Last year they were in dire need of an infusion of talent,

ENGLEWOOD Dalton Risner Jersey , Colo. (AP) — Pat Bowlen’s nomination for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a jolt of good news for a franchise that’s had little to cheer in the 30 months since winning Super Bowl 50.Peyton Manning retired. Gary Kubiak resigned. Paxton Lynch flopped.The Broncos have lost 18 times over the last two seasons and went 5-11 in coach Vance Joseph’s first year in 2017.Last month, Bowlen’s wife, Annabel, announced she has Alzheimer’s, a disease which led her husband to give up control of the team four years ago, and earlier this month former personnel executive Tom Heckert died at 51 following a long illness.On Thursday, Bowlen and Gil Brandt were nominated for enshrinement in Canton as contributors to the game.To get in, they need fourth-fifths of the vote from a 48-member panel that will meet on the eve of the Super Bowl in Atlanta in February.In recent years, Bowlen has seen several of his former players get into the Hall of Fame , including Terrell Davis, Gary Zimmerman and Shannon Sharpe.“We’re absolutely thrilled for Pat and the entire Bowlen family,” Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis said. “There’s no question Pat elevated the NFL, the Broncos and our region over the last three decades. He’s always had such modesty and humility, but he’s incredibly deserving of this selection and we appreciate the contributor committee nominating him. It’s very special to see Pat take such a significant step toward the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”Bowlen’s credentials include both on-field success and behind-the-scenes triumphs.He was the first NFL owner to win 300 games, including playoffs, in his first three decades and he has more Super Bowl appearances (seven) than losing seasons (six) since buying the team in 1984.Under his stewardship, the Broncos have won Super Bowls following the 1997 Womens Noah Fant Jersey , 1998 and 2015 seasons.He also chaired 15 NFL committees, more than any other owner except for Hall of Famers Dan Rooney (18) and Lamar Hunt (16). Bowlen helped negotiate record-breaking TV contracts as chairman of the NFL Broadcasting Committee and as a member of the NFL Management Executive Committee he’s helped the league enjoy decades of labor peace.“When you talk about contributors, nobody’s given more to the game than Pat Bowlen,” general manager John Elway tweeted. “His impact on the Broncos and NFL will never be matched, and it’s great to see that recognized today. I can’t wait for the day Pat’s bust joins the Bronco family in the @ProFootballHOF!”The Broncos have averaged 10.2 wins a year in 34 seasons under Bowlen, whose 348 wins are fifth all-time among owners. During his tenure, the Broncos have posted the second-best regular season winning percentage (.603) in the league and the third-best mark among all 122 major North American sports teams.Bowlen has never had consecutive losing seasons in his tenure and is the only NFL owner to reach the Super Bowl with four different head coaches.Following Denver’s 31-24 victory over Green Bay for the franchise’s first championship, Bowlen famously hollered, “This one’s for John!” something the Hall of Fame QB called the greatest moment of his playing career.Elway the executive returned the favor on Feb. 7, 2016, when he jabbed the silver trophy into the sky after Denver’s 24-10 win over Carolina and declared, “This one’s for Pat.”That came 18 months after Alzheimer’s forced Bowlen to step down from his daily duties running the team.Only a handful of current Broncos — Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Demaryius Thomas, Derek Wolfe and Brandon Marshall — were on the roster when Bowlen was still making daily treks to team headquarters.“We have a young team, especially this year,” Joseph said. “Obviously we talk about Mr. B all the time around here. In our team room there’s a big picture of Mr. B Womens John Elway Jersey , so they’re aware of who he is.”Outside the team’s new meeting rooms is a large picture of Bowlen with his legacy quote: “I want us to be number 1 in everything.” A No Bull look at the current Denver Broncos roster, its strengths, weaknesses, and what we can expect to target in free agency and the draft."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Broncos NewsBroncos Free AgencyBroncos DraftBroncos PodcastsBroncos 2019 ScheduleKey Offseason DatesCommunity RulesFull ArchiveBroncos StoriesScheduleRosterStatsOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁旴reaking NewsBroncos 2019 Draft Class Announced脳No Bull Roster Status Part 6: ReceiversNew,62commentsA No Bull look at the current Denver Broncos roster, its strengths, weaknesses, and what we can expect to target in free agency and the draft.MSTShareTweetShareShareNo Bull Roster Status Part 6: ReceiversKelley L Cox-USA TODAY SportsWith the season over and a huge change in coaching regime for the Denver Broncos, it is a great time to step back, take a look at the roster, and play a little armchair GM before free agency. All of this is my own personal opinion based off what I’ve seen from the players on the field.Series links:Part 1: Defensive LinePart 2: LinebackersPart 3: SecondaryPart 4: Special TeamsPart 5: Offensive LineThis week we look at our Receiving groups to find out what holes the Broncos should be looking to fill in the 2019 NFL offseason. Player Rating Key:1 - Project / developmental - lacking necessary skills to contribute as it stands today2 - Backup quality - Can play, but isn’t a guy you want out there every snap3 - Mediocre starter - Doesn’t bring anything special to the table, but is able to do the job4 - Good starter - An above-average talent5 - Blue chip player - Top 10 talent in the NFL at what he doesUnit Rating Key:1 - Blow it up - the Broncos have nothing NFL quality to work with2 - Severely lacking at least one starter3 - Mediocre need4 - Solid talent and depth5 - Elite talent levelTight Ends:2018 Tight End StatsNo.PlayerAgePosGGSSnaps / %TgtRecYdsY/RTDLngR/GY/GCtch%TouchY/TchYScmRRTDFmbNo.PlayerAgePosGGSSnaps / %TgtRecYdsY/RTDLngR/GY/GCtch%TouchY/TchYScmRRTDFmbprofootballreference.com, www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/snapcountsUFA Jeff Heuerman - 2Heuerman has been a lot of up and down over his career with the Broncos. He seems like an answer, but injuries and inconsistency are the main things I remember when I look back over his career so far with the team. I think my big point on Heuerman is that he’s had several years to make a statement and I have yet to see one from him. Sure, he could leave and become a playmaker on another team with better QB play, but I just don’t see it. ERFA Matt LaCosse - 3LaCosse is one of the most intriguing guys in the tight end room to me. He wasn’t anything special Bradley Chubb Broncos Jersey , but he looked like a guy who could make plays as a tight end. He’s the guy from the group I’d like to see stay as depth while they find someone who has more playmaking potential.ERFA Brian Parker - 1I honestly didn’t see much from Parker that peaked my interest. He got 10 targets on the year and I don’t remember any of them. Jake Butt - 3Injury troubles are something I’m honestly a bit tired of hearing about in the tight end room. Butt looked like a guy who could do everything you wanted from a tight end in the NFL.But if you can’t make it onto the field, you can’t be a starter and probably shouldn’t be taking up space in the locker room.Troy Fumagalli - 3I could honestly copy and paste the statement from Butt and put it here. The only difference between the two is that Fumagalli was just drafted last year. Let’s at least see if he has anything to lend to the 2019 season before we lump him in with Butt and Heuerman.Temarrick Hemingway - 1Today I Learned: Hemingway took 4 offensive snaps for the Broncos in 2018.Overview - 2It is by the grace of Matt LaCosse that this group even rates a 2. The Broncos haven’t had any success stories in the tight end room for years. It is a very important part of modern day NFL football and is something that in my mind the offensive side of the ball needs to address as the highest priority other than quarterback.Wide Receivers:2018 Wide Receiver StatsNo.PlayerAgePosGGSSnaps / %TgtRecYdsY/RTDLngR/GY/GCtch%TouchY/TchYScmRRTDFmbNo.PlayerAgePosGGSSnaps / %TgtRecYdsY/RTDLngR/GY/GCtch%TouchY/TchYScmRRTDFmbprofootballreference.com, www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/snapcountsCourtland Sutton - 4Sutton is a jump ball machine waiting for a quarterback who can put him in situations where he can shine. I honestly think Flacco being on the team will elevate Sutton’s play just because Flacco is able to throw a very catchable deep ball.What we want to see here is improvement in route running as he enters his 2nd year in the league. He can’t just be a deep jump-ball specialist. The NFL is too good to let him do just one thing. Look for him to sharpen up on his intermediate / short routes and hopefully add a little YAC play to his game.Emmanuel Sanders - 5I’m not sure what the nonsense is about Sanders and his contract. Yes, he’s expensive. Yes, he’s a diva at WR. But the dude leaves it out on the field week in and week out. He’s a damned good football player. I get the angle of the team getting younger and Sanders not likely being a long term fit, but I don’t buy anything about him not being an excellent player for the team.DaeSean Hamilton - 3Of all the new players from 2018, I think Hamilton’s plate was probably the more difficult one for any of the rookies to deal with. His future in the NFL is most likely as a slot receiver. He put in a very solid season of work towards his evolution in this regard.I have to think he’ll show another solid step forward for the 2019 season...especially if we get better quarterback play that can take advantage of his skill-set. Slot receiver more so than any other skill position requires quick, accurate passing which is a very difficult skill for most NFL QBs to master.River Cracraft - 1The biggest thing I remember about Cracraft from 2018 was the hype of him coming out of training camp. He’s just a guy at receiver. The league has dozens of guys just like him filling practice squads all over the NFL.ERFA Jordan Taylor - 1I’m not sure that Taylor has a future with the team even given his ERFA status. He’s a guy who has the same kind of jump ball skill set that Courtland Sutton does, but in his career, that’s all he’s ever developed and he’s not even half the athlete that Sutton is. SFA Tim Patrick - 3Patrick is the young guy in this group that I’m most excited about. He’s not who we want to fill in as a #2 yet, but he’s exactly the kind of guy you want on your bench ready to come in on a moment’s notice. He does have NFL skill and plays the intermediate to deep game very well. Keep an eye on Patrick this season. He’s a player who oozes potential.Aaron Burbridge - 1Fred Brown - 1Chad Hansen - 1Overview - 4The Broncos have a lot of talent at the wide receiver position. Even if they decide to cut Sanders, they can still field a WR unit capable of winning games. but this is one of the team’s strengths in 2019.Roster status overall:Defensive Line:Defensive Ends3Nose Tackles1Linebackers:Outside Linebackers3Inside Linebackers2Secondary:Cornerbacks2Safeties3Kicking:Kickers4Returners2Offensive Line:Tackles3Interior O-Line3Receiving:Tight Ends2Wide Receivers4