By their own admission, this Broncos team feels different

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Following a 9-7 season in 2016, not much changed with the Denver Broncos last offseason other than head coach Gary Kubiak retiring due to non-football reasons.

While just missing the playoffs was certainly disappointing following Super Bowl 50 the year before, it wasn’t a massive surprise after the team lost their leader, and future Hall of Fame quarterback, Peyton Manning.

And hey, there was a hopeful belief the team maybe had found their quarterback of the future in either Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch. Things seemed to be looking up.

That all changed after 2017’s dismal 5-11 season.

After not only the worst season in John Elway’s tenure, but one of the worst years in the proud franchise’s existence, everyone was put on notice.

Elway had to sleep on the decision of whether or not to bring back head coach Vance Joseph.

The team’s primary starting quarterback the last two seasons, Siemian, was traded away for nearly the most minimal return possible, essentially just giving him away.

The team ponied up $25 million in guaranteed money to bring in a new quarterback, Case Keenum.

And, don’t forget, Elway traded away not only one of the best players on the defense, Aqib Talib, but a captain just a year ago.

In total, the head coach was put on notice in the the most public way possible, and the Broncos traded away nearly half of their team captains from last year.

To say everyone a fire was lit under the team would be an understatement.

But it’s worked so far.

On the final day of mandatory mini camp, and thus the final day of the team’s offseason conditioning program, the second-year head coach admitted there’s a different feeling now than there was one year ago.

“I think the focus has been a lot better. After going 5-11, everyone is focused. Everyone wants to obviously improve,” Joseph stated. “Last year was a tough year, so the guys who returned understand that. It’s hard to win in this league.”

This focus that Joseph speaks of lasted the three months of the offseason conditioning program, but if the Broncos truly want to find success, they’ll need it the entire season.

Fortunately for the Broncos, Joseph has a message he believes will stick with the team all season.

“Even when you start 3-1, you have to continue to work and grind and get better every day. If you don’t, you can lose seven or eight in a row. We understand that,” he said, reminiscing on the pain of last season. “I think everyone has an understanding that, ‘Hey, it’s going to take hard work and it’s going to be continuous. It won’t stop.’”

In fact, starting fast, and potentially being focused at the beginning of the season, hasn’t been a problem for the Broncos in recent memory. In 2016, the defending Super Bowl champs began the season undefeated, 4-0.

After finishing the rest of the season 5-7, the team once again started hot, going 3-1 at the beginning of 2017.

Then everything went haywire as the team fell into their longest losing streak since 1967, finishing the season on a 2-10 slide, giving Elway and his boss, Joe Ellis, no choice but to put the organization on notice.

The improved focus is great, and maybe the key to a bounce-back season. But Joseph knows that’s not what he’ll ultimately be judged on.

“I think everyone’s focused. I’m focused on getting it right,” he said. “It was a good offseason. We’ll see in the fall if I got better. It all comes down to wins and losses.”