ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Here are the moves the Denver Broncos should consider when free agency opens at 4 p.m. ET Thursday:
Finally fix the offensive line: Truth be told, the offensive line could easily be the top three priorities. There is no bigger reason the Broncos missed the playoffs last season than their play up front. It made them an unreliable team in the red zone, in pass protection and in the run game. Center Matt Paradis is coming off surgery on both hips, the Broncos already have an opening at left tackle and could have as many as four new starters up front even if Paradis returns to the lineup by training camp. Paradis is really the only "given" as the Broncos want to move away from being primarily a zone blocking scheme to an offense that uses zone concepts at times and man-on-man blocking in others. With as many as 10 draft picks at their disposal, the big guys at guard and tackle will get a long look both in free agency and in this draft class.
Improve the run defense: Defensive end Vance Walker and nose tackle Sylvester Williams are both slated to be unrestricted free agents. Williams will almost certainly move on, as the Broncos informed him last season they were not picking up the fifth-year option on his contract. The Broncos also had a candidate for Williams' job -- Earl Mitchell -- as their first visitor in free agency before he signed with the 49ers. Mitchell had been released by the Miami Dolphins. Derek Wolfe has missed some time with injuries in recent seasons as well. Opposing offenses were able to stay away from the Broncos' strengths -- pass rush and secondary play -- in the biggest moments last season because the Broncos couldn't consistently win enough at the point of attack in run defense.
Add depth at wide receiver/tight end: On one hand, the Broncos like having a dominant pair of wide receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. On the other hand, opposing defenses knew they could double-cover both without much fear they would pay the price. The Broncos didn't have another wide receiver finish with more than 21 receptions. And Thomas and Sanders were the only Broncos with more than two touchdown receptions this season. They need impact somewhere else in the formation, either with a receiver comfortable working out of the slot or a tight end who can consistently get free down the field. It would help the Broncos' run game if they could force defenses to pull the extra defender away from the line of scrimmage. Because last season the Broncos didn't force defenses out of their comfort zones enough or force defenses to adjust.
