Russell Wilson's relocation to Denver suddenly has everyone crowning the Broncos.
The blockbuster deal shook up the football world on Tuesday, with many deeming the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback as a potential missing piece to a championship puzzle. Forget the fact that the Broncos have failed to make the playoffs since their Super Bowl 50 win back in February of 2016. Never mind that they're in a division featuring two superstar quarterbacks and another top 10-ish player at the position. According to the Twitter masses, the addition of Wilson shoves Denver over the hump as a bona fide title contender, with the magical playmaker poised to elevate his supporting cast and overwhelm the numerous heavyweights that reside in today's AFC.
OK, let's pump the brakes, people.
While I certainly understand the optimism swirling around the Mike High City this week, I'd hold off on reserving a hotel room in Glendale, Arizona, for Super Bowl LVII. Sure, Wilson is a franchise player with MVP potential, but it takes a village to help a quarterback win at the highest level.
Wilson, who guided the Seahawks to eight postseason appearances and one Super Bowl title during his decade in Seattle, is joining a roster that is widely viewed as an upgrade in 2022. Sure, the Broncos have intriguing pieces in place on both sides of the ball, but this team is more potential than production at this point.
For instance, the hyped-up receiving corps that has been lauded as "special" in some corners of the football world really features a one-time Pro Bowler (Courtland Sutton) and a trio of theoretical difference makers (Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick and K.J. Hamler) without a single 900-yard season among them. Is that crew really an upgrade over Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf? Those two have comprised one of the best big-play duos in football over the past three years, and their explosive play-making ability enhanced Wilson's deep-ball savvy in Seattle. That does not mean the Broncos' quartet can't emerge with No. 3 under center, but it is nothing more than a projection at this point.
Studying Denver's offensive line, Broncos fans should have serious concerns about the unit's ability to keep Wilson upright and protected in the pocket. Denver surrendered 40 sacks in 2021, only six fewer than the Seahawks' much-maligned front allowed. With O-line wizard Mike Munchak no longer around to tutor Denver's unit -- particularly Garett Bolles, who significantly improved with Munchak as his position coach -- the Broncos' front line could take a step back as it transitions into a new offensive scheme.
Speaking of that new scheme, Wilson must adjust to Nathaniel Hackett. To his credit, the Broncos' new head coach has a strong reputation for tailoring his play calls to his quarterbacks, accentuating their strengths and masking weaknesses. This maximizes performance and production (SEE: Blake Bortles in 2017). With Wilson, Hackett must tweak his offensive scheme to showcase the veteran's effectiveness as a deep-ball thrower. That should result in more vertical routes and deep crossers off play-action, enabling Russ to unleash his patented rainbows over the top of the defense. That said, Denver will need to have an answer for the two-deep coverages that have stymied Wilson over the past few years. The 10-year veteran has lacked the patience, discipline and rhythm to efficiently shred umbrella coverage, and his Achilles heel could lead to problems for the Broncos down the road. Hackett and Wilson must craft a plan that enables the veteran to retain his aggressiveness while performing at an efficient rate from the pocket.
This is a critical part of the Broncos' winning equation, particularly in an AFC West that features outstanding quarterbacks at every turn. Wilson must outplay Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr to climb to the top of the division, and his efficiency could be the deciding factor in close games against any of the aforementioned gunslingers.
Defensively, the Broncos are fresh off a season in which they allowed the third-fewest points in the NFL. Safety Justin Simmons, cornerback Patrick Surtain II and edge rusher Bradley Chubb form the nucleus of a promising unit, but they will need some help, particularly at linebacker, to remain an upper-echelon defense. Oh, and Vic Fangio -- one of the game's better defensive minds -- is no longer at the controls. Denver will need first-time defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to quickly adjust to calling the plays for a group that's accustomed to a highly experienced coach leading the charge. The change does not automatically mean that the Broncos' defense will take a step down, but it is not a given that the unit will remain among the league's best, with Evero acclimating to a brand new role in the toughest division in football.
Given so many uncertainties and unknowns, I can't immediately fete this squad in the wake of Wilson's arrival. Yes, a franchise quarterback gives any team a chance to win on any given Sunday, but I do not know if that is enough to vault Denver to the top of the division, much less the conference.
While I love fairy tales and storybook endings, I am not sure that Wilson heading to the Rocky Mountains is going to produce the Hollywood magic that helped cement the legacies of Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford in back-to-back years.