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The Denver Broncos enter the upcoming offseason with multiple areas of concern. Among them, they have an aim to revamp their pass-rushing unit.
As noted by the NFL Network’s James Palmer, the Broncos will look to add pass rushers in the offseason “in any way that they can.” They plan to explore both the free agency period in March and the 2022 NFL Draft to address this notable area of need.
Palmer notes that the Broncos aspire to call upon two pass rushers to lead their front seven for next season. On one hand, the team plans to at the least rely on outside linebacker Bradley Chubb to help to lead the team’s pass rush, as he is set to play the 2022 season on the final year of his contract deal with the team.
Chubb is just coming off of an injury-riddled 2021 regular season where he was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury and also dealt with a shoulder injury during the latter stages of the campaign. The fourth-year talent finished the season with 10 pressures and zero sacks recorded in seven games played.
As Broncos general manager George Paton touched on earlier in the year, the team plans to count on Chubb for next season and will be open to bolstering the team’s pass-rushing depth.
Article Continues Below“I really applaud Bradley for fighting through the injuries,” Paton said. “He had two surgeries on the foot. So was he at his best? No, but this guy battles. He’s a competitor. He brings a physical element to his game. I don’t think he quite had the legs until later in the year, but just the way he fought and worked, it wasn’t easy. It was a tough year for him but I thought he finished strong. I expect great things from him.
“But we’re going to add. You can’t have enough rushers… I do like how the group, especially after Von [Miller] left, how they stepped up and did some good things.”
Overall, only three Broncos players recorded at least 5.0 sacks this past season, including outside linebacker Malik Reed (5.0). Still, he is set to become a restricted free agent in March. It remains to be seen whether the Broncos plan to come to terms with him on a multiyear deal, or if they prefer to simply let him walk in free agency.
More so, Palmer also adds that the Broncos intend to bolster their middle linebacker depth. The team believes that the unit needs to get “more athletic.”
The Broncos saw plenty of turnaround at the middle linebacker position over the course of the season. They did not have a single middle linebacker feature in at least 50 percent of snaps on defense. Overall, rookie talent Baron Browning led all Broncos middle linebackers in snaps played (528) this past season.
The Broncos addressed their middle linebacker dilemma over the season, as they traded for soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Kenny Young from the Los Angeles Rams. It will be noteworthy to see whether they plan to go all out to once again address this concern in the free agency period, or if they will opt to lean on the upcoming draft instead.
It sure is expected to be a hectic offseason for the Broncos as they aim to rejuvenate a roster that finished regular season play with a 7-10 record.
