Troy Renck: Broncos are good, but question lingers: Did they do enough this offseason to win Super Bowl?
Published in Football
DENVER — There is logic in mathematics. Beauty lies in numbers.
They provide context. A frame of reference.
After watching the Denver Broncos essentially finish their offseason Saturday with the final day of the draft, it is clear they have identified a new equation to win.
Forget addition by subtraction, they have adopted addition by a little something, something. As in a very little.
When the Broncos line up for their season opener, there is a realistic chance they will feature only two new starters: receiver Jaylen Waddle and defensive end Sai’vion Jones or Tyler Onyedim.
Of the 53 active players in the AFC Championship Game, roughly 45 will be the same.
There is consistency. And there is monotony.
Last offseason the Broncos were a blast. They talked about becoming a contender and signed safety Talanoa Hufanga, running back J.K. Dobbins, tight end Evan Engram and linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Two of the four hit, Engram had a mild impact and Greenlaw was a bust. This spring, they talked about winning a Super Bowl, and traded for Waddle.
It has not been as fun. Or interesting.
It has been boring.
Boring can be good. In-N-Out Burger keeps it simple. Almost never changes its menu. And business is booming.
Boring can also be dangerous.
The Broncos were the last team to add an external free agent this offseason, signing special teams safety Tycen Anderson (you receive a door prize if you remembered his name). The Broncos were the last team to make a pick in this year’s draft, selecting Onyedim.
They have preached patience. They will not disrupt the locker room culture. They are comfortable with stability.
But it is fair to wonder if the Broncos did enough to win a Super Bowl.
After the heart-in-a-blender loss to the New England Patriots, an outcome that would have been different had Bo Nix played, Broncos Country wanted a tight end. Denver brought back Adam Trautman, a coach on the field, whom coach Sean Payton loves for his blocking.
The fans wanted a running back. The Broncos kept Dobbins, giving him a $5 million raise for playing in 10 games.
The fans wanted a playmaking linebacker known for his coverage skills. The Broncos re-signed Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.
It is impossible not to like these players. They were part of a group that made the Broncos relevant, put them in the national conversation, turned them into AFC’s top seed.
But Denver, if we are being honest, had luck on its side. The Broncos went 12-3 in one-score games. If they only play seven such contests next season, history suggests they are likely to go 3-4 or 2-5. They were redlining without an airbag.
No one is saying they will become Evel Knievel, bones sticking out of the skin from crash landings. But there is almost no chance they repeat last season’s success in the clutch.
Again, did the Broncos do enough?
Based on the conservative offseason, it seems like they are satisfied with winning the division and not prepared to take a risk with an extra check to win the whole (darn) thing.
They put the brakes on offers to running back Travis Etienne once he reached $12 million per season, feeling he was always going to New Orleans. They never made a big play for linebacker Devin Lloyd.
They made the decision to trust general manager George Paton’s process, to believe in Payton’s vision for players and his coaches to develop them. It has worked. On this, let me be clear.
The question now is whether a virtually static roster can win a championship?
The Broncos, like the Avs and Nuggets, are a victim of lofty expectations. The only thing left is for the Broncos to deliver a fourth Super Bowl parade.
That was a motivating factor in Payton taking the job. He was not interested in hanging up division championship gear in his closet. He has a chance to make history as the only coach to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
That is now a realistic goal.
But in pursuing it, the Broncos operated in a vacuum this offseason, unbothered by other contenders or a brutal schedule.
They were not concerned with the Rams, who added cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, the Bills, who addressed their receiving corps, the Patriots, who are expected to acquire receiver A.J. Brown in June, and the 49ers, who are trying to squeeze another Super Bowl victory from Mike Evans.
And there is no denying the improvement within the division. The Chargers will always Charger, but they are a sneaky team with healthy offensive tackles and Mike McDaniel calling plays for Justin Herbert.
The Chiefs signed running back Kenneth Walker and used three picks in the top 40 to bulk up a defense that could not get off the field on third down last season. Though to be fair, any game Justin Fields starts sets back their recovery process.
And the Raiders hired coach Klint Kubiak, drafted quarterback Fernando Mendoza and overhauled their roster in free agency.
Fun offseasons are not always smart ones. What happens in March and April does not guarantee playing in February.
What the Broncos did last season hit all the right notes. But were they wrong to stay so loyal, so conservative?
Maybe Waddle — and perhaps critical snaps from running back Jonah Coleman — will help Nix and the Broncos cross the finish line.
It feels like they needed one more big addition. Then, again, maybe it’s nothing.
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