Denver Broncos 2016 season preview: Who can fill Peyton Manning's shoes?
The Super Bowl champions are a noticeably different team than the one that celebrated on the field in California in February. Gone is quarterback Peyton Manning, who opted to retire following his second Super Bowl win, but perhaps more shockingly absent is Manning’s supposed heir apparent, Brock Osweiler, who signed a big free-agent deal with the Texans. Middle linebacker Danny Trevathan is also gone — he signed with the Bears — and Malik Jackson signed with the Jaguars, but Von Miller returns to the fold after an offseason showdown over the pass rusher’s franchise tag. The Broncos signed Mark Sanchez and drafted Paxton Lynch to replace Manning and Osweiler, but it's last year’s third-stringer Trevor Siemian who has won the starting quarterback job for now. He’ll be behind new left tackle Russell Okung — who replaced Ryan Clady — and free-agent pickup Donald Stephenson, who is likely to start at right tackle.
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After missing his rookie year to a torn ACL, Heuerman is back and looking to fulfill the promise that made him a third-round pick out of Ohio State, though he has once again found himself battling injuries in camp. The Broncos’ uneasy quarterback situation means plenty of opportunities for tight ends, and Heuerman’s athleticism makes him a strong pick to be a breakout performer this season.
The special teams standout is now the starting middle linebacker on one of the best defenses in the league, replacing Trevathan. It’s a bold move by the Broncos — Davis only played 11 percent of snaps last season — but he clearly showed enough to earn the job. Given the Broncos’ eye for defensive players, you have to presume Davis is going to thrive.
The productive, but unheralded running back out of Utah has cemented himself as C.J. Anderson’s top backup in the preseason, and that could mean significant playing time for him in his rookie season. A lethal combination of size and speed, Booker is a perfect fit for the Broncos’ offense, which rewards one-cut runners.
Even with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning last year, Denver didn’t get much from its quarterback. Manning completed only 59.8 percent of his passes (27th-ranked) and threw 17 interceptions (second-most). In the offseason, Osweiler left and the Broncos signed Sanchez. If he eventually wins the gig, Sanchez needs to be the same “game manager” who took the Jets to three consecutive AFC Championship games. But for now, it's Trevor Siemian. Though he has yet to register a pass in a regular-season game, Siemian has impressed in the preseason. In the first two exhibition games, he was 17-of-26 for 163 yards. His performance has earned him the starting nod for Week 1.
(All lines courtesy of Bovada.com, as of 8/31)
Season win total over/under: 9 (over -105, under -125)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 18/1. Denver's defense will be phenomenal once again, but the quarterback situation is too big of a question mark. While the Broncos could repeat as Super Bowl champions, 18-to-1 isn't enough of a return on the risk here.
One thing we wish we could bet on: Number of games Paxton Lynch will start this season. If the line existed, we'd place a bet on the rookie Lynch getting at least one start this season, in a heartbeat.
September 25, at Cincinnati
The Thursday night season opener might grab all the headlines, but after all the turnover, the first week of the season is hardly a good juncture to panic. But this Week 3 contest against one of the AFC’s best will let us know if the Broncos’ quarterback situation is tenable moving forward.
October 24, vs. Houston
Coming off a Thursday night game, the Broncos have a long week ahead of this Monday night showdown at Mile High where they could install Paxton Lynch at quarterback (if they haven’t already done it.)
December 18, vs. New England
The Patriots come to Denver, pitting Brady against the Broncos' tremendous defense in a contest that will no doubt have playoff implications for both teams, who appear poised to have rocky starts to 2016.
We say: 7-9
WhatIfSports simulation says: 9-7
— Dieter Kurtenbach, Andrew Lynch (betting), Adam Meyer (fantasy)
