The Denver Broncos finished the season with a 5-11 record, which placed them last in the AFC West. Denver won 1 out of its 6 contests against division rivals, granted they had some pretty close games. The Broncos have the misfortune of having to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs twice a year.
This marks the fifth straight year that the Broncos were unable to make it to the playoffs. One silver lining to all of these is that Denver has $14,052,103 in cap space. New general manager George Paton can choose to increase his war chest by making several key decisions.
Von Miller is the face of the Denver Broncos. The Super Bowl 50 MVP is one of the most game-wrecking defenders the league has ever seen. However, he had a down year in 2019, where he only registered 8 sacks. To make matters worse, he missed the whole 2020 season due to injury.
Denver has a team option for the talented pass rusher at $22,125,000. The decision is difficult and there is a possibility that Miller's contract is restructured. The next two decisions are more clear cut.
Cornerback AJ Bouye and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey have certainly seen better days. Unfortunately, the pair suffered devastating injuries with the former even being suspended by the league. Cutting the two will free up $25,249,750 in cap space.
The biggest question mark on offense is their quarterback. However, the Broncos will most likely address this via trade, as they have a chance of acquiring Matthew Stafford or they could get their signal-caller of the future in the draft.
Below are three possible free agent additions for the Broncos.
3. William Jackson III
Denver has a dangerous safety pairing with Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson. Simmons is probably the best safety in football. Jackson is a solid safety, who had a career-high 67 solo tackles. Denver cornerbacks are a different story though. Cornerback is one of their biggest positions of need.
Jackson has been a steady cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 11 passes defensed and one pick in the regular season. Also, he had 43 combined tackles, which shows his willingness to deliver a hit. He'll have to improve on his decision-making, as he gets burned at times. Playing with other elite players, such as Pro Bowlers Simmons and linebacker Bradley Chubb may improve his production.
Jackson can be signed to a contract that pays him $10,000,000 per year.
2. Matt Milano
In a league that continues to pass the ball more and more each year, linebackers, who are adept at coverage have ever been more important. This is what Milano did for the Buffalo Bills defense.
He is especially good at covering receiving backs. He can also be used to line up against weapons in the slot. Milano could use some work in the run game and he has sustained injuries in the past. These might lower his value in the market.
Buffalo would work hard to sign such an integral part of their defense. The linebacker might agree to a $9,000,000 per year contract with the Broncos.
1. Marcus Maye
It might seem a bit odd to put a safety on this list after praising Denver's pair of safeties. But consider this, Simmons is set for a huge payday. Paton would be wise to-resign their Pro Bowl safety, but if the asking price is too high, the Broncos have to look elsewhere. Jackson is a 32-year-old, hard-hitting and physical safety from Alabama. His body might give up on him sooner rather than later. Giving a multi-year contract to him might not be the best idea.
The Broncos might only be able to sign one of them and if they do they should prioritize the younger Simmons. Maye would be a strong complement to either safety. He's a swiss army knife in the secondary. For the New York Jets, he lined up as a free safety, which is probably his most natural position, in the box and even in the slot. This is the type of versatility defensive coordinators would love. The 27-year-old regularly breaks up passes and is strong against the run.
The Jets would fight tooth and nail to keep his services, but he might be brought to the Mile High City with a $13,000,000 per year contract.
Although the Denver Broncos had legendary Peyton Manning in their Super Bowl run in 2015, their dominant defense was the primary reason. Miller was simply devastating coming off the edge. They had a solid defensive line and stud linebackers Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall. Plus, they had a skilled and physical secondary, likely patterned after the Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom.
These additions are a step in having a great defense.
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