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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more