A Broncos Power Shift: Denver To Be a "No-Zone Blocking Zone"

With the recent changes on the offensive coaching staff, it is now official that the Broncos are abandoning the old zone blocking scheme that carried them to two Super Bowl wins. It made Terrell Davis, a sixth round draft choice into a near Hall of Fame player. Not to mention a line of unknown 1,000 yard rushers, such as Orlandis Gary, Reuben Droughns, Tatum Bell, and Mike Anderson. Oh, and Clinton Portis had a few 1,000-yard seasons as well behind this zone blocking and one-cut running scheme.

This system called for several key things to be effective:

- Agile, smart, and smaller offensive linemen

- Complete buy-in and teamwork by the O-line as well as the TE's and FB's

- Great down-field blocking by the WRs

- Total adherence to the one-cut running style by the RBs

- A decent passing game where the deep ball was at least a potential threat to open up the middle

- A QB who could run the bootleg, roll-out, and a believable run fake

What the Power blocking scheme calls for:

- Big, aggressive O-linemen

- Strong, bigger low-running RBs

- Blocking TEs

- Blocking FBs

- A minimal-mistake, ball-control offense that doesn't play from behind

- Complete buy-in to the concept by all concerned

What the Broncos now have:

- A current zone system in place

- Smaller O-linemen at the C and G positions

- Injured RT (Ryan Harris)

- Minimal depth in O-line

- New O-Line and RB coach

- Smaller RBs

- Blocking TEs

- QB and WRs that can't effectively stretch the field

What Denver needs:

- Bigger C and Gs

- Healthy RT

- More depth at O-line

- A bigger, power-running RB

- QB and WRs that can stretch the field

How does Denver address this change in philosophy?

- They need to draft big O-line talent in the middle rounds and find immediate starters at C and at least one G position, depending on who stays and who goes in free agency.

- They need a larger, power RB to spell Moreno and Buckhalter (And DO NOT say that Lamont Jordan is that guy!).

- They need to find a true No. 1 WR that can get open, outrun the D and catch the football to stretch the field. Currently McDaniels doesn't feel he has that player in Royal, so a high draft pick might be needed or to sign a FA (Boldin or V. Jackson?).

- Either a miracle upgrade to Orton's deep ball or a new starting QB.

Now, a critical area that I haven't mentioned yet; the defensive side of the ball.

- To make this power game work and work consistently, the D needs to be able to stop the run. And the makeup of the defense that finished this past season won't cut it.

- An upgrade up the middle is a major requirement. An improvement at NT with a big body to plug up the inside three gaps will be needed. Fields did a decent job as a stop-gap but isn't big enough or strong enough to do what needs to be done next year.

- Another position needed to be addressed is a true headhunter at ILB. Andra Davis played maybe his best season in the NFL but doesn't have that next level of talent to be a game-changer. A player like Rey Maualuga that Denver could have had (instead of either Ayers or Alphonso Smith) or Rolando McClain in this year's draft. Either of these players would be an upgrade.

The last position needing attention is the punter. Field position is most important in the power running game and Denver's punters SUCKED this year. They may have been better off keeping Colquitt in the beginning but at least they re-signed him and cut Kern. Now they need to dump Gramps Berger as well. He has no leg left and wasn't very good at directional kicking either.

So, where are the Broncos?

They have lost Dennison and have a new OL coach (Barone) and a new RB coach (Studesville) to replace Bobby Turner, so they have made the commitment to the power blocking scheme. Now they have to get the players to fill the positions mentioned above AND get all the players on the team to buy in to the change.

Will it work? We will see, but this may take more than one off-season to accomplish all the changes on both sides of the ball needed to be successful.

Time will tell.