The Denver Broncos suffered mightily during the 2016 free agency period when they lost half of their team and got nothing in return. The Broncos lost star defensive end and free agent Malik Jackson to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
They also lost Danny Trevathan to the Chicago Bears, safety David Bruton to the Washington Redskins, left tackle Ryan Harris to the Pittsburgh Steelers, offensive guard Evan Mathis to the Arizona Cardinals, and Aaron Brewer to the Bears.
There are a lot of big components to this team that are now missing thanks to this free agent wave while the Broncos only acquired two players - left tackles Russell Okung, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, and Donald Stephenson, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs. They also acquired quarterback Mark Sanchez in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
This offensive line may see some improvement thanks to the additions made, but the defense and passing game could find themselves in immense trouble during the 2015 season. The loss of Malik Jackson means that, currently, George Uko will be starting opposite Derek Wolfe at defensive end, Corey Nelson will start in place for Danny Trevathan, and Mark Sanchez will start with Trevor Siemian following closely behind at quarterback.
These are three areas the Broncos will have to get better in following the draft as they currently cannot head into the 2016 NFL regular season and expect to compete. The only problem with winning the Super Bowl is that you get the last pick in the NFL draft, which makes it incredibly difficult to build up a franchise. At 31, the Broncos will have to find a new top-quality defensive end, a quarterback, and an inside linebacker.
This is why it makes sense for the Broncos to trade up as there really is no room for error. They may need to give away a player or extra pick but it would be worth it to land a player such as inside linebacker Reggie Ragland, defensive end Noah Spence, or quarterback Paxton Lynch.
To get any of these players, Denver may need to sneak into the 10-20 range (except for Lynch, who could fall to the second round) so it will need to present a solid case to any team who is looking to trade back. Trading up for a top-20 pass rusher or linebacker could prove to be the best way to fill these holes on the Broncos roster.
