Denver Broncos need Courtland Sutton to thrive immediately

The Denver Broncos have invested heavily in the defense, which means Courtland Sutton needs to step up while playing offense on an affordable deal.

The Denver Broncos doubled down on the vision to make the defense one of the most feared units in the NFL. Having lost some of the luster, the Broncos selected defensive end Bradley Chubb at No. 5 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

True as that may be, the Broncos desperately need the offense to display at least solid form during the 2018 season and beyond.

Denver signed quarterback Case Keenum and drafted running back Royce Freeman to help stabilize the fractured offense. Keenum is coming off of an outstanding season with the Minnesota Vikings, while Freeman is a promising and versatile incoming rookie.

While both players will be crucial to Denver’s vision of a return to Super Bowl form, it’s second-round draft pick Courtland Sutton who could be the X-Factor.

The weight of the offense doesn’t rest on Sutton’s shoulders, but the Broncos have reason to depend somewhat heavily on him.

Emmanuel Sanders has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL during his eight-year career, but he’s 31 years of age and coming off of a brutal year. The sure-handed former SMU star suffered a shocking decline in efficiency, posting an uncharacteristic drop rate of 9.62 percent.

Demaryius Thomas managed to produce strong numbers in 2017, but he wasn’t any better in that regard with a drop rate of 10.75 percent.

Dreadful quarterback play and poorly thrown passes contributed to those figures, but it’s fair to question if Sanders or Thomas are worth their $10,937,500 and $12,033,333 cap hits.

Sutton has faced criticism for drops himself, but he’s in a position that differentiates himself from Sanders and Thomas. While Denver previously considered cutting one of the two due to their rather lucrative contracts, Sutton is a rookie on an affordable deal.

Thus, for the Broncos to capitalize on this championship window, they must establish Sutton early and capitalize on the opportunity to win with him before he’s paid big dollars.

Must Read: Denver Broncos: Offseason Review

While it would be ideal to simply focus on what transpires on the field, the Denver Broncos need Courtland Sutton to step up for salary cap reasons, as well.