Six weeks ago, the Broncos were one game, one piece, one player away from the Super Bowl. If my math is right, that makes them four pieces away today.
Trevor Pryce. Gone.
Jeb Putzier. Outta here.
Mike Anderson. Thanks for stopping by.
This is progress? Technically, no. In a perfect world, all three would be on the Broncos’ roster this morning, along with rookie of the year Maurice “The Galloping Goose” Clarett. As I said, in a perfect world.
But then, life under the salary cap is far from perfect. Every NFL team is being forced to cut big-name players. That being the case, Wednesday’s roster purge at Dove Valley ranked considerably closer to business as usual than labor Armageddon.
This may work out yet for the Broncos. Sure, they have holes, but there’s plenty of manpower out there to fill them. And in a saturated free-agent market, where money figures to be relative – as in, precious few teams have much to spend – players figure to head for winning teams in desirable, weather-friendly markets.
Denver certainly qualifies on both fronts. The Broncos not only made it to the AFC championship game, it’s getting so that you need air conditioning to survive the winters around here. And as no less an authority than Mike Hampton can attest, we’ve got plenty of top-notch schools, too.
The question, then, isn’t so much whether the Broncos, armed with all those extra draft picks, can come out of this smelling like a contender. The question is where to begin their offseason shopping spree.
They need to set priorities. They need to identify their most glaring need. Because, trust me, there’s one that ranks above all the others.
Sure, a defensive end is high on their list; witness their strong interest in trading for John Abraham. Running back is on the short list, too, along with safety, but neither is looking down at all the other needs. So where do the Broncos begin? What area do they target first for an upgrade?
Two words: third down.
The Broncos remain the standard of the industry among NFL running attacks, but in a league whose rules are rigged – excuse me, designed – to promote passing, they don’t make enough big plays through the air. The proof can be found on third down, where they were among the league’s worst teams in 2005.
You want numbers? Well, you’re going to get them anyway. The Broncos converted 36.2 percent of their third downs, leaving them 22nd among the NFL’s 32 teams.
Now for the numbers inside the numbers: They converted 35-of-76 third downs, 46 percent, when they ran the ball. But when they threw it, they converted 41-of-134, 30.6 percent. And now Putzier, whose 28 first-down catches were third on the team, is gone, creating an even bigger void.
The Broncos’ personnel people believe wide receiver David Terrell, a former first-rounder of the Chicago Bears who spent most of 2005 on the inactive list, can contribute next season. Then there’s tight end Wesley Duke, a former college basketball player who has negotiated the football learning curve at warp speed.
What’s that? I hear you. It will take more than those two. With Rod Smith having reached the twilight of his career, Mike Shanahan needs to go all in to upgrade the Broncos’ receiving corps, to stretch opposing defenses, to come up with quick strikes.
Terrell Owens, you ask? Certainly, he’s the best free-agent-wideout-in-waiting, but with opinions deeply divided in the front office, it’s difficult to imagine Shanahan playing that card. Besides, Shanahan historically has looked to the draft, where he has used two No. 1s on wideouts, more than free agency for help the receiving game.
Shanahan has used 21 of his 34 picks in the first three rounds on defensive players, including five of his past seven first-rounders. Each of those picks was made with one thing in mind: Add speed to the defense. Now the time has come to do the same on the other side of the ball.
The Broncos need a wide receiver and a tight end who can get downfield and catch the ball. Doesn’t matter where they get them – free agency, the draft or their player development program – but they must come away with at least one of each.
Maybe Duke is the answer. Maybe Shanahan will find another tight end in the draft, where he has reached into the late-round bargain bin and come away with Desmond Clark, Byron Chamberlain and Putzier. Or maybe he’ll sign a free agent such as Stephen Alexander, a block-first, catch-second type who emerged as last season’s starter.
We’ll have names soon enough. For now, we’ll have to settle for identifying the Broncos’ most pressing need. It’s called moving the chains.
Catch Jim Armstrong from 6-9 a.m. during “The Press Box” on ESPN 560. He can be reached at 303-820-5452 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
