NFL: Retirement Replacements

What do the Lions do without Calvin? Is Peyton passing the baton to Brock? What about Marshawn?  Will Patrick Willis make a return?

This offseason has been riddled with retirements and rumors. We’ve lost three players that were pretty sure bets for becoming enshrined in Canton. When players like Calvin Johnson, Marshawn Lynch and Peyton Manning call it quits, they leave a void that needs filling. So how are each of these teams going to fill the voids left by these future Hall of Famers?

When the Broncos made the midseason switch to Brock Osweiler, the writing was on the wall that he would be Peyton’s replacement for the years to come. But that hasn’t turned out to be the case. Osweiler decided to take his 7 career starts to the Houston Texans. So where does that leave the Broncos, who went from two quarterbacks to none in the blink of an eye? Current free agents in this position include Ryan Fitzpatrick, a not so stellar replacement.

The Broncos were also in talks with the San Francisco 49ers to obtain Collin Kaepernick; unfortunately for them, he said at the time that he would prefer the Browns over the reigning Super Bowl Champions. But then the Browns signed RG3 and it looks like the Niners may hang on to Cap.

When all is said and done, none of these guys will be starting next season for the Broncos. The man behind center for the 2016 Broncos will be Mark Sanchez. Sanchez was recently acquired in a trade and looks to be the best available option. It’s safe to say that the Broncos took a huge step back on their quest of repeating.

There’s something about Detroit that makes Superstar players retire in the middle of their career rather than play for the pitiful Lions. With Calvin Johnson deciding to call it quits in the prime of his career, the Lions are faced with the impossible task of replacing the most dominant receiver in league history. Because there is no one player who can put up numbers like Calvin, this role will be filled by committee. First, Golden Tate is going to look at an expanded role and plenty more targets. The Lions also just added a very talented Marvin Jones, who has shown flashes of brilliance in his stints between injuries. If the Lions hope to continue being a solid offensive club, Jones will have to take the lead.

Rumors about the possibility of Marshawn Lynch retiring have been floating around for a few years now, but now it appears that day has finally come. How will the Seahawks possibly replace a guy like Lynch? Well, they already have. Thomas Rawls has shown the ability to enter “Beast Mode” and become virtually unstoppable. When Lynch was sidelined during the season, Rawls stepped in and played as well as–if not better than–Marshawn Lynch. Out of all of these Hall of Fame caliber retirements, the Seahawks will have the easiest transition into the new era.

After their years-long stint as a defensive powerhouse, the 49ers seemed to fall apart like a game of Jenga, with Patrick Willis being the destructive piece. When Willis announced his retirement, the organization crumbled, but recent rumors have speculated about the return of the elite linebacker. Though it would be great for the franchise, the possibility of his return is a longshot. Willis made the decision to retire when he decided his body was more important that the game of football. Coming back from a decision like that is uncommon, and the 49ers shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for the call from Willis.

– Michael Hersey