The Denver Broncos lost one of their biggest offensive stars in free agency when Julius Randle left for the Jacksonville Jaguars. That left a huge hole in the roster as the tight end had developed into one of Peyton Mannings' favorite targets. While Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas are back on the field, which tight end will get the starting nod on Week 1?
According to the Denver Post, 2015 will be Virgil Green's time to shine. The tight end is predicted to be a breakout star for the Broncos heading into the regular season as he continues to stand out during training camp. While the Broncos added Owen Daniels in free agency, it is expected to be Green that gets the starting nod for Manning after he re-signed in free agency following four years as the third-string option.
"Every year you go into a season having that time off and your mind plays games with you, wondering if you can actually still play," Green said, via the team website. "But once you put the pads on, that adrenaline gets a rushing and it's like you've never left. I think it's been an easy transition. In the offseason you always wonder, like what it's going to be like hearing Peyton call the plays in the huddle, if you'll be able to pick it up fast enough, and I think everybody for the most part has done a good job of limiting assignment errors and things like that."
Fantasy owners would be very wise to grab Green whose production will only increase over time. The same can be said for Cody Latimer who is getting more and more time on the field as Thomas and Sanders deal with injury issues. Both players have had minor setbacks which is giving Latimer the time on the field needed to gain chemistry with Manning. The receiver is expected to play a big role in 2015 as the No.3 option.
The Broncos' offense is slowly taking shape with Gary Kubiak as the head coach. The biggest x-factor for the team could be CJ Anderson who is getting plenty of hype thanks to the run-first offense Kubiak wants. According to the Denver Post, Anderson is getting the starting nod over Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman and could be a home-run threat for the Broncos in 2015. While Manning is healthy, the run game is going to be a focal point to take pressure off the quarterback and Anderson will be a star for that.