Most Concerning Development From Broncos' Offseason Program

There aren't too many cracks in the Denver Broncos' foundation you could point to as bona fide offseason "concerns." Aside from the general health of quarterback Bo Nix, there are only a few question marks that border on "concerning."

With the offseason training program officially in the books, beyond inside linebacker and tight end depth, the big concern is at the defensive end spot vacated by John Franklin-Myers. The Broncos don't have a for-sure answer quite yet, but there are balls in the air that could still fall favorably.

Let's examine.

Replacing JFM: No Easy Task

Entering the offseason, we knew that replacing JFM in the starting lineup wouldn't be easy, but Denver had Eyioma Uwazurike and Sai'vion Jones waiting in the wings as candidates, though neither has ever been a true NFL starter.

Uwazurike looked very good during minicamp, although we must keep in mind how the non-contact format of those practices makes it much harder to get a true read on trench players. Uwazurike looked good, but Jones missed time during mandatory minicamp, which only adds to the uncertainty.

Then we have the performance of rookie third-rounder Tyler Onyedim. He turned plenty of heads during minicamp, bearing a striking resemblance to JFM and not just because the rookie took the No. 98 jersey number. He just kind of looks like Franklin-Myers, though Onyedim isn't trying to fill anyone's shoes; he's focused on being his own man in the NFL.

The Roach Approach

It could be an 'it takes a village' approach to replacing JFM initially, but I also have to wonder how much the veteran Malcolm Roach could factor into the conversation, especially after defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's remarks during OTAs.

"Again, losing JFM means we have multiple guys who have to fill those roles, and maybe those roles look a little different," Joseph said. "Maybe Malcolm handles more of the early-down run-stopping work and someone like Eyioma Uwazurike takes over more of the pass-rush responsibilities. We have options there. We've drafted this position specifically to replace veteran players who eventually move on, and Malcolm is one of those guys."

If the Broncos had to go to war tomorrow, that starting lineup would likely be Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, and Roach, with Uwazurike and Jones rotating in on pass-rushing downs. It's worth mentioning, though, that while Uwazurike doesn't immediately spring to mind when thinking about interior pass rush, he did total 3.5 sacks last season as a backup.

You can see why Joseph's mind flashes to Uwazurike as an interior pass rusher. 3.5 sacks is a lot for an interior defender who played only 409 snaps, or 36% of the total defensive snaps.

As the summer marches on and we get to training camp at the end of July, I'm betting that Onyedim will begin to earn a bigger piece of the pie. He looked that good in mandatory minicamp.

The Broncos have Roach back for 2026 and 2027. He's a vocal leader, and was a big reason the team felt comfortable letting JFM and his 14.5 sacks as a Bronco walk out the door. Expect Roach to be part of the initial solution at defensive end.

"He played really well for us last year. He's obviously a big man who's tough to move, but he's improving," Joseph said of Roach. "To watch where he was in Week 1 compared to where he was by the playoff game was really impressive. You could see it in his firmness against the run and in his pass rush."

Roach is a stellar run defender. That's why Joseph envisions him on the D-line on first and second down, but if Roach can continue to improve his pass-rushing chops, there would be no reason to take him off the field, except for the occasional breather.

With only eight career starts, three of which have come as a Bronco, there are still some unknowns surrounding Roach as a bona fide starter. The Broncos have a lot of confident in him, though.

The Takeaway

So, is the JFM vacancy a four-alarm fire? Absolutely not. The Broncos have some viable options, including two veteran incumbents and a pair of young players with big potential; we just don't yet know exactly how it's going to pan out.

And we probably won't know for sure until Week 1, though we'll definitely glean more info in training camp and the preseason. Until we do, JFM's former spot on the defensive line remains a concern.

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