SAN FRANCISCO — Though the Broncos have unseated the Patriots as Super Bowl champions, their reign atop the AFC could be short-lived due to a host of tricky personnel decisions this offseason.
Clearly, the Patriots will centralize their offseason attention toward shoring up an offensive line that was on the wrong side of a Broncos bullying in the AFC Championship Game, and the likely return of legendary coach Dante Scarnecchia will help. And since the Pats’ cast of free agents is headlined by defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, offensive lineman Ryan Wendell and running back LeGarrette Blount, their offseason will be far less complicated than the Broncos’ mission to maintain their title.