After Super Bowl loss, Broncos could look very different next season

This is not how the Denver Broncos envisioned Super Bowl XLVIII going when they booked their ticket to the big game two weeks ago.

Complete and utter domination in every facet of the game allowed the Seattle Seahawks to cruise to a 43-8 victory, putting an end to Peyton Manning's hopes of capturing his second Lombardi Trophy and ensuring that the (ridiculous) discussion over Manning's legacy will go on throughout the off-season.

Well, as the old saying goes, there's always next year. Right?

For the Broncos, that may not be entirely appropriate.

When John Fox's team returns for the 2013-14 campaign, it could have a very different look than the one that was just annihilated at MetLife Stadium.

The Broncos have no less than 17 players heading for unrestricted free agency this summer, and at least ten of those men could be considered vital pieces to a team that was by far and away the best in the AFC this year.

Most notably, the record-breaking offense that cut through opposing defenses with ease all season long - until tonight, of course - could come back next season missing two of its key contributors.

Both running back Knowshon Moreno and wide receiver Eric Decker are set to hit the free agent market, and rumors around the league have suggested that the Broncos may be resigned to losing both men.

Decker, who is considered the No. 2 receiver behind Demaryius Thomas, finished the season with 87 receptions, 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns. Whether you think he is a top wide-out or not, and regardless of how heavily those numbers were a product of playing with Peyton Manning, Decker will get his money if he hits the open market.

Ultimately, his services could be too rich for the Broncos.

Moreno, who was rejuvenated this season after looking like he would go down as a high-profile first round bust, racked up 1,038 rushing yards and ten touchdowns - to go along with 548 yards and three scores through the air.

The presence of soon-to-be sophomore Montee Ball, who was drafted in the second round prior to this season, could make Moreno expendable. With Ball seemingly putting his fumbling issues behind him, he has obviously gained the trust of the coaching staff and is seen by many inside the organization as the more explosive of the two rushers.

As a result, Moreno may be crying his gargantuan tears in another uniform next season.

Zane Beadles is also up for a lucrative contract, and if he does make it to free agency he will be one of the most sought-after guards on the market.

The big men up front deserve attention, too. It's not all about the guys who get into the end zone, people.

On defense, captain Wesley Woodyard could be on his way out after spending the latter part of the season playing only in nickel packages. He was a full-time starter throughout all of last season and in the opening half of this most recent campaign, but lost his spot to Paris Lenon (who we'll get to in a second).

Defensive end Shaun Phillips - who was so crucial both with and without stud rusher Von Miller in the lineup - will be in for a raise after recording ten sacks on the year.

Fellow defensive starters Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Mike Adams, Robert Ayers and the aforementioned Lenon are also set to hit the open market in the coming months.

Turnover on an NFL roster is a foregone conclusion come the end of every season. With so many players on the team, it is impossible to bring back exactly the same group in consecutive years.

But John Elway and company will have to work some magic if they hope to keep the majority of this current team in place heading into next season.

Hint: Champ Bailey is in line for a major pay cut.