Denver Broncos: Biggest Storylines Ahead of Training Camp

The Denver Broncos will open training camp Friday, marking the official start of a quest for a championship.

The Broncos may have a new coaching staff in place, but the hope of winning the Super Bowl has not faded. With Peyton Manning at 39 years old, this might be his last chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. In fact, this could be the last training camp of Manning's career.

There are several other important storylines ready to play out once camp gets underway, and we're here to detail those now.

As the coaching staff sets out to determine the best possible 53-man roster, fans should also be keeping an eye on the following five storylines.

Read on for more details regarding each of these developments.

How Does the New Offense Look?

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Under new head coach Gary Kubiak, the Denver offense is going to look much different than the one fans saw while John Fox was around.

Adam Gase is gone as well, and new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and offensive line coach Clancy Barone will look to help Kubiak take the offense back to a zone-blocking system. Many Denver fans will easily recall the success the team had when Terrell Davis was running in the same system.

But how long will it take the current Broncos to get acclimated to this system? With the coaches the organization has brought in, the team should pick up the techniques quickly. How effective the current roster will be once the season opens is the real question.

Looking at how the offensive line works in the running game and how each running back handles the zone-blocking system will be one of the biggest things to watch at camp.

As for Manning, instead of lining up out of the shotgun formation on nearly every single down as he has in years past, expect to see him line up under center much more often in Kubiak's scheme. This will be something to keep an eye on as well.

Though Manning will be asked to do some things we haven't seen him do often in Denver, it would be foolish to believe that Kubiak won't cater the offense to his strengths as well. There will still be plenty of plays where Manning sets up in the shotgun this season.

Will the Offensive Line Be Effective?

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This will be the biggest question of camp, and one that will spill into the season.

Whether or not the Broncos have enough talent along the offensive line is a concern, but it's one the team could easily put to rest during camp and preseason games.

An offseason injury to left tackle Ryan Clady has forced the team to scramble, opening up questions about whether or not the team will be able to sufficiently protect Manning.

The team will work diligently during the next six weeks to find the best combination of five players to open the season as the starting offensive line. While questions about the strength of the line may persist throughout camp, two young players could be the key to erasing those doubts.

Two rookies, second-round pick Ty Sambrailo and fourth-round pick Max Garcia, could both turn some heads once camp begins. Sambrailo will likely get the first shot to start at left tackle in place of Clady. If Garcia also has a strong camp, the pair could both open the season as starters.

Sambrailo and Garcia could combine with the likes of Gino Gradkowski and Louis Vasquez to help make the offensive line a lot better than many people are expecting.

Wade Phillips' Installation of the 3-4 Defensive Alignment

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The Broncos will not only feature a new look on offense in 2015, but the defense will go through some big changes as well.

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will be returning to Denver and bringing his 3-4 defensive alignment with him. Phillips has had plenty of success running the 3-4 across numerous stops over the course of his career.

How Phillips chooses to use his personnel through practice as each day passes will be interesting to watch. He should bring a much more aggressive edge on defense than the team has had in recent years.

Perhaps the biggest key to the new defense's success will be the health of inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall. Trevathan missed much of the 2014 season with injuries, and Marshall underwent foot surgery following the season.

The pair has combined for 255 tackles over the past two seasons, and if healthy, the Broncos would have arguably one of the best linebacker groups in the NFL when adding Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware to the mix.

However, if one or both of these players miss time during the season, Phillips and his defensive staff will have to work on making sure players like Todd Davis, Lamin Barrow and Steven Johnson are ready to fill in.

Phillips was never able to find tremendous success as a head coach, but he is one of the better defensive minds the league has ever seen. He will bring invaluable leadership and experience to a defensive unit that just needs a push in the right direction to be as good as any in the league.

Will Shane Ray Be the Real Deal?

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It's easy for people to say that the Broncos took an unnecessary risk by trading up in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft to select Shane Ray.

After all, a pass-rush specialist was not necessarily high on the team's list of needs, and Ray went into the draft with an injured toe. On top of that, he was cited for marijuana possession just days before the draft took place.

The Broncos were willing to overlook all of that to move up five spots in the first round, also trading away offensive lineman Manny Ramirez in the process.

Will Ray be worth the gamble? Is his toe injury behind him? Fans will be eager to see how the new defensive prospect performs.

If the move pays off, the Broncos will be getting another excellent edge-rusher who, when paired with Miller and Ware, could make the Broncos a very tough defense to face. With all of the talent around him, Phillips should be able to get very creative with how he uses Ray.

Will Anyone Step Up to Fill in for Derek Wolfe?

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Disappointing news came in just over a week ago that Denver defensive end Derek Wolfe will be suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy.

This is a tough loss for the Broncos, as Wolfe should flourish in Phillips' defense. While he'll now have to wait to take the field, the Broncos are left fairly thin along the defensive line.

Who, if anyone, will step up to fill in for Wolfe?

Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reported that defensive end Antonio Smith will be part of the team once training camp opens, so long as he is not charged following the investigation into child abuse claims that have jeopardized Smith's position with the team for months.

Though losing Wolfe for four games will be difficult, Smith would be a good player to turn to. He has experience working under Phillips and has found success with him. Smith racked up 18.5 sacks in three seasons with Phillips calling the shots in Houston.

Aside from Smith, the Broncos could turn to Vance Walker, who came over from the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent. Walker has played for three other teams during his NFL tenure and has just 10 career sacks.

One of these guys needs to step up and have a huge training camp. There is a good chance that neither man will be as productive as Wolfe could have been, but they just need to hold down the fort for four games.

The Broncos will have to hope this spot doesn't turn into a glaring weakness.