Kiz: Why do some NFL teams improve during the season? Champ Bailey once told me the main way is when young players grow into bigger roles. That happened too infrequently under the John Fox regime. And that’s a primary reason Foxy no longer coaches in Denver. Gary Kubiak and his staff, however, have put great emphasis on player development. Two dividends being cashed now are Shaquil Barrett at linebacker and Bennie Fowler at wide receiver.
Renck: Multiple reasons led to Fox’s mutual parting with the Broncos, including the previous coaching staff’s inability to consistently develop young talent. Kubiak and general manager John Elway remain in concert on this subject. Kubiak makes it a priority, giving second-teamers some first-string reps in training camp. It goes both ways. Show you trust the players by giving them opportunity, and keep them on the field if they make plays. Barrett has been more valuable because he allows adequate rest for Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware with little drop-off. Fowler’s role continues to grow because he’s showing he can produce chunk plays.
Kiz: My favorite scene from Denver’s victory in the Black Hole last Sunday was Golden State hoops star Draymond Green beaming as he inspected a gift: the game-used, grass-stained uniform of fellow Michigan State alum Fowler. It’s not Cody Latimer but Fowler who has emerged as the best young receiver on the team. Give him more snaps on the outside, so Emmanuel Sanders can move to the slot and be Peyton Manning’s security blanket on third down.
Renck: This offense is built for the tight ends to excel on third down. They have been near ghosts statistically, stuck in blocking, leaving some of the playbook’s best options unused. Manning requires time, if not play-action calls, to employ the tight end crossing routes. If those remain out of the script, then I agree that Fowler could become a third-down target. As it stands, those passes are going to Sanders.
Kiz: Barrett might prove to be the best defensive player to come out of Colorado State since Joey Porter. I’m not guaranteeing there are Pro Bowls berths in Barrett’s future. But the Broncos will go as far this season as their defense takes them. While Ware might have been the most disruptive force on Denver’s defense through five games, the wear and tear on his 33-year-old body is again beginning to show. So I lean to Barrett over Fowler as the most essential of these two players to the pursuit of a championship ring.
Renck: The Broncos need Fowler to continue to evolve into a weapon. The Broncos are threatening to compromise their defense with an offense that can’t sustain drives. Let’s be honest: To beat teams such as the Patriots and Packers, the Broncos must score more. Great teams feature unexpected impact players. Barrett, for me, is not a surprise based on his preseason play. Fowler emerging as a breakout star could change how this sputtering offense is viewed.
