The Denver Broncos have a long list of players signed during free agency that has worked out well including Peyton Manning, Aquib Talib and many more. Like all teams, not every free agent signing has worked and the Broncos have also swung and missed on their fair share.
Let's look at the five worst free agent signings in Broncos history.
5. Jarvis Green
Usually, Bill Belichick knows when to move on from a player and that was the case with Jarvis Green. After playing in 121 games with the Patriots, he was allowed to walk from the Patriots and the Broncos took a chance.
They signed him to a four year deal in 2010, but he never even saw the field. Josh McDaniels decided he shouldn't even make the roster and cut him before the start of the season. His contract was only $3.25 million guaranteed but it's not often a player gets cut before the season after signing a four-year deal.
4. Eddie Kennison
Eddie Kennison had a lot of success in the NFL, and the only stop he really struggled was with the Broncos. Kennison bounced around a bit but it wasn't because of lack of productivity. In 1999, he led the New Orleans Saints with 61 receptions.
The Broncos signed him two a two-year deal but they only got eight games out of him. Kennison had only caught 15 passes when he decided to leave the team and retire because his heart was no longer in the game.
Just a few weeks after hanging up the cleats he unretired and played seven more seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams.
3. Dale Carter
Dale Carter looked to be one of the up-and-coming cornerbacks in the league, and in 1992 he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
In 1999, Carter signed a four-year deal worth $22.8 million with Denver and the hope was he could be an anchor for the defense. He played in 14 games putting up 72 tackles and only two interceptions. He was suspended for the entire 2000 for violating the substance abuse policy and never played for the Broncos again.
2. Denard Walker
Much like Carter, the Broncos hoped Denard Walker would be an elite cornerback that could help lock down the back end of defense but isn't quite what happened.
Walker signed a six-year deal worth $26 million in 2001 but he only played two years with the team before they cut him. In 2002, he played in 16 games but only had one interception. He did play three more years in the NFL, but he never found the success he had early in his career.
1. Daryl Gardener
Daryl Gardener is the worst free-agent signing in Broncos history and it's not even close. After being a standout with the Miami Dolphins, he signed a seven-year deal with the Broncos for $35 million in 2003. Shortly after signing with the Broncos, he got into a fight at a restaurant, and that was just the start of his problems.
He was suspended twice for the Broncos, once for going on a local radio show and bashing head coach Mike Shanahan. Gardener ended up only playing five games for the Broncos before being released. After his release, he never made it back into the league again.
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