The Denver Broncos fell short of a playoff berth with a third consecutive losing season in 2019.

The team hopes to be better in 2020 with head coach Vic Fangio having a full season under his belt, pushing forward with the promising Drew Lock at quarterback and a brand new offensive coordinator in Pat Shurmur.

But to realize improvement — much less get to the playoffs and win some games once there — it takes a collective effort. For the Broncos to reach their full potential next season, these five players need to bounce back.

Note: This list will not contain any free agents. So the likes of Chris Harris and Connor McGovern will be absent as their futures remain uncertain. 

1. Ja’Wuan James

If the Broncos don’t want to pay James for absolutely nothing again, the right tackle needs to bounce back in a big way. That starts with being on the field.

James was one of the worst free agent signings any team in the league made this offseason, but a bounce-back year could help atone for that. Should he have another year in which he almost doesn’t play at all, the Broncos would likely be forced to move on.