Biggest Surprises of Denver Broncos' Offseason so Far
Though it may seem hard to believe, the Denver Broncos will open training camp in just about one month.
The offseason has flown by, and before you know it, we'll be talking about position battles and roster cuts just before the season officially opens.
With that said, we have a little time to reflect upon the last several months and take a look back at some of the things that have transpired within the Broncos' organization and, more specifically, those things that surprised us.
What decisions made by the organization or one of the players caught us off guard? Which ones didn't we see coming?
Though they're not all huge surprises, here are five things that occurred this offseason that may have been unexpected to some fans.
Losing Multiple Key Free Agents
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Heading into the offseason, it was common knowledge that the Broncos had several key players eligible to be unrestricted free agents. It was also well-known that it would be tough for them to re-sign them all.
If you had to rank the biggest free agents the Broncos had following the 2014 season, you'd likely have Julius Thomas, Orlando Franklin, Virgil Green, Terrance Knighton and Rahim Moore in some order. Fans probably hoped the team could somehow find a way to keep three or four of them.
But how many people expected Denver to lose four of the five?
The Broncos re-signed Green, which was a great move because of his ability as a blocker at the tight end position. Thomas, Franklin, Knighton and Moore all signed with other teams.
The Broncos lost quite a bit of production and four starters from last year's team in the process. Now they will be tasked with finding adequate replacements for each of them.
Trading Up to Draft Shane Ray
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After being cited for marijuana possession just days before the 2015 NFL draft, former Missouri Tigers linebacker Shane Ray began to free-fall down the board. Where would he land, and more importantly, which team was willing to take a chance on him?
The answer ended up being the Denver Broncos, who traded up five slots with the Detroit Lions to select Ray at No. 23 in the first round. In the process, the Broncos also shipped offensive lineman Manny Ramirez to Detroit.
It remains to be seen how Ray will fit into Denver's defense, but the move was certainly worth the risk. Ray was one of the most talented defensive players in the entire draft, and teaming him with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware could give the Broncos perhaps the league's most feared pass rush.
It was a surprise to see general manager John Elway make such an aggressive move in the first round. During his tenure in Denver, Elway has been fairly conservative in the first round, even trading back into the second round in 2012 before selecting defensive end Derek Wolfe.
That move opened up Elway to some scrutiny, as some fans may have felt he should've taken a player such as running back Doug Martin with the pick he traded. To this point, that move hasn't proved disastrous, and fans shouldn't be worried about the decision to move up and select Ray either.
Not Drafting a Free Safety Higher
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Heading into the draft, free safety figured to be one of the Broncos' weakest positions and a spot they certainly would focus on within the first four or five rounds. That didn't happen.
The Broncos passed on safeties in favor of selecting players such as Lorenzo Doss and Darius Kilgo. While both Doss and Kilgo could end up becoming key contributors on defense at some point in their careers, free safety is still an area of concern heading into the season.
The Broncos did end up choosing Josh Furman out of Oklahoma State in the seventh round, but he will have a tough time making the 53-man roster. His best bet is likely to earn a spot on the practice squad.
That means the Broncos will have to hedge their bets on Darian Stewart, a free agent who came over from the Baltimore Ravens. It will either be Stewart or a converted cornerback like Bradley Roby or Kayvon Webster who begins the season at free safety.
Either the Broncos are very confident in Stewart or they are hoping Wade Phillips' defense will make Roby or Webster into a productive free safety.
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Demaryius Thomas Skipping Minicamp Practices
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The Broncos chose to use the franchise tag on Demaryius Thomas in the offseason, preventing him from hitting the open free-agent market and securing his services for the 2015 season.
But Thomas has not been at any of the Broncos' OTAs or minicamp practices. Elway was critical of his decision to skip organized team activities back in April, per the Denver Post's Troy E Renck.
The Broncos have until July 15 to reach an agreement on a new long-term deal with Thomas. If that doesn't happen, Thomas will play this season for just a little over $12 million. But what happens next season? What happens when the Broncos have to decide between tagging Thomas again—at a much higher rate—or using the tag to keep Miller, who will also be a free agent?
If Thomas and the Broncos don't reach agreement before July 15, you can probably expect Thomas to sit out most of training camp and the preseason before signing his franchise tender. With Denver installing a new offense, that doesn't bode well.
It's been somewhat of a surprise to see Thomas and the Broncos at odds, even if contract disputes are a common thing in today's NFL.
Thomas has played hard for the organization, growing from an injury-prone player who looked like a draft bust early in his career into one of the league's best receivers. Hopefully, the relationship between him and the organization hasn't been strained and he wants to play in Denver for the duration of his career.
Britton Colquitt Is Still on the Roster
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Britton Colquitt has been Denver's punter for the past five seasons, but it would be a surprise if the Broncos bring him back for a sixth. As a result, it's surprising that they haven't already released him.
There are a few reasons for that.
Pro Football Focus ranked Colquitt as the No. 26 punter in the league last season. Looking at league statistics, the Broncos had an average of 44.2 yards per punt and a net average of just 38.8 yards. They ranked No. 24 and No. 27 in those two categories, respectively.
In addition to that, Colquitt's salary is just too high. As shown on OvertheCap.com, only eight players on the entire team are scheduled to make more money in 2015 than Colquitt.
Keeping Colquitt on the roster until June 1 made sense because the Broncos can save $3 million in salary by dumping him now that June 1 has passed. It's a surprise they haven't made that move.
The Broncos have Karl Schmitz on the roster, a free agent who was brought in during the offseason to challenge for the punting job. As Chad Jensen of Mile High Huddle tweeted out, the competition between him and Colquitt is close.
"If P Karl Schmitz is already "pretty even" with Britton Colquitt, it doesn't bode well for the veteran #Broncos http://t.co/erHhdf6SKf
— Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) June 14, 2015"
If it's close, why not save the money and just dump Colquitt now?
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