How the Denver Broncos Can Repeat to Win Super Bowl LI
The Denver Broncos emerged from an entertaining Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers to win the franchise’s third Lombardi Trophy. Their 24-10 victory on Sunday was a total team effort.
Led by Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Von Miller, the Broncos stifled the NFL’s highest-scoring offense. Carolina had no answers for the pressure Miller and the rest of the defense created all game long.
With this championship in their trophy case, the Broncos now look forward to next season. General manager John Elway and the coaching staff have a tough offseason ahead of them en route to Super Bowl LI. We’ve got you covered for how the Broncos can repeat their Super Bowl run in 2016.
It won’t be easy for the Broncos to rearrange their roster and cope with the possible loss of Peyton Manning to retirement. But this team is deep with talent on both sides of the ball and has an excellent staff and front office. There’s no better franchise to handle such a task.
Extend Von Miller’s Contract
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The first plan of action for the Denver Broncos is to extend linebacker Von Miller’s contract. The 26-year-old won Super Bowl MVP after a dominating performance. He totaled 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles against the Panthers to cap off a tremendous 2015 season.
Miller’s value to the Broncos is as high as any player's to a team in the NFL. He’s a premier pass-rusher and defensive weapon. He’s the only defender in the league capable of producing sacks at his rate and being a star in coverage.
Among active players, only J.J. Watt and DeMarcus Ware had more sacks in their first five seasons than Miller.
His did everything the Broncos could have hoped for in his contract season. Now it is time to reward him.
The Broncos could franchise-tag Miller and then work out a long-term deal, which the team would prefer, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra). Denver must keep Miller for the foreseeable future, so working out a six- or seven-year deal would be wise.
He may end up as the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player as the cap continues to rise.
Give the Reins to Brock Osweiler
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While quarterback Peyton Manning didn’t announce his retirement in the postgame ceremony, the Manning era may be over in Denver. It’s time to turn the team over to Brock Osweiler for 2016 to see if he can be the next franchise signal-caller.
His stint as the starter while Manning was out with injury was good but not great. As Osweiler continues to gain experience, he should continue to show improved confidence and control of the offense.
But he cannot have Manning looming over his shoulder.
Osweiler’s value is difficult to gauge since Denver has been able to slow-cook his development in his first four seasons. Other teams have little film to work off compared to the years of practices and film sessions Denver has.
A three-year deal with more incentives than guarantees seems possible and likely to protect the franchise in case he struggles.
It’s very unlikely a clear better option will be available for Denver. Osweiler has been anointed the next guy since he was drafted. It’s time to see if he can deliver.
Renegotiate Key Veteran Deals
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The benefit of renegotiating veteran contracts is that a new deal can spread cap hits out over several seasons. This is especially true for players in the final year of their contract.
Denver has a few veterans who fit the bill.
Linebacker DeMarcus Ware, right guard Louis Vasquez and punter Britton Colquitt each carry hefty cap hits in 2016. Ware will count for $11.67 million in the final year of his deal, Vasquez is at $6.75 million and Colquitt counts for $4 million.
If Denver extends their deals, it can free up more than $10 million.
Since each player is still performing well at this point in his career, this would be a wise decision to help retain free agents. It could be the difference in re-signing Malik Jackson or Danny Trevathan this year, or Emmanuel Sanders next year.
The players should also be open to the idea since a new deal would provide long-term security and more money down the road.
Retain Impact Defensive Starters
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The Denver Broncos will have almost $30 million to spend on their free agents if Manning does retire.
Assuming he does walk away and Denver addresses the Von Miller and Brock Osweiler contracts as we advised in the first two slides, some tough choices need to be made. Major defensive unrestricted free agents include Danny Trevathan and Malik Jackson.
It’s unlikely Denver can retain all four of its significant free agents because that money disappears quickly. The draft class will eat about $6 million, and depth players need to be re-signed.
So the Broncos must choose who is worth their investment.
Re-signing Derek Wolfe early was a sign that Denver could pick one of Trevathan and Jackson. Since the Broncos have Brandon Marshall as an unrestricted free agent in 2017 and he is the better overall player, the team may choose to go for Jackson harder. Its defensive front was a major reason it won Super Bowl 50, after all.
The final option for Denver is to pass on both Trevathan and Jackson since each could receive massive free-agent deals. Denver can replenish talent at both positions through the draft for much cheaper.
This option is risky, as rookies rarely have a major impact on Super Bowl-caliber teams.
Reinvest at Offensive Line
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One area where the Denver Broncos must improve in 2016 is the offensive line. Injuries ravaged the Broncos’ tackles.
Starting tackles Ryan Clady and Ty Sambrailo each ended the season on injured reserve, and the Broncos’ running game greatly suffered overall. They need to get healthy or Denver must continue to put resources in the unit.
According to ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold, Denver explored a trade for Joe Thomas last season to upgrade the left tackle position, and that is a discussion worth having again. Clady has been injured in two of the last three seasons and has a hefty price tag. Denver can free up $8.9 million if it cuts Clady this offseason.
While Thomas would cost picks, he is the best tackle in the NFL on a reasonable contract.
Left guard Evan Mathis was a bargain free-agent signing in training camp and played extremely well. At 34 years old, he should come with a cheap asking price once again. Denver must lock him into another one-year deal if possible.
All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com. Contract information courtesy of Over the Cap.
Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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