit is going to get over worked because the offense will be unable to get things going without Marshall, who demanded double teams from almost every defense in the league. Not a good combo with so many veteran players on the defensive side of the ball.
Check out where the rest of the teams finish the season in my 2010 NFL predictions. If you plan on betting the NFL this season, than I strongly recommend coming back each week to check out our NFL odds section, ensuring you the best chance at coming out on top.
