Offense: Gone is Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler, and his favorite target, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, is currently suspended for the remainder of the preseason for openly complaining about his contract. Welcome to Denver Kyle Orton. Orton is now in charge of the number two ranked offense in total yards last season, and third in passing yards last year. The rushing offense was ranked 12th last season, an impressive statistic because the Broncos had seven different running backs used last year as player after player went down with injury. Denver hopes that this trend will not repeat in 2009 by drafting Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno with the 12th pick in the NFL draft. In his two seasons at Georgia, Moreno had over 2,700 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns, but he does not have the size to be a full time back in this league, so one of his many possible backups will have to step up and help carry the load this season.

Defense: Denver’s defense last season was awful, ranking 30th in points allowed, 29th in total yards allowed, 27th against the run, and 26th against the pass. That is why after drafting Moreno the Broncos used their next five draft picks on defense. The best player who can make an immediate impact on the defense would be defensive end/linebacker Robert Ayers from Tennessee. Ayers is a guy who can get after the quarterback, which is something this defense needs with only two players last season recording over 3.5 sacks last season.

Biggest Addition: If he hadn’t come over in the trade with Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton would probably be an afterthought to Broncos fans, but now he is their starting quarterback if they like it or not (boos at training camp suggest the latter.) Orton is more of a game managing quarterback while Cutler was more of a guy not worried to throw the ball around to anyone at anytime. Bringing in Orton will put more pressure on rookie running back Knowshon Moreno to produce as Orton averaged 100 yards less per game than Cutler. Time will tell if Orton has the talent to win a game when needed.

Biggest Loss: This obviously has to be Jay Cutler. Cutler was the leader of this team and the face of the franchise since his first game in Denver. He was upset when his only pro coach was fired, and then things were made worse when his new coach tried to trade him to get Matt Cassel in Denver. After all of this, Cutler wanted nothing to do with Denver and demanded a trade; got his wish and now he is a member of the Chicago Bears. This is a huge loss for Denver, especially now with wide receiver Brandon Marshall demanding a trade. The Broncos may be forced to trade their two best young players in the offseason, not a good way to start the year.

Biggest Game: Sunday September 13th the Broncos go to Cincinnati in Week One. This game is huge for the Broncos because it is Kyle Orton’s first game as the starting quarterback. Also we will find out if Brandon Marshall is still a Bronco, or just still suspended/refusing to play. The new, and hopefully, improved defense will face a good test in Carson Palmer and the Bengals offense to star the year. Time to find out what is left of the Broncos after a rough offseason.