On March 7, 2016 Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset, apparently on the Broncos themselves. Denver has not reached the playoffs in any of the eight seasons since Manning’s retirement, and now the rebuilding begins…again.
John Elway probably wishes he had joined Manning, as the team has repeatedly failed to produce results since the departure of the star quarterback. Elway served as Denver’s GM until 2020, before hiring George Paton to fill the same role, and his poor draft history in the years after winning Super Bowl 50 have contributed to the worst stretch of football in franchise history.
With the recent cuts to Justin Simmons among others, no players from any of Elway’s draft classes remain with the team. Paton has not fared much better since taking over. After a solid first class in 2021, Paton has left a lot to be desired when it comes to his performance as GM with Broncos from his disastrous Nathaniel Hackett hire, to orchestrating one of the worst, if not the worst trade, in NFL history. It remains to be seen if Paton will continue in his role, or if Denver moves in another direction for the rebuild.
Where do the Broncos go from here with 2024 free agents?
As of right now, it looks like Denver is going to roll with Jarrett Stidham at QB1 after years of trying for quick fixes and band-aid options at the position. This is a stark change of direction after the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade just a few short years ago, and looks as though Denver is finally ready to embrace the long game to rebuild the right way. While there are several free-agent quarterbacks still available, none move the needle much and signing one of the remaining veterans would signal more of the same from the Broncos.
Rebuilding through the 2024 NFL Draft
Lance Zierlein of nfl.com predicts that the Broncos will move up to number nine in the 2024 NFL draft to select former Michigan quarterback J.J McCarthy, who is reportedly head coach Sean Payton’s top choice of signal callers in this years draft.
With so many other needs the Broncos have to address on the roster, taking a quarterback that isn’t considered one of the consensus top three options in this draft is a big risk. The draft in general presents risks, but the Broncos need to get it right this time around.
The correct, and patient move here would be to build out the roster by selecting the best available player with their first round pick at number 12, then use a second or third rounder on a guy like former South Carolina and Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. or Michael Pratt from Tulane to develop behind Stidham.
A new hero with a familiar name returns?
Regardless of what the Broncos intend to do in the 2024 NFL Draft from April 25-27 in Detroit, it appears that there will be another two to three years of football futility in the Mile High City due to salary cap trouble and limited draft capital. But hey, maybe there will be a new Manning ready to ride back into town by then?
For More Gridiron Heroics News…
Follow me on X @Dr_Scientist6 To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the NFL and College Football, click here!