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Ranking the top offseason needs for the Broncos defense

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Ranking the top offseason needs for the Broncos defense


While the offensive needs were headlined by the same position every time, there was some disagreement on where we think the top needs are on defense. But really the disagreement was on priority, not the position groups included.

The Denver Broncos defense is also a hard one to figure out. You can basically split their 2023 season into three parts. The first part being the horrific ‘worse defense ever’ type start, then the insane record-setting run of turnovers that catapulted them to a five-game win streak. The last part was just a completely average defense that couldn’t do enough to help an equally average offense win many important games down the stretch.

So given that context, here’s where the rest of our Mile High Report staff landed on this list for top defensive needs this offseason.

Scotty Payne:

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  1. EDGE
  2. IDL
  3. Secondary
  4. Depth

The Broncos have some pieces at edge rusher but no difference-makers. I think they need to continue to add to that position and hopefully add someone who can be a consistent threat off the edge.

IDL from to bottom needs work. Zach Allen was solid this year but after him? It’s all up in the air. D.J. Jones is a cap cut candidate, and the depth in general behind these two is suspect at best. We saw the run defense struggle all season and this unit provided very little pass rush outside of Allen. Depth and pieces are needed here badly.

Secondary could move up this list depending on what happens this offseason. Will Justin Simmons be traded? Will P.J. Locke be re-signed? Can Caden Sterns stay healthy? Could the Broncos use Surtain as a trade chip? Then we need to see how the team feels about Riley Moss, JL Skinner, and Damarri Mathis. Three young players who played very little this season. Will they be big parts? or will they continue to add?

Depth and talent are needed at every positional group.

Taylor Kothe:

  1. IDL
  2. EDGE
  3. LCB/Secondary Depth

EDGE is a problem that needs addressing, with pieces but no difference-makers as Scotty said. But there are at least some pieces there. Denver’s run defense was atrocious this year. On a yards-per-carry basis, it was the worst in the NFL by a full 0.3 yards. For perspective, the three teams sitting at 29th-31st worst YPC allowed all sit nearly tied at a rounded 4.7 yards per carry allowed while Denver allowed 5.0. Zach Allen should be safe, but every other guy on the IDL should be on notice that he’s very replaceable. And adding the right pieces on the IDL can also help our EDGE guys get home to the QB.

Despite some hiccups late, McMillian should be a shoo-in at SCB (Slot CB), and of course Surtain’s name is engraved in titanium at RCB. But Moreau, Mathis, & Ross did not combine to give us any solidity across from Surtain. That’s a hole that needs to be filled, and some depth pieces need to be added.

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Ross Allen:

  1. Edge
  2. Interior defensive line
  3. Inside linebacker

We can agree that Baron Browning is a solid pass rusher. And so is Jonathan Cooper and Nick Bonitto. But it felt like there was a lack of consistency and a true pass rushing attack.

When it comes to the defensive line, Zach Allen was a very pleasant surprise and a bright spot, but he was about all Denver had. There is no true run-stopper on the line and that consistently hurt the defense. And the inside linebacker unit needs a step up in talent when it comes to pass coverage.

Chris Hart:

  1. Defensive Line
  2. EDGE
  3. Defensive Back

The Broncos’ defensive line with the exception of Zach Allen was dreadful to watch this past season. The Broncos are in need of at least two quality players on their defensive front to help improve their defense against the run and help out their secondary on the back end. That number might go to three if they wind up cutting D.J. Jones to save over $12M on the cap for the 2024 season. It’s time for Denver to get serious about investing in the defensive trenches.

The Broncos have some talented edge rushers with Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning. That being said, the two Ohio State products are entering their contract years. Denver doesn’t have a true blue-chip pass rusher in the mix, so I wouldn’t be surprised if EDGE is one of the positions they target early in the draft if they decide a QB isn’t worth it at #12 overall.

Last but not least, we have to remember that Justin Simmons is entering the final year of his contract. Caden Sterns, who has been perpetually hurt, is also entering the final year of his deal. We don’t know if P.J. Locke will be back, and Delarrin Turner-Yell had an ACL tear at the end of the season. The Broncos needed to find a way to add someone to their defensive backfield who has starting potential at safety for the 2024 season. Even though they are short on picks, I’d add someone as competition besides JL Skinner moving forward.

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Tim Lynch:

  1. Defensive Line
  2. Edge
  3. Inside Linebacker

It’s no secret that the front seven had issues last season. Add that to the fact that Denver is likely to face some tough roster decisions due to the salary cap. I have D.J. Jones as my top target for potential surprise cut this offseason and with him gone the Broncos will suddenly have a very suspect interior defensive line. For that reason alone, I put that position at the top of my list.

While I like the three main young edge rushers Denver has, they often disappeared at critical times. Edge depth is another primary concern I have and due to its vital importance in today’s NFL, it grabs the second highest priority on the list for me.

To round things out with the front seven concerns, I do not like Denver’s inside linebacker situation. Josey Jewell is likely gone in free agency and Alex Singleton racks up the tackles, but disappoints also. Nothing I saw from rookie Drew Sanders gave me confidence he is ready to step into a starting role. This ILB situation definitely concerns me heading into the offseason.

What are your top defensive needs for the Denver Broncos? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.



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Denver, CO

Denver Nuggets Reportedly Sign New Player

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Denver Nuggets Reportedly Sign New Player


In between the NBA Draft and the start of free agency there is a period of time when teams agree to deals with un-drafted free agents. While these deals can be signed at any time, it is most common to see them agreed upon soon after the draft, as teams bring in players they want to get a look at.

This can be done via Exhibit-10 deals, which bring in a player for training camp to potentially compete for a roster spot. In a report on Friday from Shams Charania of The Athletic, it was announced that the Denver Nuggets had signed Grand Canyon University’s Gabe McGlothan to an Exhibit-10 contract.

In five collegiate seasons, McGlothan averaged 12.8 PPG and 7.3 RPG. Showing an improved three-point shot in his final season at Grand Canyon, McGlothan made 39.8% of his threes on 3.6 attempts per game. While it is very unlikely McGlothan makes Denver’s roster, this should be a great opportunity for him to be around NBA champions while training with one of the league’s elite franchises.

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It is not entirely impossible for Exhibit-10 deals to lead to two-way contracts or even standard deals in some cases, but the Nuggets are not a team that projects to be filling out their roster with many unproven rookies. That said, McGlothan will get to work with Nikola Jokic and other Nuggets veterans in camp, which is a great opportunity.

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Video of Colorado Springs police shooting shows suspect hitting woman with gun

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Video of Colorado Springs police shooting shows suspect hitting woman with gun


The man shot by Colorado Springs police officers while fleeing on foot earlier this month struck a woman across the face with a gun in the city’s downtown area before pointing it at another man, security footage released Thursday shows.

Around 12:48 a.m. on Sunday, June 9, three officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Downtown Area Response Team were patrolling on foot along South Nevada Avenue when they heard a disturbance up the street, according to a video briefing released Thursday by the department.

As one officer — identified by the Colorado Springs Police Department as Benjamin Hengel — moved toward the disturbance, he saw a woman fall to the ground and drew his stun gun, police department spokesperson Joe Frabbiele said in the video.

Another man chasing the suspect suddenly stopped and put his hands up, Frabbiele said. When Hengel went to move around the man, Hengel saw the suspect pointing a gun in his direction and drew his department-issued handgun.

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Security footage from a nearby building before the shooting shows the suspect — 21-year-old Al’Morion Germany — backing away from a woman while the two have what appears to be a verbal disagreement.

In the video, Germany points what appears to be a gun at the woman before striking her across the face with it, knocking her to the ground.

Germany turns to run and is quickly followed by three Colorado Springs police officers, including Hengel, security footage shows.

Footage from Hengel’s body camera shows officers yelling at Germany to drop the gun, following him down South Nevada Street and continuing the chase around the corner onto Pikes Peak Avenue when Germany ignored police commands to stop.

Frabbiele said Germany was running toward a parking lot the officers knew usually had a lot of foot traffic at that time of night.

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When Hengel turned the corner, he fired three shots at Germany, striking the man twice, body camera footage shows. The man continued to run after being shot and was taken into custody in the 100 block of East Pikes Peak Avenue.

Officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived and Germany was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Frabbiele said.

Frabbiele said a loaded 10 mm Glock handgun was found near where Germany was shot, but did not confirm the gun belonged to Germany. The 21-year-old was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office are investigating the shooting and will determine if Hengel’s use of force was justified.

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Long Live the King – The Denver Nuggets and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope come to a crossroads – DNVR Sports

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Long Live the King – The Denver Nuggets and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope come to a crossroads – DNVR Sports


“The King is dead. Long live the King!”
– first proclaimed in 1422, as Britain’s Charles VII succeeded Charles VI

I remember the moment the Denver Broncos won their first Super Bowl. Colorado’s first major championship had barely preceded the Broncos big win, but to have the state’s sport darlings finally atop the heap and igniting their fanbase was a moment frozen in time in the memory of this Broncos fan.

At least I thought it would be frozen.

It was a scant two days after the Super Bowl victory that the local sports voices started questioning the Broncos chances for the following year, and weeks before the team started all of its offseason planning. A few months later, draftees and all rookies are starting to prep for the season, and training camp is right behind. The moment that was supposed to be frozen in my memory was a great one, but it had melted away into the next year with the speed of a snowman in St. Augustine. Wham-bam-thank-you-Shanahan, and all of a sudden we were right back to what have you done for me lately?

It was eye opening, to say the least. In retrospect, I’m not sure why I expected they would cease all NFL operations the moment the right team had finally won it all, but hey… no one said reality was my strong suit. Through my protestations, the league decided to keep making money.

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Never was the speed and brevity of a Championship offseason more painful for one Colorado sports fan than the 114 days that went between the Denver Nuggets winning it all a year and a couple weeks ago and their early October Training Camp. A heady summer flew by, and just three and a half months later. my team that finally had their ring had to go back and try to do it all over again. It hardly seemed like enough time to savor it, especially missing faces that had been so crucial just a few months prior.

But yet another season rolls along, and for this brief moment in Nuggets history, it’s unsure that all five pieces of the Nuggets Championship starting five will be back next year. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has declined the player option year of his deal, and will deservedly take his two championship rings out to what sounds to be a hot market for his services. If that number climbs to a level too high for Denver to feel good about matching and still being able to compete with… well…

Nuggets GM Calvin Booth was actually pretty direct and clear on the subject, both praising KCP and lamenting the possibility, but also praising and setting forth the metrics behind last year’s sixth man Christian Braun. While all of what’s still to come here is out in the ether, Nuggets Nation is alight with opinions ranging from “all is lost” to “we’ll be fine”. But the memory of a KCP who said he wanted to be a “Nugget forever” in a postgame interview after one the last home games of last season would feel like a pretty sudden and huge vacuum in Nuggets space should he suddenly just be gone. One more piece of a memory that feels like it was just a few hundred days ago… right?

Avs fans feel that championship phantom limb, just one more year removed. Hell, even a Boston sports fan has to occasionally feel the pain of going without a championship… right? Yesterday was your ring, today is your parade, and tomorrow is right back to what have you done for me lately?

Knowing the wheel is spinning right back around, maybe you even take the moments to savor the journey when you got close, or even when you got a little bit further than the time before. One of these years, even the Rockies will hang a banner up at Coors Field, and a few months down the road, the Yankees and Dodgers will just be favorites all over again. If you’ve got a moment to savor in the mix, do it while you’ve got it. Whether KCP is back this next year or not, that clock is ticking, right alongside all the rest. The shooting guard is dead. Long live the shooting guard.

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