The Denver Broncos added six players during the 2019 NFL draft and they are now signing undrafted free agents. Soon the team’s 90-man offseason roster will be full and the team’s offseason program will be in full swing. Let’s take a look at three questions the team is facing as they approach preparations for the season:
1. Is Joe Flacco in danger of losing his job to Drew Lock?
The Broncos traded a fourth-round draft pick to the Ravens in exchange for Flacco in March, then took Lock in the second round of April’s draft. Denver GM John Elway has insisted there will be no QB controversy.
“Joe’s the starter,” Elway said on April 26. “When we look at it, we’re hoping Drew is the future, but Joe is the starter. … We tend to look at it as the Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers type situation.”
Rogers sat behind Favre for three years in Green Bay before taking over the Packers offense. That’s a reasonable plan, but it may prove easier said than done, especially if Flacco has a slow start like he did last year. Flacco suffered a hip injury midway through the 2018 season and lost the starting job to rookie Lamar Jackson. Even after he returned from injury, Flacco remained on the bench. He’ll be motivated to keep Lock off the field in 2019.
2. Will Chris Harris remain a Bronco?
Elway signed cornerback Kareem Jackson to a three-year deal that averages $11 million per season during free agency. That probably didn’t sit well with Harris, who earns an average of $8.5 million per year, well below the market value for a cornerback of his caliber. Harris is scheduled to become a free agent in 2020, and he wants a contract extension — and raise — sooner than later.
Harris has been skipping Denver’s offseason program and recently gave the team an ultimatum: Pay him or trade him. Now that the draft has completed, Denver’s front office can turn their attention toward Harris. The fact that Harris wasn’t traded during the draft could be a sign that the team plans to get a deal done with the four-time Pro Bowler. Harris will be fined if he does not report for mandatory minicamp in June.
3. Will Emmanuel Sanders be healthy by Week 1?
Sanders suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last December, putting his status for the 2019 season opener in doubt. The 32-year-old receiver has said that he is confident he will return in time for the Monday night opener against the Raiders on Sept. 9.
“Emmanuel says he feels good,” Elway said on April 23. “You never know. We’re hoping. If there is anybody that can come back, it’s going to be him.”
If Sanders’ recovery takes longer than expected, the Broncos’ top two receivers to begin the year will be Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton. Sutton and Hamilton have shown flashes of potential but Flacco will need more than a pair of second-year receivers if Denver’s offense is going to be successful. After Sanders’ injury last year, defenses stacked the box to shut down RB Phillip Lindsay and essentially shut down the Broncos’ entire offense. Denver’s offense can’t afford to be one-dimensional, so Sanders’ health will be crucial to the team’s success.
