A key Arizona Cardinals free agent this offseason is gone, with defensive end Zach Allen agreeing to a deal with the Denver Broncos, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The contract is reportedly for three years and worth $45.75 million, including a massive $32.5 million guaranteed money at signing.

Transitioning to a new football environment should be easier for Zach Allen, considering that he will once again be working with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who previously worked for the Cardinals under the same role.

Allen was selected by the Cardinals in the third round (65th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. In his first season in the pros in 2019, Allen played in only four games with a start and collected just eight combined tackles and a tackle for loss. The following season, Allen started to see an expanded role on the team, appearing in 13 games and seven starts before finishing the year with two sacks, 35 combined tackles, and five tackles for loss. In his last two seasons with the Cardinals, he produced 9.5 sacks, 95 combined tackles, and 34 quarterback hits, and 15 tackles for losses.

The gradual improvement of Zach Allen through the years is something that the Broncos are hoping to be a trend that continues in Denver. The Broncos are coming off a disastrous 2022 NFL season, but their defense in that campaign gave the team some dignity. Allen will be joining a Broncos defense that ranked eighth last season with only 320 total yards allowed per game and 12th with 21.1 points given up per contest.