How the Broncos stand to get an influx of leadership without changing the roster

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In the middle of the Denver Broncos’ locker room rests two leather couches. The couches, black in color, feature embroidered Broncos logos and fluffy, soft cushions, a perfect place to peruse social media or catch a quick nap between meetings.

These snug sofas do have one condition, though: Absolutely no rookies. And there are no exceptions to that rule.

Just ask Pro-Bowl running back Phillip Lindsay, who was constantly chased off of the couch by vets like Zach Kerr all season, despite being arguably the team’s most valuable offensive player for much of the year.

So, if the “player’s couch” is off limits to rookies, then the proverbial captain’s chair is certainly off limits, and, in all reality, none of the top chairs in the orchestra of voices in the locker room are available to rookies. A rookies’ job is to come in, keep their mouth shut and prove their worth on the field.

Do you remember, though, what was said to be the strongest asset of the Denver Broncos 2018 draft class?

On top of being one of the most talented classes the organization has brought in under John Elway, the group of players was lauded for something they almost all had in common—leadership. Almost every single one of Elway’s draft picks was a captain for their college team, and that doesn’t even count Lindsay, who ended up being one of the best additions of the offseason, period.

But as that class burst onto the scene, only their talent was able to shine through as they were stuck sitting at their lockers. That’s all about to change.

“At the end of last season, we knew, and we saw some things that we weren’t happy with,” Courtland Sutton said of the former rookie class. “We kind of sat down and were like, ‘Look, we’re not going to be rookies next year. We’re still going to pay our respect, as we should, to the vets that are out there producing and doing the things that they’re supposed to do… We’re not just going to sit back—if we see something that’s going wrong, we’re going to say something and be able to voice our opinion.’ That is one thing that I know not only myself, but my entire class is excited about.”

Suddenly, the Broncos—who have been bereft of true leadership since Peyton Manning and DeMarcus Ware retired—have a group of young players that are itching to make their voices heard.

“Being able to say, ‘We don’t think this is good,’ but doing it in a respectful way. Going to a guy in our room and saying, ‘Hey, look. We think this isn’t going in the right direction. We should probably correct this before it gets out of hand.’ Being able to have that opinion and have that one year under our belt is one thing that we’re really excited about,” Sutton added. “We can already tell the older guys are looking to us as like, ‘You’re not rookies anymore. You all have to be able to come in and be able to assume whatever roles you are given. Whether it’s one role, two roles, three roles, special teams or whatever it is, we want you all to come in and assume that role and do the best you possibly can.’ If you turn into a leader of this team, you turn into a leader of this team. You assume that role, you take it, and you be the best leader you can be.”

While the class still needs to develop to live up to the hype around it on the field, unlocking the leadership aspect of the group could bring them to a level even higher than last year’s hype suggested.

“We all want to win, and I think everyone’s pride is going to get put aside,” Sutton said. “If we see a guy in our class that’s working his butt off and is trying to be that leader for the team and doing everything the right way, I’m pretty sure no vet is going to say, ‘You’re second year. We’re not going to use you as a leader.’ They’re going to take that and say, ‘This guy is doing everything the right way. We all need to follow what he’s doing and follow his guidelines so we can get to the same goal we’re all trying to get to, which is winning the Super Bowl.’”

What looked like a solid young core now has a chance to become the centerpiece of the team, now they’ll now be able to do it from those lovely centerpiece couches.