Bears Release Two Players who Could Interest Broncos
It's funny how things work out. For the better part of the last two months, we here at Mile High Huddle have been telling our readers to keep an eye on a handful of veterans around the league that we've heard could be cap casualties with their respective teams.
We've passed these names on to you because of a strong possibility that they could be of interest to the Denver Broncos. On Friday, two of those names were knocked loose, as it were, when Adam Schefter broke some news.
What's the Connection?
Taylor Gabriel: He brings 4.40-speed to the table, which is a missing element the Broncos are seeking for their receiving corps. He's also likely to come on the relative cheap.
The Broncos could plausibly sign Gabriel, who will be a street free agent, for somewhere around the $5 million per year mark, and maybe even for less. The Bears signed him as a free agent in 2018 but head coach and offensive guru Matt Nagy never really figured out how to fit him into the scheme, although in fairness, Gabriel had some health issues in 2019 that kept him out of almost half the season.
Gabriel spent time with Vic Fangio in Chicago in 2018, so there is at least a passing familiarity on top of the box the player checks in terms of being a scheme-fit. Gabriel could bring that explosive speed from the slot or outside the numbers to help take the top of the defense and provide both a vertical and horizontal weapon for Drew Lock.
Prince Amukamara: This one is a no-brainer. Amukamara spent two seasons learning at the feet of Fangio and has gushed about his ex-defensive coordinator on multiple occasions.
Amukamara is a former first-round pick who never really met the expectations that came with his draft pedigree. Fangio, however, was able to extract it in Chicago.
Now at age 30, Amukamara could seek a familiar face and a coach he looks up. Not only that, Amukamara is a perfect fit in Fangio's scheme and profiles perfectly as a No. 2 cornerback option for the Broncos.
Amukamara isn't going to command top dollar and he might even be willing to accept slightly less in order to reunite with Fangio, where he knows he can thrive. Think somewhere between the $6-9M range per year.
What's exciting about that, is that it wouldn't preclude the Broncos from going out and signing a corner like Byron Jones to a max contract, or even getting Chris Harris, Jr. re-signed instead.
If Amukamara landed in Denver, he'd also be teamed up once again with Bryce Callahan. Both corners flashed in 2018 and would fit hand-in-glove together in Fangio's scheme again.
Imagine a cornerback trio of Jones/Callahan/Amukamara. Or even Harris/Callahan/Amukamara.
What is currently a massive need in the cornerback department could once again be made a strength in the Mile High City. Keep an eye on both Gabriel and Amukamara and don't be surprised if either land in Denver.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
