The Denver Broncos kick off their training camp at the UCHealth Training Center in Dove Valley next week, and everyone's ready for the first kickoff. But will they actually be a good team this year?

I remember last August I wrote a story talking about how the Broncos weren't going to make the playoffs in 2016. What was I called for writing that story last year?

YOU BRONCOS HATER!

FAIR WEATHER FAN!

And many more things that I probably can't write in this article. Now, to be upfront with everyone. I am a fan of the New England Patriots. That's where I grew up and I have my allegiance. But I will always root for the Broncos in every game they play, outside of the Broncos game. I love it when they are successful and love when the state comes together for them.

But this is where I have to break the news to you once again...

The Broncos will NOT make the playoffs this year. Even worse, their record will drop to 7-9 this season. Why do you ask? Well let me go through the main three reasons why:

 

  • 1

    The Quarterback Situation

    Trevor Siemian was a serviceable quarterback in 2016, and at times he played past his potential. However there were also times where you wondered if he actually could carry the team to a winning record, never mind the playoffs. He's now entering another season where Paxton Lynch is right behind him, even though Paxton hasn't shown anything which makes me believe he is the "future of the franchise". So not only do we have two quarterbacks who have many question marks. We also have a quarterback battle between two average players, and you have to wonder how that will affect their psyche. I actually heard someone say the other day that they would rather have Brock Osweiler back right now as he could actually play better than both Trevor and Paxton. I can't say I disagree. I also think we could see this lead to another strong possibility of the Broncos drafting "another" star quarterback in the 2018 draft. More on that to come...

    Credit: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images
    Credit: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images
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  • 2

    Is Vance Joseph the Answer?

    I can answer that with one simple phrase: He may possibly be the next great coach, but nothing in his past has shown me that he will take the Broncos to the next level that Gary Kubiak couldn't do. With the issues that Broncos offense has had the last two seasons, wouldn't Kyle Shanahan been the better choice to be at the helm of Denver? From looking at his past record, he could be a great leader of the defense. But do they need that? And what happened to...

    Matthew Stockman
    Matthew Stockman
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  • 3

    Wade Phillips is No Longer Part of the Team

    In my opinion, Wade Phillips is one of the big reasons that the defense became one of the top teams in the league the past three seasons. However, he is now with the Los Angeles Rams and he even thinks that his departure from Colorado was somewhat of a surprise. Even though Vance Joseph has had success on the defensive side of the ball, will the unit go down a notch without Wade guiding them? I truly think the loss of Phillips could affect this team more than we know. If it does, that means we not only have a declining defense but we also have a head coach who isn't familiar with leading the offense. That combination could turn into some trying times.

    Getty Images
    Getty Images
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