Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
5 Defensive Free Agents who Fit on the Surface but Must be Avoided by Broncos
The Denver Broncos enter this free-agent period armed with significant cap space and money to spend. On the defensive side of the ball, I've highlighted five perfect fits for Denver.
That's half the battle. The other half is knowing which free agents to avoid, even if on the surface they appear to be a good fit.
Here are five defensive free agents the Broncos should avoid.
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Suh used to be a great player, but his play wasn't commensurate with his attitude problems on the field. Now the issue is, his play has fallen off and he is a bit older.
If Suh was still playing at a high level, maybe he would be worth it. Since that's not the case, it's better to just pass.
Nick Kwiatkoski, LB, Chicago Bears
Kwiatkoski has played for Vic Fangio, which is causing a lot of analysts to connect him to Denver. However, Kwiatkoski presents issues with injuries and performance that Denver should just avoid.
The word going around is Kwiatkoski has some concerns about the long-term stability with his knee, and unlike with Bryce Callahan, the Broncos can’t ignore that risk this time around.
Logan Ryan, CB, Tennessee Titans
Ryan has gotten a lot of love from my colleague Nick Kendall as a potential target for the Broncos. For me, though, Ryan is one to avoid simply because he was terrible in 2019, both in the slot and in the boundary.
In most statistical categories, except for interceptions, Ryan was in the bottom-5 worst and the worst in multiple. He used to be a solid corner, but he was picked on a lot this past season.
Darryl Worley, CB, Oakland Raiders
Statistically, Worley was middle-of-the-pack, but the tape doesn’t do him any favors. So that's one reason to avoid him.
Another are the 10 missed tackles he had in 2019, plus the additional 17 he had the previous two seasons, and so on. As tackling is a huge problem for Worley. He also happens to be a former Raider.
Ronald Darby, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
Darby was once valued for the versatility he brought to the secondary. 2019 was a rough year for Darby, though, as he dealt with multiple injuries that lingered throughout the season.
There hasn’t been word going around as to whether there are long-term concerns with his health, but after spending on Callahan and getting burned last year, the Broncos can’t take the risk without having Darby's medicals cleared up.
There are a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball that are set to be free agents. The Broncos can choose from just about any of them, but these five, just avoid them and look elsewhere.
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.
