Report: Ex-Broncos CB Mike Ford Signs with Falcons
This offseason, the Denver Broncos had a quartet of cornerbacks hit unrestricted free agency. Up until Friday, only one of them had signed with a new team.
On Friday, ex-Broncos cornerback Mike Ford signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, according to AllFalcons.com. The terms of the deal have yet to be reported.
Ford enters his age-27 season and his time with the Broncos was barely more than a cup-of-coffee type stay. Denver claimed him off waivers on the doorstep of the regular-season opener and he went on to appear in 13 games, seeing the majority of his play on special teams.
Ford entered the league as a Detroit Lions college free-agent signing out of Southeast-Missouri State back in 2018. When Denver acquired him, the team saw him as a means to bolster what had been a porous special teams coverage unit.
Considering the other three corners Denver let hit the open market, it's something of a surprise to see, first, Nate Hairston (Minnesota), then Ford as the next one signed by an outside team. Former starters Bryce Callahan and Kyle Fuller have languished on the free-agent market.
For a time, it seemed like Denver might re-sign Callahan but instead, GM George Paton pivoted and signed former San Francisco 49ers' slot ace K'Waun Williams. That spelled the end, in all likelihood, of a possible return to Denver for Callahan — who's arguably the NFL's top slot corner when healthy.
Fuller was signed to a one-year deal last spring, and although the Broncos leaned on him heavily early on in the 2021 season, he quickly proved that his All-Pro form is very much in the rear-view mirror. Perhaps it's more proof of the Broncos' lackluster standing the past few years that Ford and Hairston highlight the list of free agents outside teams have signed.
Safety Kareem Jackson garnered interest from Pittsburgh before ultimately opting to take a one-year deal to re-sign with Denver. Running back Melvin Gordon is still sitting on the market after he fired his agents and hired new representation.
The Broncos' top-three cornerbacks are formidable — Patrick Surtain II, Ronald Darby, and Williams — but behind them, the team's depth takes a precipitous fall. Michael Ojemudia highlights the best of the rest with the recently-returned Essang Bassey the only depth corner with any NFL slot experience.
Expect Denver to use at least one of its eight draft picks on cornerback later this month.
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