2012 NFL Free Agents: The Denver Broncos' Definitive Offseason Shopping List

After finishing the 2011 season with a 45-10 thumping at the hands of the New England Patriots, it was a time for reflection for the Denver Broncos and their fans.

We witnessed the birth of Tebow-Mania. We saw the Broncos go from a 1-4 team with Kyle Orton at the helm to a playoff-contending team with Tim Tebow under center. We would see numerous fourth-quarter and overtime victories, including the Wild Card upset over the defending AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Broncos finished the regular season at 8-8, winning their first division title and clinching their first playoff berth in six years. Along the way, they hosted a playoff game and won just their second playoff game since the retirement of John Elway following the '98 season.

As exciting and surprising as the season's outcome was, there are still many improvements this franchise must make in order to take the next step into becoming a true Super Bowl contender.

Tebow must improve in the passing department, the defense must show more consistency and the Broncos' receivers must learn how to catch the ball.

This is far from a perfect team, and the fact that the Broncos lost four of their last five remaining games to close out the season demonstrated this fact.

These are several wishes on the Broncos' offseason shopping list.

The Broncos Need a Sure-Handed Possession Receiver

Denver needs a possession receiver who will catch the football. It doesn't get any more simple than that.

The Broncos went through a "changing of the guard" of sorts at the WR position when they traded Brandon Lloyd at midseason and elevated young receivers such as Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas into the starting lineup in 2011.

The results were rather positive, with Thomas breaking out toward the end of the season as a big playmaker and Decker showing off his receiving ability at the beginning of the season when Denver had nobody stepping up at the receiver position.

However, the Broncos still had a huge problem when it pertained to catching the football.

Denver does not need to add a big name, but they do need a player in the vein of what Jabar Gaffney provided for this team for a couple of years.

The Broncos will likely allow free agent Eddie Royal to walk, so that opens up a slot receiver void that should be filled with a sure-handed veteran on the free-agent market or a sure-handed rookie from the draft.

Notable names on the free agent market who could come at a respectable price are guys such as Early Doucet, Roscoe Parrish, Mark Clayton, Donnie Avery, Jerome Simpson and Greg Camarillo.

Denver Needs a Veteran Backup at Quarterback

As much as we all love Tim Tebow, his future past the start of the 2012 season for the Denver Broncos is probably a bit of a question mark.

John Elway has shown a commitment to Tebow this offseason, repeatedly stating that Tebow is the Broncos' starting quarterback entering the 2012 season.

However, if Tebow does not improve in the passing department, there is little doubt that the Broncos will head into a different direction at quarterback.

Having said that, the Broncos need a veteran backup at quarterback who can help Tebow grow as a passer.

I'm not talking about Brady Quinn, who hasn't had a very successful NFL career up until this point.

I'm talking about a guy who has started in the NFL and has experienced success. A guy who won't be a true threat to take Tebow's position as starting quarterback in training camp but can step in as a starter if/when Tebow ever does struggle heavily during the 2012 season.

Who are guys on the free agent market that can fill that role?

David Garrard is one. Garrard has been in the NFL since 2002 and was a starting quarterback for the Jaguars for parts of five different seasons.

Hell, even guys like Charlie Batch, Josh McCown or A.J. Feeley wouldn't be bad options.

Quality Play in the Defensive Backfield

At this point in time, it's anybody's guess as to what Brian Dawkins does.

Dawkins is a free agent, and at age 38 and coming off of a serious neck injury that saw him miss the end of the regular season and the Broncos' two playoff games, it wouldn't shock anybody to see him retire.

It also wouldn't shock anybody to see him possibly return for one more season, whether that's with Denver or with the city where he made his name, Philadelphia.

With that out of the way, let's say Dawkins does retire. Do you really feel comfortable heading into 2012 with Quinton Carter and Rahim Moore starting at the safety spots?

The Broncos are in a strange situation in that they have no middle ground at the CB and S positions. They are either extremely young and inexperienced or just really old.

Quinton Carter, Rahim Moore, Chris Harris, Andre Goodman, Champ Bailey, etc...

With the exception of Bailey, every single one of those guys was torched in big games last year.

We witnessed the defense have no answer for Tom Brady in the divisional playoff round. That was an all-around team collapse, but that still doesn't negate the fact that the Broncos' defensive backs just couldn't stop Brady or his receiving targets.

If Denver is to take the step from playoff team into contender, they need to shore up the defensive backfield in a league that has become less defensive-driven, and a lot more offensive-driven in recent years.

The Broncos will not be able to contend for a Super Bowl championship if they cannot at least slow down the elite quarterbacks of the NFL.

Aaron Rodgers and Brady humiliated Denver's defense in 2011 on three different occasions.

A Playmaker at Tight End

For as solid as Daniel Fells and Dante Rosario were for the Broncos in 2011, they aren't exactly guys who you would call "playmakers."

Have you noticed a trend in the league in recent years?

All of the top offenses in the NFL feature dominant tight ends: the Patriots with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, the Saints with Jimmy Graham, the Chargers with Antonio Gates.

The point is, more than ever in the history of the NFL, games are won with offense.

Tebow isn't the best passing quarterback in the world, and he's still inexperienced as far as being a starting quarterback in the NFL is concerned. Why not help his growth as a quarterback in the NFL by acquiring a tight end who can catch the football and act as a safety blanket for Tim?

Look at how much of an impact Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey had on Cam Newton.

I'm not saying the Broncos will become the New England Patriots if they acquire a tight end who is a legit receiving threat.

What I am saying is that it will open up the playbook for the Broncos and allow Tebow to grow more comfortable as a passer if he has a safety blanket to fall back upon.

A Young Running Back Through the Draft

Willis McGahee had an amazing season that saw him lead the Broncos into becoming the league's top-ranked rushing team.

However, McGahee will be 31 years old in 2012.

Running backs have such a short shelf life in the NFL. One season they're great. The next, they're toast.

No one knows how McGahee will perform in 2012, but you must have a backup plan—especially when it pertains to running backs who are past 30 years of age.

With Knowshon Moreno a bust and likely to be released in the offseason, the Broncos cannot afford to go into 2012 with Lance Ball in mind to carry the load at running back in case McGahee falters.

With rookie running backs such as David Wilson, LaMichael James and Doug Martin available in Rounds 2-3 of the draft, the Broncos can easily find their running back of the future in 2012.