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A new season is nearly upon the defending champion Denver Broncos. The adrenaline of Super Bowl 50 is long gone, and while each player from the 2015 roster has new jewelry to show for it, many of those players have moved on. The most notable departure is certainly offensive captain Peyton Manning, and although it is unrealistic to fill his shoes completely, someone must step up and try. In just eight days, several offensive players, willingly or not, will begin to lead the 2016 Broncos offense.
“Those guys will walk in that locker room this year and [Peyton Manning] is not down there at that end,” Head Coach Gary Kubiak said March 22. “A lot of guys leaned on him from a leadership standpoint. A lot of people in the organization, not just the players. So that will definitely be missed, and that’s a big locker to fill. I think we all understand that.
“If I start on the offensive side of the ball, I think [Demaryius Thomas] and Emmanuel [Sanders], now it’s time for them to lead people,” Kubiak added. “Peyton has been there for them—D.T. for a few years and Emmanuel for a couple years—so it’s time for them to take on [that role]. C.J. is in that position now.”
Of the players on the offensive side of the ball, only Demaryius Thomas, Virgil Green, Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson have been on the Broncos roster for over four seasons and as the quarterback situation continues to play out, one of them is in line to become captain. Green and Hillman have limited roles on the field which limits their leadership roles off of it. Sanders, although having only been on the roster for two seasons, has built himself into a leader with both impeccable play on game day and intense work ethic.
“We definitely miss [Manning] around here. We want to talk about just a great locker room guy, a great leader of this team. He’s going to be forever missed in this locker room, but guys have got to step up,” Sanders said April 18. “The good thing is Peyton gave us the blueprint of how to go about doing it. Spending time off the field, getting to know guys, so we’re going to continue to follow that blueprint.”
Sanders will also be playing on a big stage in the last year of his contract. He has had record seasons while in Orange & Blue and would certainly like to continue that trend. With a new quarterback under center—whether it is Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch—it will be imperative that he leads them along quickly. General Manager John Elway will be watching closely to see if Sanders can lead the team in the film room as well as on Sundays.
Another wide receiver, the longest-tenured offensive player, Thomas will also be under pressure to be a positive influence on the roster.
He has repeatedly said that he will lead if necessary but that he tries to let his play speak for itself. He has been one of the most explosive receivers in the NFL over the past four seasons and Kubiak, and the Broncos will be looking for him to lead with his attitude and emotions as well. The five-year, $70 million contract he received last July demands that much, especially as he enters his seventh season.
Lastly, another player whom the Broncos have placed newfound responsibility on in the form of a long-term contract is Anderson. They signed the fourth-year running back to a four-year $18 million contract on March 15. He made the roster in 2013 as an undrafted college free agent. He scraped and clawed his way to a lengthy contract, but now a new challenge awaits as he transitions to a veteran leader. Anderson immediately understood the impact of the monetary commitment the Broncos made in March.
“It’s just huge. [running backs] Coach [Eric Studesville] told me last year that it’s something that I was going to have to develop and roll into it,” Anderson said March 15 of the contract’s impact on his leadership standing on the roster. “We’ve still got D.T. and Emmanuel, leaders on the offensive side of the ball that you can learn from them a lot. I will sit back and watch. When the time presents itself for me to lead, I will be ready for it.”
The Broncos have lost the “Sheriff” and his undeniable and irrefutable place as head of the team. While a ton of talent remains, the offensive side of the ball will undoubtedly need someone to take the reins. Elway and Kubiak would like that one or more of these now veteran players to step up sooner rather than later. The time to do so seemingly starts next Thursday.
