Deshaun Watson Broncos Deal Would Give Denver A Top 5 Offense
Deshaun Watson has reportedly said he is very open to becoming a Denver Bronco. But what would a Deshaun Watson Broncos deal give Denver? Without a doubt, a top five offense in the NFL. Considering their premier young pass-catching options, diverse backfield, and solid offensive line unit Deshaun Watson would put this offense over the top.
Last season the Broncos ended the year with the 7th least passing yards in the NFL. That’s a travesty considering the arsenal of weapons they have on offense (even without Courtland Sutton). Jerry Jeudy is an up-and-coming star in this league, the only thing holding him back was Drew Lock last season. In fact, Jerry Jeudy received 26 uncatchable targets last season, by far the most in the NFL. Taking it a step further to prove how awful Drew Lock was, not a single starting quarterback had a worse on-target throw percentage than Lock with an abysmal 68%. At the same time, Jeudy can separate better than anyone else. He is entering his second season but is already one of the best route-runners in the league. Why Lock couldn’t hit Jeudy more? I can’t explain why, but I know Deshaun Watson would figure out.
A Deshaun Watson Broncos deal would also help the run game a ton. After moving on from Phillip Lindsay, the Broncos drafted Javonte Williams. The UNC stud running back is a tackle-breaking machine, bolstering the backfield consisting of an aging Melvin Gordon. We already know Watson is a star in this league, and he will deliver if put in an offense like this. Now regarding the top five offense question, I have my rankings as follows.
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Dallas Cowboys
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Buffalo Bills
- Denver Broncos
Key snubs from this list include the Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals. Talent-wise the Packers were completely reliant on the Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams connection. Not even going to get into the whole Aaron Rodgers situation too. Other than that Green Bay has an awful receiver group. Allen Lazard is really good at making one play a game and then completely disappearing because he can’t get open. Marquez Valdes-Scantling seemingly puts butter on his gloves. Outside of Davante, they lack solid pass-catching options and it showed in their playoff loss to the Buccaneers.
When it comes to Tennessee I don’t want people getting ahead of themselves regarding the Julio Jones deal. Derrick Henry and AJ Brown are studs don’t get me wrong. And I still believe Julio has more than enough in the tank to make some vintage plays in 2021. I just don’t believe in Ryan Tannehill. He is absolutely fantastic at handing the ball off to Derrick Henry. But in shotgun when you know he’s going to try and make a play, he is nothing special. He doesn’t put any crazy zip on the ball, average at extending plays, and flat out doesn’t look the part of an upper-echelon quarterback. Acquiring Julio makes them a significantly better offense, but Tannehill is holding them back from being Super Bowl contenders.
And for the Cardinals, it’s similar to the Titans’ situation. Their quarterback hasn’t proved anything yet. Kyler was great for fantasy owners last season. His rushing ability and elusiveness are fun to watch. As a true quarterback, he still has to take another step. Kyler had one of the lowest yards per completion last season at 5.9. What this means is that most of his yards were simple dump-offs and check-downs. He put up middling numbers last season. Outside of the Hopkins hail mary, Murray is yet to take over a game through the air. Acquiring AJ Green and Rondale Moore really bolsters their receiving group opposite of DeAndre Hopkins, so there will be no excuses for Kyler going into next season.
The potential for a Deshaun Watson Broncos deal is intriguing. Denver hasn’t had a franchise quarterback since Peyton Manning. But the talent they have on offense, they are a quarterback away from becoming Super Bowl contenders.
