Championship-caliber NFL roster: How many of the boxes does Broncos' 2019 offense check?

Building a championship-caliber roster in the NFL is not easy. Given the salary cap, all the moving parts, injuries, age, 32 teams vying for the Lombardi Trophy, and just sheer dumb luck that is involved in who comes out victorious at the end of the season, it’s impossible to know which teams will be contenders and which teams will be pretenders once the season commences.

There is a reason games are determined on the field as opposed to on paper, but the paper is a good place to start when trying to decipher whether a team has the goods to compete at the highest level in the NFL.

There is not one single way to construct a contender either. From the best head coach and quarterback duo in history in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in New England, to a young quarterback on a rookie contract surrounded by great talent like the 2013 Seattle Seahawks with Russell Wilson and the Legion of Boom, to the all-time defensive units of the ‘00 Ravens, ‘02 Buccaneers, and ‘15 Broncos, to the balance of elite trench play and coaching, even carrying backup quarterback Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles to a championship, different methods of team-building have shown to work and create powerhouse teams in any given season.

Still, there are aspects in which most contenders are similar. Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout for the Ravens, Browns, and Eagles and current NFL Network Analyst and co-host of the Move the Sticks Podcast, had developed a theory in regards to the foundation for a championship roster in today’s NFL.

The ‘non-negotiables’ checklist of contention.

Of course, this list isn’t scripture, and there is room for nuance, but it is a good starting point to determine whether the Broncos are built for a season of contention, or if 2019 is more of a transition year building for the future. Today we will look at the offensive side of the ball to determine whether the Broncos have the goods to contend via Jeremiah’s checklist.

Need #1: Quarterback (1)

The first spot on Daniel Jeremiah’s checklist is, of course, the quarterback position. Yes, there are instances in history where a non-elite quarterback has been able to win a Super Bowl.

From Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Nick Foles, and even the 2015 version of Peyton Manning, less-than-stellar quarterback play can be good enough to win it all if the infrastructure around them is great. However, for the most part, a team really does need a franchise thrower in order to contend.

There is a reason the quarterback position is considered the most important in American professional sports. It would be intellectually dishonest to say the Broncos have the quarterback ‘checked’ when filling out Jeremiah's list.

Yes, Flacco has won a Super Bowl before but there is a reason the Joe Flacco ‘is elite’ proposition has become a rolling joke. Flacco is a solid NFL quarterback, but outside of his insane Super Bowl run in 2012, he hasn’t shown to be good enough to carry a roster.

There is no doubt he has stabilized the Broncos at the position and will help the offense improve, but just how much can Flacco help carry a team himself? He needs help.

Drew Lock could be the answer. Despite the odds being stacked against him as a second-round pick at quarterback, he has flashed the tools, arm talent, mobility, and moxie a team craves at the position.

Lock's mechanics need refinement, as do his processing and decision making. If all goes well for Denver this season, Lock won’t see the field but determining whether he fills the need for quarterback on a championship-caliber roster? That answer is to be determined.

QB Verdict

2019: 0/1 (none)

TBD for the future: Lock

Need #2: Offensive Playmakers (3)

In a league that is continuously trending to more spread and Air Raid-based passing attacks, with the time from the snap to throw at an all-time low, the need for playmakers to help an offense is at an all-time high.

From guys who can get open quickly in the pass game, to players who can make the first guy miss, to guys who are threats to take it to the house any time they step on the field, a set of diversified offensive weapons is a must in today’s NFL.

The 2019 Broncos have at least two offensive playmakers at the skill position in wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and running back Phillip Lindsay. Sanders is far and away the Broncos' most dangerous and explosive pass weapon and is the star that stirs the drink so to speak.

His addition to the offense was noted wide and far by Denver media as unlocking the passing attack and opening up opportunities for everyone else, given that no other wide receiver on the team comes close to matching his dynamic skillset and ability to threaten at every level of the field. Sanders must be healthy this season, but who knows what the future holds?

Lindsay is undoubtedly a spark plug and playmaker for the Broncos' offense. Any time he touches the ball, good things tend to happen for the offense. However, it must be noted that as a running back who has yet to show pass-catching proficiency outside of the low-value dump-off plays, Lindsay as a receiving weapon is a relative unknown.

In today’s NFL, the value of the running back position is at an all-time low for pure runners of the football. However, if that back can also supplement the pass offense such as the elites in today’s NFL in Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Todd Gurley, Le’Veon Bell, Ezekiel Elliot, and Saquon Barkley, as well as being good on the ground, their value skyrockets to a team.

Lindsay should be considered an offensive playmaker for the Broncos, but only mark it in pencil until he shows he can bring value to the pass offense.

Outside of Sanders and Lindsay is simple projection at this point. Much like Drew Lock, first-round tight end Noah Fant will need to show it before he can fulfill his spot as an offensive playmaker for this team.

Fant has the pedigree and tools to be one of the most dynamic tight ends in the league, also bringing a bonus with his early proficiency as a blocker, but he will need to show receiving ability this season to be a true building block piece for the roster as opposed to a complementary player.

WRs Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton also will have a shot to be the guy and be a counted on offensive playmaker for the Broncos, but both were inconsistent last season and so far in camp they've shown plenty of deficiencies on tape. Sutton has shown inconsistent hands, and has struggled to seperate in the short-and-intermediate areas of the field as a route runner. The X receiver who can win jump balls down the field outside has a role, but isn’t a building block piece.

Hamilton has shown the ability to uncover quickly in the short and intermediate areas of the field, but lacks true down-the-field speed or the ability to make plays after the catch with the ball in his hands. Both will need to take large steps forward this year to be considered as true offensive weapons the Broncos can build around to harbor a championship team.

The Broncos also have Royce Freeman and Juwann Winfree who might step up in this role, but both are less likely than Fant, Sutton, or Hamilton. Given Sanders’ age and contract status, a difference-maker at wide receiver could be a gigantic need if none of the young receivers step up to fill the mantle.

OP Verdict

2019: 2/3 (Sanders and Lindsay*)
TBD for the future: Fant TE, Sutton WR, Hamilton WR, Freeman RB, Winfree WR

* Lindsay needs to show more as a receiver to solidify status.

Need #3: Quality O-Line (3)

The offensive line has been a thorn in the side of the Broncos for many seasons. Even during the years of the juggernaut offenses under Peyton Manning, the Broncos’ offensive line was average at best.

A franchise quarterback with a great set of weapons can help negate the need for elite offensive line play, especially one as cerebral pre- and post-snap with a lightning-quick deliver as Manning possessed. There is only one Peyton Manning.

It has been pointed out that Joe Flacco is an underrated athlete, but make no mistake, he is still a very much pocket-based quarterback. Given this fact, Flacco is dependent on the offensive line to hold up in pass protection in order to succeed as a passer.

More and more studies come out showing how the system, and specifically the offensive line, is far more important to an offense's success rushing the football than the running back. Perhaps these analysts should have spoken to Mike Shanahan over a decade ago as continually churned out 1,000-yard no-name backs due to his offensive line and system.

Despite the narrative of the Broncos’ offensive line being a dumpster fire, the 2018 unit was actually not that bad. While being hit with a litany of injuries, the unit was able to hold up for the most part and developed into one of the best run-blocking units in the entire NFL.

However, the penalties and pass blocking was an issue that needs to be fixed, O-line struggles are a league-wide problem, but it’s still an area the Broncos need to work on to build a contending roster.

It might be crazy to say, but the offensive lineman that may be the most deserving of being listed already as a quality player is none other than left guard Dalton Risner. He does not possess the power of Quenton Nelson or the athleticism of Brandon Scherff, and his struggles against elite defensive lineman DeForest Buckner in joint practices versus the Niners does need to be noted, but he has been consistent in his work this preseason and looks to be a stalwart for the unit going forward.

After Risner, it really comes down to one of the most important areas in football; health. The right side of the line in right guard Ronald Leary and right tackle Ja’Wuan James could really help the Broncos have one of their best trio of linemen they have had in years, but it is really hard to depend on either based on their injury history to date.

Given the fact that James has played and looked okay, he is a safer bet to be a quality lineman for this unit but betting on Leary is a risky business.

The remaining starters of center Connor McGovern and left tackle Garett Bolles are question marks at this point. McGovern has shown flashes at guard and center, and is one the team still seems to be quite high on but his inconsistencies in pass protection and snapping the ball make it a risky proposition to depend on him being a great player for this team.

Furthermore, while McGovern will start for Denver in 2019, he is set to hit free agency after this season. Bolles is an enigma, though. Possessing ample talent and flashes of dominance, he still is making many similar mistakes he made at Utah and showing weaknesses in technique, both in his footwork and hand usage, that make anyone question whether he is going to finally pan out this season, if ever.

He's had great teachers and did show growth towards the end of last season, but he is far from a sure thing this season and going forward. The Broncos have some young interior blockers the team may be able to develop in the likes of John Leglue, Austin Schlottmann, and Sam Jones, but the depth on the line is concerning at this point.

Who knows, though? After a year in this system learning under offensive line czar Mike Munchak, there's no telling who might emerge.

OL Verdict

2019: 2/3 (Dalton Risner and Ja’Wuan James *and maybe Ronald Leary if healthy)

TBD for the future: Bolles, McGovern, Jones, Schlottman, Leglue.

Offensive Players Championship Roster Checklist for 2019

QB: 0/1

Offensive Weapons: 2/3

Quality O-Line: 2/3

The Takeaway

The Broncos not having a championship-caliber offense on paper should be no surprise for anyone following this team, but it does seem like this unit is heading in the right direction.

OC Rich Scangarello and the offensive coaches will have to show their worth as schemers and developers of talent for the current roster to fulfill some of these needs and hit its potential, and above all else, Drew Lock must show he can be a quality starting quarterback.

If the Broncos’ 2019 playoff hopes, let alone Super Bowl hopes, rested on the offense, the team would likely be heading for a rough season. Luckily, the defense is loaded with much more talent currently. How do they stack up? I'll cover that in the next article. Stay tuned.

Follow Nick on Twitter @NickKendellMHH.