The question is not whether the Denver Broncos should trade for the highly talented Maurice Jones-Drew–it is whether or not the Broncos can afford to add him to the payroll.
There is not a team in the NFL that wouldn’t want to add Jones-Drew to their offense.
The Broncos in particular would be a nice fit because of the fact that Peyton Manning is getting much older and I do not see the Broncos throwing the ball much more than running it. The ground attack is going to be very important to the Broncos this year. Manning’s presence and ability to throw the ball will open up running lanes early and often, but it is not certain that the Broncos have a running back that will take full advantage of this situation.
Yes, I think Willis McGahee is a very solid running back, but I also know that quarterback Tim Tebow’s running ability from the QB position attracted a lot of the attention from the defense. I am curious to see how McGahee does without Tebow this season.
I project that the Broncos will throw the ball around 60 percent of the time, which will leave 40 percent to the running game. In this era of the NFL, that is pretty much a balanced offense compared to most teams, who throw around 70 to 75 percent of the time.
If Jones-Drew is added to the Broncos roster, this would help the careers of many players. Manning would benefit from having another solid do everything back who would take a lot of attention from the defense. McGahee would be able to extend his career by not having to carry the ball 300 times a season. Rookie running back Ronnie Hillman would benefit from having a veteran in Denver with a very similar build and style.
Jones-Drew himself should make this move because of several factors. He would have the opportunity to play with a quarterback who will actually take pressure off of him and for once not have to be leaned on so often. The lighter load and pressure would help him extend his career and since the defense would have to respect the pass as much as the run, he would likely be able to produce similar numbers in Denver to the ones he recorded for the Jacksonville Jaguars with at least 100 less carries. Oh yeah, and the chances of him wining a Super Bowl would increase tremendously.
The Broncos may have $11 million of cap space for 2012. If so, then they may have enough to lure Jones-Drew to Denver. I would think that a RB would have to be in the trade for Jones-Drew, so that might mean the anticipated departure of RB Knowshon Moreno out of Denver. Moreno is scheduled to make more than $5 million in 2014. I would also assume some early-to-mid draft choices being in the deal for the Jaguars.
The Denver Broncos have gone all in this season, but people are still worried about their run defense. If the Broncos make this move to get Jones-Drew, then I think their offense will be good enough to overcome any growing pains that the young Broncos defense may face.
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