The Replacements: The 5 Denver Broncos After Brandon Marshall's Throne

There is no denying it — Brandon Marshall was an integral part of the Denver Broncos offense.

He tied together a string of one hundred catch seasons and consistently lead the league in yards after the catch (YAC) in the early part of his career, but his time as a Denver Bronco was often hampered by off-the-field shenanigans.

Still, for a young professional (only four years in the league) Marshall has quickly become the cream of the crop of NFL receivers, and his departure is a major loss for Denver. The offense will need players to pick up the slack for him.

Fortunately for Denver fans, there are a host of receivers and skill players ready to step in and pick up the offensive reigns.

Most of them don't look like Broncos (and by that I mean an actual horse) running down the field after a reception like the "Beast" did, but a more spread out offense definitely has its advantages.

One of these guys is going to emerge on top this year, though.

Eddie Royal

Following a surprisingly disappointing first year in the McDaniels' offense, some have been quick to write Eddie Royal off.

His first game in the NFL had him filling in for a suspended Brandon Marshall in 2008, and he came out looking like the second coming of Randy Moss.

Of course, that was during the Shanahan/Cutler era in Denver, but there is no reason to believe Royal lost his talent. It seemed that using him on special teams so much last season hindered his receiving ability.

After the draft-theft of Perrish Cox by Josh McDaniels in the 5th round, who was inked to a 4-year deal and will likely return punts, Royal should see a lot more featured time in Josh's offense this season.

If I was a betting man, and had to put money down today, I would guess that the undersized Royal will end up leading the team in receptions this season.

Knowshon Moreno

While he is only entering his second season in the NFL, Knowshon Moreno looks to benefit in touches from the loss of Brandon Marshall.

Hopefully he is blossoming into what Broncos fans believe running backs out of Georgia should be.

Moreno might not see a large increase in receptions (though I would be shocked if he didn't get more screen passes), but he will touch the ball a lot more often.

Now that the offensive line has seen some major size upgrades, hopefully he will be able to break loose a lot more often.

There is some major potential for the young back to have the most meaningful impact of anyone on the offense.

Demaryius Thomas

The rookie receiver out of Georgia Tech, Demaryius Thomas was Josh McDaniels' first overall pick. McDaniels even said he is the guy who reminded him the most of Marshall.

With that in mind, if someone is going to fill in for Brandon offensively, why not pick up a Marshall clone?

Apparently he is faster than B-Marsh, which should have its advantages.

Thomas is going to play like a rookie and he might need to develop a bit as he came out early, but assuming his rookie season will parallel Marshall's minimal 20+ catches in unrealistic.

Brandon was brought in as a fourth round pick. Thomas was drafted in the first round.

NFL coaches expect first round players to play immediately, especially when they target them in a draft class this deep.

Or, when they need someone to cover for the fact that they spent another first round pick on a project player... (that was my one Tim Tebow reference for this article).

Jabar Gaffney

Jabar Gaffney showed everyone last season that he still has something left in the tank. The former Patriots receiver has the advantage of experience in the McDaniels offense.

Now, he will be facing a competition for playing time from some young (and experienced) players with fresh legs.

Gaffney is still looking to make a sizable contribution this year, and since he was second on the team in receptions last year, it isn't unreasonable to assume he could emerge as the biggest offensive weapon.

The problem he is facing, however, is that he isn't a long term solution, and will likely be asked to take a mentoring role to the younger players.

Josh McDaniels wants to win now, however, so if Gaffney shows he has what it takes, he will get a lot of looks. But, will he get the most looks of anyone on the team?

Eric Decker

Anyone remember Ed McCaffrey?

Eric Decker should be a lot like him.

Actually, the two have very little in common, other than the fact that they have a lot of heart and were white guys at a position that very few white guys can handle in the NFL.

Not only can Decker handle it but he can handle it very, very well.

The kid was taken in the 3rd round (remember, B-Marsh was a 4th round pick) so if he leads the offense this year it would surprise a lot of people.

He looks to be an integral part of the offense going forward, even with some questions about his immediate impact, so I expect good things out of him.

As a guy who is coming into the league a little bit older than Demaryius Thomas, I wouldn't doubt his ability to come out of the gate stronger than people are expecting.

This is a kid to keep your eyes on this season, as he definitely could end up being the bread and butter of the Denver Broncos offense.

He'll end up being a key piece eventually either way.