The return had a more familiar feel this time around. Terrell Davis, the Broncos’ all-time leading rusher, could see glimmers of the offense he ran in the late 1990s, when Denver won back-to-back Super Bowl championships with John Elway as its quarterback and Gary Kubiak as its offensive coordinator. Davis could see the potential for a more balanced attack, that utilizes its running backs as well as its quarterback’s strong arm and receivers’ speed. He could see more of Kubiak’s true offense, not the hybrid tweak-as-you-go system the Broncos ran last season.
But Davis, who was back at Broncos headquarters Monday as an analyst for the NFL Network, could also see the glaring “what ifs” that cloud the team’s start to training camp.
“Early, offense is the concern,” Davis said. “Offensive line, you got four new starters potentially. That unit hasn’t worked together for a long time and thatap always a difficult thing. When I was playing here, our line was consistent. Both years we didn’t lose a lot of linemen. We may have changed one player out, but to go through the loss of a line, to go from two top starting quarterbacks — the turnover on offense is significant. So, how fast they can get that unit going will determine their early success.”
The quarterback competition involving Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian and rookie Paxton Lynch has ushered in even more questions after the Broncos lost not one but two starters: Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. For Davis, however, the starter is obvious.
“As much as you might see some wow factors from Trevor Siemian, and Paxton Lynch might throw some stuff out there … I think you need a pillar, some stability, somebody’s who’s been there, who might have a voice,” he said. “You can’t replace Peyton, so I can’t even say that, but to have some experience and knowledge of what it feels like to be in those pressure situations — Mark has that.”
Sanchez also has Kubiak, a coach Davis said is not only proven in getting the best out of quarterbacks but also deserving of more praise for the way he handled last season.
“The offense wasn’t great, but the timing with the things he did like sitting Manning down, putting him back into the rotation, then going ahead and winning the Super Bowl — he doesn’t get enough credit for that,” Davis said. “I’m always going to be biased, because I’ve seen the man at work firsthand. I’ve seen what he can do. I always say, ‘In Kubiak, we trust.’ I trust him.
“Everywhere he’s been, he’s proven he can get a quarterback to play at a high level. Thatap part of the equation that I feel for Mark Sanchez. Yeah, Mark has to work on some stuff, but what better place could you ask for to be?”
