Broncos vision 2020

[Hawgdriver]

I don't see anything hopeful about the upcoming 2018 season. It has me bummed and mopey about the Broncos and I don't like that. Hey, maybe Paxton Lynch and Demarcus Walker lead us to the promised land and we are all pleasantly surprised.

I get more optimistic when I look beyond 2018. What will the NFL look like then? We've seen some templates of teams that have a winning formula that rosters of most other teams are simply not equipped to handle. Like Atlanta with dynamic pass-catching RB, Seattle with a pass-interference based secondary, NE with TE mismatch, Eagles and Dallas with dominant O-line, Denver with elite pass defense, Rams with McVay calling plays like he's Goff's phone-a-friend where your friend is Peyton Manning. It seems that the contending teams find a strategic edge in deploying their resources to field a team that has a strategic advantage that other teams are late to understand when they build their rosters and install their system.

Will we see more college concepts find application in the 2019 NFL? Will brute force I-formation, impose your will running be the scissors when everyone is playing paper because these college concepts are the rock?

So throw out your theories and thoughts about what the roster and identity of the next contending Broncos team looks like...

I'll start.

How about a Lamar Jackson offense? Premise it on the idea that you are an offensive line smashmouth running team. A Bolles/Leary/X/X/X augmented by nasty will-imposers. The idea is that you have a QB that must always be accounted for as a running threat, but you don't want him throwing 40 times a game. He can make all the throws, doesn't throw picks, but won't be your first choice to lead a 4q comeback down a couple of scores when teams can drop 7-8 into coverage and force small chunk, in-bounds plays. Give him an elite TE and versatile RB (solid runner, reciever, blocker), and cheap-ish possession/route running WRs. Not contested ball stealers like DT. In other words, create roster mismatches based on the premise that other teams overspent on CBs and edge rushers.

On defense, keep what you have in Simmons, Roby, and Harris, and look to replace Stewart with a high awareness blitzing safety. Reboot the ILB core by moving your WR overspend into an ILB overspend (like a Barron/Martinez duo). Or hit on one in the draft. Design roster so that the pass rush threat isn't as obvious, and can't be accounted for pre-snap from the sidelines--ie safeties and LBs that can cover a class above what they usually cover, to free up CB/safety/LB to have ability to read and react if a gap will open.

My idea probably causes brain damage it's so dumb, but I wanted to get at the idea that the Broncos are in the midst of a major transformation, and if they want to become relevant again, the next iteration of a championship Broncos is going to be vastly different than what our current perception of the team is. Lots of new faces as starters, and a new identity. Plus we will either have a reborn VJ and his approach to the game, or will need to have a roster that the next McVay/Reich/whoever can quickly sculpt into a contender.

anyway, tl;dr, what should the Broncos transform into so that they are contending again in 2019 and 2020?

[BroncoJoe]

I think the tendency with a lot of fans - especially of the Broncos since we've been so tremendously successful for decades - is to freak out over a bad season. We're incredibly spoiled.

I, personally, haven't thrown in the towel for 2018 and get a bit frustrated with all the hate toward leadership. Whether it's HC, OC, DC or GM, the hate is overboard. We went through a lot of changes last year and frankly 2016 should have been 2017 due to Manning leaving with no viable backup plan once OZ left. Personally, if we're going to be mad at someone, it should be directed at OZ. He's the one who really threw a wrench in our plans. IMO, of course.

I'm always optimistic about the upcoming season regardless of the previous one and based on a lot of comments I see around our HC and GM, it's my hope that they make everyone eat their words and have a terrific season.

After all, whether they win it all, lose every game, or end up somewhere in between, it has little effect on my life.

[Simple Jaded]

Joel what have you done with Hawg?

[Simple Jaded]

My 2019 starts with Paul Chryst as HC.

[Hawgdriver]

Joel what have you done with Hawg?

I exercised my HOF optional one novella post per year.

[Simple Jaded]

I exercised my HOF optional one novella post per year.

Should I high five it?

[Hawgdriver]

So tell me Jaded. What roster innovation should the Broncos consider?

[Simple Jaded]

So tell me Jaded. What roster innovation should the Broncos consider?

I’m going out on a limb and suggesting a return to the Wade Phillips defense and the ‘13 offense.

Starting with A smart Pro Style QB and better personnel decisions.

I’m not down with the Zone Read, this is still the NFL and it’s not too much to ask the next generation of QB’s to be able to do what some of the worst QB’s in NFL Ever have been asked to do.

[Simple Jaded]

I think the tendency with a lot of fans - especially of the Broncos since we've been so tremendously successful for decades - is to freak out over a bad season. We're incredibly spoiled.

I, personally, haven't thrown in the towel for 2018 and get a bit frustrated with all the hate toward leadership. Whether it's HC, OC, DC or GM, the hate is overboard. We went through a lot of changes last year and frankly 2016 should have been 2017 due to Manning leaving with no viable backup plan once OZ left. Personally, if we're going to be mad at someone, it should be directed at OZ. He's the one who really threw a wrench in our plans. IMO, of course.

I'm always optimistic about the upcoming season regardless of the previous one and based on a lot of comments I see around our HC and GM, it's my hope that they make everyone eat their words and have a terrific season.

After all, whether they win it all, lose every game, or end up somewhere in between, it has little effect on my life.

I’m kinda throwing in the towel on VJ, and I was adamant about bringing him back.

[Hawgdriver]

I’m going out on a limb and suggesting a return to the Wade Phillips defense and the ‘13 offense.

Starting with A smart Pro Style QB and better personnel decisions.

I’m not down with the Zone Read, this is still the NFL and it’s not too much to ask the next generation of QB’s to be able to do what some of the worst QB’s in NFL Ever have been asked to do.

C'mon man. Let those creative juices flow.

What's the zig to the league zag?

[Poet]

One of the answers to the incoming college offenses can be found in the old Tampa Two/Chicago Bears defenses from the early 2000's. The difficulty lies in finding the corners who can play it, your stud DT, and the LB speed. But, you can have an imperfect roster and still get good results.

As far as offenses go, what Philly is doing right now looks to be just starting to take off a bit. Pass catching backs are going up in volume, and the need for blocking TE's and RB's is going down a bit. This seems to have made good guard play that much more pivotal as teams need pressure up the middle as much as they do off the edge. The direct route up the middle is faster, and good QB's just step up and all of a sudden your stud DE/OLB matters so much less because of that pocket.

I say that to say this - when the Lions had Suh and Fairley, I was interested in what would happen if they both panned out. One was great against the run and good at pass rushing, and the other was great as pass rushing, mostly good against the run (sometimes great against the run, too). It's been rare to see a team with two dominant all-pro level DL. Mostly because it's hard to find one, let alone, let alone two that work well in tandem.

Teams mostly went with a rotational effort while having one stud - the rotation of an always fresh guy paired with the stud DT would mimic the effect of having that second stud player, especially as the game went along. This method was something that Zimmer has used a lot, going back to his days as a younger coach. That always interested me because he started out as a secondary/DB coach, if memory serves.

In the past, the methodology was that you took DL, you took CB's, safeties were nice, and LB's were second and third round picks. Now, with the onslaught of passcatchers not being just WR's, you need coverage safeties more. Great, except those are hard to find and teams scheme so you need more than one of those guys, and you can't always put them where you want them to.

On defense, I think the answer is at LB. The ILB mean so much to pass coverage anyway, and TE's and RB's have murdered us. It's easy to say 'go out and find another Kuechly or, if in the 4-3, Briggs. Doing it is another. This need serves the 3-4 better because, if you can swing it, you have an extra player at LB because your NT is so big he's basically two players. So, what's the next step? There just aren't enough bellcow backs in the league anymore, so the sacrifice in the run is negligible, and you should have short yardage defensive sets, anyway. For years Pittsburgh and Baltimore neglected the secondary sans a playmaker at safety (FS for Reed and SS for Troy Polamalu, respectively) because of this.

I think we'll be looking at the old Dick LeBeau defenses ourselves.

[Simple Jaded]

Broncos still looking for a pass rush specialist, maybe Dick LeBeau.

[Simple Jaded]

C'mon man. Let those creative juices flow.

What's the zig to the league zag?

Mine might be in coaching, I’d have an assistant coach for every position coach, meaning Mike Sullivan gets an assistant, Zach Azzanni gets an assistant. And so on. That way I’d Split the 1st and 2nd team and have every player get more coaching and full reps.

If you can’t get more time with players you gotta make time you get more productive.

Real assistants, not ball boys.

[Poet]

Mine might be in coaching, I’d have an assistant coach for every position coach, meaning Mike Sullivan gets an assistant, Zach Azzanni gets an assistant. And so on. That way I’d Split the 1st and 2nd team and have every player get more coaching and full reps.

If you can’t get more time with players you gotta make time you get more productive.

Real assistants, not ball boys.

I like this a lot.