Top Free-Agent Safeties to Upgrade Broncos Defense
The Denver Broncos have one of the best safeties in the NFL in Justin Simmons. The Broncos also saw some promise from Caden Sterns before a hip injury ended his 2022 season.
However, with Sterns' health in question and two safeties, Kareem Jackson and P.J. Locke, eligible for free agency (though the latter is a restricted free agent), the Broncos could be looking for a veteran at the position.
The fact that Jackson will be 35 years old in 2023 is another reason for the Broncos to think about other options at the position. But which safeties are going to hit free agency?
Let's look at the safeties who played at least 60% of the snaps who are eligible for unrestricted free agency.
Jessie Bates III | Cincinnati Bengals
Bates has played five seasons with the Bengals. He's started all but three games in his career and tallied 14 interceptions with 43 passes defensed.
As a second-round pick in 2018, his rookie deal expired after 2021. The Bengals put the franchise tag on him but were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal.
It's possible the Bengals could tag him again. If not, it's likely he'll seek a big contract from another team. That means it's not likely the Broncos will pursue him.
Jordan Poyer | Buffalo Bills
Poyer has played 11 years in the NFL. He spent three games with the Eagles as a rookie in 2013 but was waived, then the Browns claimed him.
Poyer spent the next three seasons with the Browns, then signed with the Eagles in 2017. He's started most of their games, though he missed five games with an elbow injury.
He has 24 interceptions and 50 passes defensed for his career. However, he will be 32 years old in 2023. Poyer is best viewed as a second-tier option who you wouldn't pay a lot of money.
Devin McCourty | New England Patriots
The 2010 first-round pick has been an ageless wonder. In his 13 seasons in the NFL, he has missed just five games in his 13 seasons with the Patriots.
McCourty is coming off another quality season with for interceptions and eight passes defensed. While he's not the same player he was in his prime, he can still be effective.
The question is whether McCourty has any interest in playing for another team. It wouldn't surprise me if he returns to the Patriots — that is, if the soon-to-be 36-year-old player wants to play another season.
Adrian Amos | Green Bay Packers
A fifth-round pick by the Bears in 2015, Amos started was active for 60 games in four seasons with 56 starts. He had three interceptions and 18 passes defensed, plus three forced fumbles.
Amos considered joining the Broncos in 2019 but opted to play for the Packers instead. In the past four seasons, he's had seven interceptions and 30 passes defensed.
Amos' play wasn't as good this past season as it had been when he first joined the Packers. But he should have plenty left in the tank. Whether or not you should look at him depends on his asking price.
Vonn Bell | Cincinnati Bengals
Bell spent his first four seasons with the Saints. He started 45 games and had 14 passes defensed but just one interception.
He signed with the Bengals in 2020 and didn't do much in his first two seasons. He then had four interceptions and eight passes defensed in 2022, his best numbers as a pro.
Bell is the perfect candidate for a short-term, lower-tier salary, and some might link him to Sean Payton if he takes the Broncos' head coaching job. He'll be just 29 years old next season, so as long as he doesn't seek big money, he's worth a look.
Lamarcus Joyner | New York Jets
The nine-year veteran spent his first five seasons with the Rams, then played two seasons with the Raiders, and his last two with the Jets.
For his career, Joyner has tallied seven interceptions and 39 passes defensed. He does have a recent injury history, though, having missed most of the 2021 season with an elbow injury.
Joyner will be 33 years old, so his best days are behind him. He's not the player to pursue if you are looking for a younger veteran.
Terrell Edmunds | Pittsburgh Steelers
A 2018 first-round pick, Edmunds has started 75 games (active for 79) in his time with the Steelers. He's tallied five interceptions with 26 passes defensed.
Edmunds' best seasons came in 2020 and 2021, in which he had four interceptions and 14 passes defensed. However, he's coming off a down season, with just five passes defensed.
But Edmunds will be just 26 years old next season. That could make him an ideal candidate for a one-year "prove it" deal.
Rodney McLeod | Indianapolis Colts
McLeod has spent 11 seasons in the NFL, six with the Eagles, four with the Rams and the past season with the Colts.
He's tallied 18 interceptions with 60 passes defensed. He did missed 13 games back in 2018 with injuries, but he's only missed six games in the past four seasons.
The caveat is McLeod will be 33 years old. Though he does seem to have plenty in the tank, it's worth asking if you should go with a younger player instead.
Duron Harmon | Las Vegas Raiders
The 10-year veteran has spent most of his career with the Patriots, who drafted him in 2013. He spent seven seasons with the Patriots, before spending one year each with the Falcons, Lions, and Raiders.
Harmon has 23 interceptions for his career and 43 passes defensed. He's been consistent when it comes to turnovers the past four years, having two interceptions each of those years.
He will be 32 years old next year and will likely have to take a one-year deal again. Again, the question you have to ask is if you think a younger player would be a better option.
Nasir Adderley | Los Angeles Chargers
A 2019 second-round pick, Adderley didn't get into the starting lineup until 2020, when he started 14 games.
He's started 30 games since then and had three interceptions, two forced fumbles and 12 passes defensed. He'll be just 26 years old next season.
However, Addreley is a better fit at free safety, which Justin Simmons plays. You thus have to ask if Adderley can make the switch to strong safety before you sign him.
Taylor Rapp | Los Angeles Rams
Rapp was a second-round pick in 2019 and started 10 games for the Rams as a rookie. He missed seven games in 2020 because of a knee injury.
But he's stayed healthy the past two seasons and hasn't missed a start. For his four-year career, he has nine interceptions and 23 passes defensed.
Rapp has experience at strong and free safety and he'll be just 26 years old. However, given his play the past two seasons, he'll likely want a long-term commitment.
Juan Thornhill | Kansas City Chiefs
A second-round pick in 2019, Thornhill started all 16 games as a rookie, but he regressed in his second season and started just eight games.
Since then, he's started 12 games in 2021 and 16 in 2022. He's tallied eight interceptions and 20 passes defensed.
Thornhill plays free safety, though, so he's probably not the player you want to sign. Furthermore, he may be looking for money at closer to the top of the market.
Tashaun Gipson | San Francisco 49ers
Gipson has spent 11 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Browns, Jaguars, Bears, Texans, and Niners. He went undrafted, but became a quality player.
For his career, Gipson has 32 interceptions and 65 passes defensed. He hasn't missed a lot of games, either, and didn't miss a start in 2022.
The downside is Gipson will be 33 years old next year. Again, the question is whether you want to go with a younger veteran rather than an older one.
DeShon Elliott | Detroit Lions
The Ravens selected Elliott in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was on the practice squad that year, became a reserve player in 2019, then started all 16 games in 2020.
Elliott missed 10 games in 2021, though, and the Ravens didn't tender him as a restricted free agent. He signed with the Lions and started 13 games.
Elliott plays free safety, so he's not somebody the Broncos necessarily should pursue. However, he could make sense as a depth player if the Broncos want to go that route.
Andrew Adams | Tennessee Titans
Adams spent his first two seasons with the Giants, starting 13 games in 2016 as an undrafted rookie. He joined the Buccaneers in 2018, in which he was mostly in a reserve role, but he started 11 games in 2019.
The Bucs allowed him to leave in free agency last season and he signed with the Titans. He started 11 games this past season. For his career, he has eight interceptions and 26 passes defensed.
Adams will likely have to take a one-year deal. He'll be 31 years old in 2023, so he's not that old. He might be a player to consider once the market settles down.
Mike Edwards | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A third-round pick in the 2019 draft, Edwards was active for 15 games as a rookie and started seven. However, he was relegated to a reserve role in his next two seasons.
This past season, he started 12 games (active for 13) but dealt with a hamstring injury. He's had seven interceptions and 21 passes defensed in his career.
Edwards will be 27 years old next season and will likely have to take a one-year, low-cost deal. But that makes him somebody the Broncos could consider.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Jr. | Philadelphia Eagles
The Saints selected Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In three seasons with the Saints, he started 31 games and had five interceptions with 28 passes defensed.
He was traded to the Eagles before the 2022 season and has thrived. Gardner-Johnson had six interceptions and eight passes defensed.
However, it's fair to ask if he is a product of the Eagles' system. There's a chance he'll try to cash in and you don't want to pay him too much on the basis of one season.
Julian Love | New York Giants
A fourth-round pick in 2019, Love spent his first three seasons in a reserve role. He earned a starting job this past season.
Love has done good things this past season, getting two interceptions and breaking up five passes. He has 30 pass breakups and five picks for his career.
Love might be a player the Giants try to keep. If he does hit the open market, he's worth a look because he'll be just 25 years old next season. The only question to consider is his asking price.
Marcus Epps | Philadelphia Eagles
A 2019 sixth-round pick by the Vikings, Epps spent eight games with them before being waived. The Eagles claimed him and he was a reserve for that season, then his next two seasons.
He started all 17 games in 2022 and broke up six passes. He has three interceptions for his career.
Epps saw a lot of playing time but he hasn't quite made the impact that other younger safeties have. He might be worth a one-year deal, though.
Nick Scott | Los Angeles Rams
A former seventh-round pick, Scott has spent all four seasons with the Rams. He was a bench player his first three seasons and didn't see a lot of snaps.
He's been more active this year, though, with 16 starts. He's tallied four interceptions and nine passes defensed.
Scott doesn't have much of a track record as a starter, though, so he's not likely to be in line for a big contract. He's another player that might be worth a one-year deal.
Donovan Wilson | Dallas Cowboys
A 2019 sixth-round pick, Wilson didn't have any starts as a rookie but started 10 games in 2020 and had two interceptions with 3.5 sacks.
He missed seven games in 2021 because of injuries but started all 17 games this past season. He had an interception to go with a pair of pass breakups. Wilson also had five sacks.
Some might link Wilson to the Broncos if Dan Quinn is hired as the next head coach. He definitely has value as a blitzer, though perhaps not as much as coverage. Still, he's somebody to consider on a low-cost deal.
Bottom Line
There are a lot of options out there for veteran safeties, though some will be better fits for what the Broncos need. A player who has experience as strong safety may be the Broncos' best bet.
Bell, Edmunds, Edwards, and Epps all make sense to some degree. Bell is probably your best bet if you go with a two-year deal. Edmunds and Edwards make sense on one-year deals, while Epps might be best viewed as a depth player who can start if necessary.
It wouldn't surprise me if the Broncos do add a veteran safety. I don't expect them to be big spenders at the position, but they are likely to consider their options.
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