Broncos Offseason, A Free Agent Frenzy


Free agency officially began Tuesday afternoon, and through the first three days, the Broncos have yielded some good, some bad, and some ugly. See what's what below, plus some thoughts and analysis moving forward.

The Good: The Broncos have focused on improving the defense, an area of need. DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward are good players that can help in the secondary and by creating a pass rush. I'm particularly interested in seeing Ware and Von Miller go after quarterbacks, hopefully with the help of Terrance Knighton in the middle and a finally healthy Derek Wolfe on the other side. Hey, and maybe even Sylvester Williams will develop into a decent player.

The Bad: Eric Decker, Zane Beadles, and Wesley Woodyard are gone. I have questions about letting Woodyard — the heart of the defense — go, and how the Broncos will re-shuffle the offensive line. Maybe Orlando Franklin will be a good guard, and hopefully Ryan Clady will be back at full strength. Still, I have questions. But the Decker loss stings, especially since the Broncos didn't even try to re-sign him. I can't understand not at least putting out an offer to see if he wanted to stay.

The Ugly: While the signings are good, the contracts don't seem to be. Most people are scratching their heads about the Talib deal in particular. $57 million over six years with $26 guaranteed seems like a lot, especially since the Broncos need more than one corner. I can't believe they aren't looking at Rodgers-Cromartie, who was great, in addition to Talib. The Broncos need more players there, but now they might not have the cap room. And can Talib stay healthy all year?

What it All Means: We are still early in free agency, so I want to see what else is done. Then there's the draft in May which will fill in more answers. But so far I would call this uneven. The Broncos made splashy signings of players that can help, but there are still holes to fill and not a lot of money left to fill them. Here are some of those questions.

* Who else at cornerback? I like Kavon Webster, and I think he and Tony Carter can keep developing. I'm hoping that we re-sign Chris Harris, Jr., a restricted free agent and a great player. But I still think the team needs another good pass defender. I would really like to get Rodgers-Cromartie back, and I can't understand why the Broncos haven't done that.

* Who else at wide receiver? Andre Caldwell is a fine player, but I don't think he can fill in for Decker. We have Demaryius Thomas at one wide out, Julius Thomas at tight end, and Wes Welker in the slot. But the offense needs another great wide receiver outside. Waiting until the draft is tricky, and as I said I'm not sure Andre Caldwell is that player. There are some veterans out there that could be signed for a reasonable price. I hope Denver makes that move.

* Who starts at running back? Let's face it, Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman are still projects at best. I think Knowshon Moreno could be signed for a reasonable amount, and I hope the Broncos will do just that. Looking for a back in the draft won't work. The Broncos need a veteran who can be the No. 1 guy.

* Who will return the kicks? When Trindon Holliday faltered, the Broncos turned to Eric Decker. He's gone now, and Holliday is a restricted free agent. How about making a run at Devin Hester? He's older,  sure, but I think he still has some gas left in the tank.

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