Denver Broncos: 5 Big Storylines That Aren't About the QB Battle

From the onset of Broncos' training camp in Dove Valley, the focus was on the QB battle between Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow.

Just before training camp started, Tebow was due to be the starting QB and Kyle Orton looked as if he was headed to Miami.

Of course, things didn't pan out as expected, and ever since Orton remained in the orange and blue and was moved up to number one on the depth chart, the spotlight upon the Broncos has centered almost solely on the QB battle.

Denver, though, has a lot of other pressing issues, maybe too many to list, heading into the 2011 season.

This was a team that was just bad from top to bottom. Pretty much every position needed improvement this off-season and only time will tell to see if this team really is better than the bottom-dwelling team it was last year.

Here are the five big story lines for the Denver Broncos that don't involve the likes of Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn:

Knowshon Moreno and the Running Game

Denver was clearly the NFL's best and most consistent rushing team during the Shanahan era from 1995-2008.

Shanahan may have won only one playoff game and one division title in the 10 years after Elway retired, his free agency moves from a defensive standpoint may have been shoddy and his drafting as a general manager/coach may have been questionable, but there was one thing that you could expect every year from the Broncos: They would have one of the league's top rushing attacks.

No matter what QB would line up behind the Broncos, whether that was Griese, Plummer or Cutler, there was always the running game to fall back on. That ingredient for success led to only two losing seasons in Shanahan's 14 years in Denver.

Although the NFL is shifting into a vertical passing league, a team still needs to have a consistent running game in order to succeed in the NFL, especially if they lack an elite QB. Denver fits into that category.

Knowshon Moreno had a better season in 2010 than he did in 2009 when you consider that he had more yards per carry, and actually achieved a 100 yard rushing game in 2010 (twice).

But by all accounts, the Denver Broncos rushing game was pretty bad in 2010, ranking 26th in the NFL as a team. Moreno ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing yards.

Denver added veteran RB Willis McGahee, to ease the load off of Moreno and to be the "other" back in what is expected to be a running back by committee.

In order for Denver to start their road back to respectability, the running game needs to be a factor.

If it isn't, expect another forgettable season.

Who's Going to Step Up as the Number Two Receiver?

With the trade of Jabar Gaffney, who provided the Broncos with a great number two option (as he caught 65 passes for 875 yards to take the pressure off of Brandon Lloyd), the Broncos need to find a legit number two option to continue doing in 2011 for Lloyd what Gaffney did in 2010.

Eddie Royal is expected to start as the number two receiver for the Broncos, but since his breakout rookie season, Royal has been pretty forgettable the past two seasons.

In 2008, Royal was excellent as a possession receiver alongside Brandon Marshall, posting 91 receptions and 980 yards.

In 2009, he had one of the worst seasons in recent memory for a starting receiver, posting 37 receptions for 345 yards and no TDs.

In 2010, he bounced back a little bit, posting 59 receptions for 627 yards and 3 TDs.

Denver, with the exception of Lloyd, doesn't have any true playmakers on offense. Denver is going to need Eddie Royal to provide a season similar to that of his 2008 season, where he proved to be a dependable possession receiver.

If Royal falters, receivers Eric Decker, Matthew Willis and Demaryius Thomas will receive their fair share of opportunities to take the pressure off of Brandon Lloyd.

The Defensive Line

Denver's defensive line was the worst in the NFL in 2010. They were absolutely terrible.

If Denver needed a stop on defense, make no mistake about it, the defensive line would fail time and time again. They were definitely consistent. Just not in the way you'd want them to be.

Denver ranked 31st in rushing yards given up, last in rushing TDs given up, and 29th in yards per attempt.

Did I mention that they ranked dead last in sacks with 23, partly due to the season ending injury of Elvis Dumervil before the season started?

This area for the Broncos has been a huge problem for years. The last time this defensive line was decent was when Denver made it to the AFC Championship game in 2005 with Cleveland castoffs Michael Myers, Gerard Warren, Ebenezer Ekuban and Courtney Brown as part of the rotation.

Denver has been terrible (with the exception of Dumervil) at drafting defensive lineman in the past several years, with notable busts Tim Crowder and Jarvis Moss topping that list.

To top it all off, off-season signee Ty Warren may now be out for the season due to injury.

Denver is hoping that Elvis Dumervil can return to form after missing 2010 due to injury and second overall pick Von Miller can provide Denver with pressure on the quarterback, in addition to improving Denver's run defense.

If they can't, expect to see another season of Denver getting dominated in the trenches. Expect another season of D-lineman castoffs starting for this team. And finally, expect the Broncos to finally cure (or at least attempt) their D-Line deficiency with the drafting of a defensive tackle in the first round in 2012.

Is Orlando Franklin Going to Be Able to Step In?

Rookie RT Orlando Franklin is filling in the shoes of one of the most consistent tackles in the game, Ryan Harris.

Although Ryan Harris was no star, he, along with Ryan Clady, formed one of the top tackle duos in the game for the past three years. Harris was slowed down by injury in 2010, as was Clady.

Harris departed Denver through free agency by signing a one year deal with Philadelphia. Denver had prepared for Harris' departure with the drafting of Franklin in the second round of the 2011 Draft.

In the season from hell, Denver gave up 40 sacks, which ranked 24th in the league.

In 2008, Denver gave up 12 sacks, which was the best in the league.

For Denver to continue making strides on offense, the offensive line, now featuring Orlando Franklin, needs to protect the QB. If it cannot protect the QB, continue to expect the three and outs that were so rampant last season.

Is John Fox Going to Be Able to Turn the Franchise Around?

John Fox took over a Carolina franchise that went 1-15 in 2001. He made them into a 7-9 team in 2002 and had them in the Super Bowl in 2003.

The question that has been on Broncos fans' minds since the day Fox was hired is, can Fox do the same for this Denver Broncos team?

Fox has a penchant for building teams with tough running games and a tough defense.

The running game has a chance to succeed with the RB by committee that is in place with Moreno and McGahee. The defense has a chance to improve with the return of Dumervil and the drafting of Von Miller.

One thing that needs to change, that hasn't been listed already in this article, is the turnover/giveaway differential. Denver ranked 27th in the NFL with a -9 turnover/giveaway differential.

The top five teams in the AFC in this category were in the playoffs; the top three teams in the NFC in this category made it to the playoffs.

You simply cannot turn the ball over in the NFL and expect to go far. Denver is not an exception to this rule. In order for the Broncos to have a successful season, it starts and ends with the turnover battle. There needs to be less turnovers on offense and more turnovers forced on defense.