5 Denver Broncos Who Should See Their Role Expand in 2016

Roster turnover is the nature of the NFL in the salary-cap era, and the Denver Broncos will not be immune to this upheaval after winning Super Bowl 50.

So far this offseason, the Broncos are planning for free agency and simultaneously putting together a draft board that reflects potential additions and losses.

However, there are players already on the roster from last year who are set to earn even more playing time this season. These players are guys the team is going to lean on at varying levels as they make another postseason run.

The Broncos aren’t blessed with a ton of salary-cap space, so they need to make sure any players with larger roles are capable of what the team will be asking of them.

Here are five Broncos players who should see their roles expand in 2016.

TE Jeff Heuerman

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Yes, Jeff Heuerman’s role has to grow because he missed all of his rookie season in 2015, but before you click to the next player, let me sell you on how integral he could be to the offense this in 2016.

A third-round pick for the Broncos last year, Heuerman was lost for the season with a knee injury only a couple of days into rookie minicamp.

Looking over Heuerman’s college tape shows a player who could develop into an all-purpose tight end.

At 6’5”, 255 pounds, the 23-year-old plays like a supersized wide receiver. He can be moved all over the formation—and even split out wide in certain sets. With the speed to rip down the seam of the field, Heuerman creates mismatches against linebackers in coverage. He’s got the athleticism, and he has the willingness to do the dirty work as a blocker.

Knee injuries aren’t quite as devastating as they used to be, and Heuerman will have a full year of recovery to get better. The Broncos should ease him back into action, but it’s quite possible that he’ll be ready to fully participate when training camp rolls around in late July.

With 33-year-old Owen Daniels in the twilight of his career, Virgil Green used primarily as a blocker and Vernon Davis unlikely to return, all signs are pointing to Heuerman doing a lot more in 2016. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him end the season as the team’s leading receiver at tight end.

OG Max Garcia

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The Broncos are going to have multiple changes on their offensive line. In fact, four of the five starters from the Super Bowl may be different when the 2016 regular season begins.

There are questions outside at tackle where guys like Ryan Clady and Ty Sambrailo may be featured. The Broncos also have questions inside at guard, but one of their answers at the position may be Max Garcia.

The 24-year-old has the first-step quickness to get off the line of scrimmage quickly. While he’s laterally agile, Garcia’s best asset is his nasty disposition. He’s strong, physical and willing to fight in the trenches. He's a power player who can also play with the finesse needed in this zone-blocking system.

There’s no better teacher than experience, and Garcia was able to gain valuable playing time as a rookie.

Learning the zone-blocking system can take time for seasoned veterans, so a young player like Garcia is going to naturally take time to pick up all the nuances of this scheme.

There’s no telling if right guard Louis Vasquez is going to return to the Broncos in 2016. Vasquez is a fine player, but his body seems to be breaking down and his playing style doesn’t seem to be a natural fit in the Gary Kubiak system.

With Evan Mathis perhaps moving on in free agency, the Broncos may look at Garcia as both a left and right guard.

WR Cody Latimer

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

We could classify 2016 as a make-or-break season for wide receiver Cody Latimer. The Broncos moved up in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft to take him, but he has yet to do much as a receiver at the pro level.

His rookie season was pretty much a wash as he only caught two passes for 23 yards. His second season wasn’t much better. Latimer was active for 14 regular-season games, but he only snared six passes for 59 yards and one touchdown.

Latimer has always had the skill set to be a productive receiver in the NFL, but the chemistry with Peyton Manning has been a work in progress.

With Manning unlikely to return to the Broncos, the 23-year-old won’t have that problem in 2016. In practice for two years—and even briefly in the 2015 regular season—Latimer has shown good timing with Brock Osweiler. If Osweiler is kept as the team’s starting quarterback, then it’s good news for Latimer.

He’s made several plays on special teams, but Latimer came from a world-class wide receiver draft class, and he needs to pay off as a receiver in the near future.

The talent is there with Latimer, but now it’s time for him to live up to the hype.

DT Darius Kilgo

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Broncos defensive line is going to have a different look this season. With free agency looming, we could see defensive end Malik Jackson move on to a bigger payday with another team.

The Broncos are likely to be looking for defensive line talent in free agency, but the price has to be right. They could always turn to the draft in what is a deep defensive line class for help. The Broncos could also just feature Darius Kilgo more.

The 24-year-old is a traditional nose tackle who can hold up the interior of the defense. If you were able to put a football helmet on a mountain, then you would roughly have an idea of what Kilgo’s menacing image looks like on the football field.

He’s huge and has the ability to be a disruptive player. He’s got the strength to control the point of attack, and Kilgo plays with a proper level of aggression and discipline.

If the Broncos want to move Sylvester Williams outside to defensive end, then putting Kilgo inside at nose tackle would make a lot of sense. Even if Williams stays put as the starting nose tackle, his teammate can play a valuable role as a part-time player in 2016.

He played 113 snaps in 2015, and that number should rise—perhaps even dramatically—for Kilgo this upcoming season.

LB Todd Davis

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

With linebacker Danny Trevathan likely to hit the open market, the Broncos may lose him and then turn to Todd Davis to fill that starting “WILL” (weak-side inside linebacker) role.

In Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense, the action is often funneled inside to the interior linebackers. Any linebacker inside needs to be ready to take—and hand out—a beating.

Undrafted out of Sacramento State in 2014, Davis was originally signed by the New Orleans Saints. After they released him that season, the Broncos were quick to scoop him up. They did a similar move years ago when the Jacksonville Jaguars cut linebacker Brandon Marshall. There’s a chance the Broncos may have snared another fine talent who was overlooked by another team in Davis.

While the 23-year-old may not quite be as athletic or fluid as Trevathan, he can cover in space and has a good nose for the football. He’s a sound tackler who does a good job of bringing his man down quickly. While not a “thumper” on the field, Davis can make jarring hits from certain angles. He’s a three-down player who doesn’t need to come off the field.

If Trevathan moves on in free agency, he’ll be difficult to replace. Davis has the ability, knows the system, comes with a good price and could be a fine option for the Broncos at a key position on the defense.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.