Broncos' Top Free-Agent Options: Defense
We're getting closer to the start of the 2022 NFL calendar year and the start of free agency. We've talked quite a bit about certain positions the Denver Broncos are likely to target.
On defense, positions the Broncos will need to address are edge rusher, off-ball linebacker, and slot cornerback. Those positions are among the biggest priorities, other than quarterback, to get the Broncos back into playoff contention.
In our final installment, we'll look at two other positions on defense and one special teams position in which the Broncos could be looking for depth or upgrades.
Interior Defensive Line
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Mike Purcell is a potential cap casualty, while Shamar Stephen is an unrestricted free agent and DeShawn Williams is a restricted free agent. That means the Broncos need to be thinking about a nose tackle and depth at this position.
Most of the players hitting free agency aren't likely to get big contracts, so if they look at options here, the Broncos shouldn't have to pay a lot of money. The best way for the Broncos to approach this may be to give Williams the RFA tender while cutting Purcell, then look to the draft for depth.
Of course, McTelvin Agim is still on the roster and has had his moments. However, he's had a small sample size of snaps.
Agim must be viewed as strictly a depth player until he proves otherwise, and furthermore, the Broncos need more depth than just him. That's why the Broncos should draft more depth.
Safety
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With Kareem Jackson an unrestricted free agent and not likely to be back, the Broncos have to ask themselves if they're comfortable with who they have on the roster to play alongside Justin Simmons.
2021 fifth-rounder Caden Sterns played well as a rookie and will likely get a chance to start while his draft mate Jamar Johnson was inactive for most of the year, so it's not a good idea to go with just him for depth.
Tendering P.J. Locke as an exclusive rights free agent will help with the depth, but the Broncos might want to look at free agency, too. The team just has to remember to not chase after big names — meaning the Broncos need to forget about the likes of Xavier Woods, Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Williams, and Quandre Diggs.
Better, instead, to look at cheaper players who can push the younger players on the roster. I wouldn't be opposed to, say, Jabrill Peppers, who will be just 27 years old and is going to come at a much lower price.
Punter
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Sam Martin hasn't been terrible, but he hasn't been great, either. His cap number will be $2.7M in 2022, so it's possible the Broncos could move on from him.
However, the free-agent punter class isn't a particularly strong group. Bryan Anger was a solid punter in 2021, but the others weren't really better than Martin.
The best bet for the Broncos is to keep Martin until after the draft, at which point they can either determine whether the recently waiver-claimed Corliss Waitman shows enough to justify moving on from the veteran. If Waitman fails to launch, Denver could add a college free agent.
Since Martin has no guaranteed money, it won't be an issue to keep him around until then.
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