The Market for Derek Wolfe is Heating up
Derek Wolfe is poised to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his eight-year NFL career. The Denver Broncos' first pick in the 2012 draft, Wolfe earned a second contract amid the team's championship run back in 2015.
GM John Elway locked Wolfe down long before he ever hit the open market, which cost the Broncos a chance to re-sign fellow Super Bowl 50-champion and defensive lineman Malik Jackson. Elway had to choose between Wolfe and Jackson, and the decision was Wolfe.
Fast forward four seasons, and Wolfe's contract has expired and once again, the Broncos have to make a decision. Does the team throw in with homegrown free-agent Shelby Harris, or keep the band together and get Wolfe re-signed? We've heard rumor that the Broncos believe they'll be able to get something done with Wolfe, and rumor that Elway believes Harris is going to price himself out of the Broncos' range.
With Elway at the NFL Combine this past week, along with every player agent under the sun, the Broncos' GM reportedly got a chance to speak with Wolfe's agent Andrew Kessler, and the word coming out was that it was a positive conversation, per 9NEWS' Mike Klis.
It doesn't appear as if Wolfe's camp is going to rest on their laurels, and nor should they. According to NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, it sounds like Wolfe might already have a few free-agent visits lined up around the NFL.
Technically, Wolfe is under contract with the Broncos until the new league year opens in March, so outside teams are very much restricted from openly negotiating with him on a contract. That doesn't mean Wolfe's agent hasn't explored his market, though, and what better place to do just that than the one annual event where NFL GMs and head coaches descend on the Indianapolis Convention Center for the NFL Combine?
It's worth noting that teams who violate the NFL's tampering laws will be subject to sanctions, which include the possibility of a fine and a loss of draft picks. The league's 'legal tampering' window opens on March 16, which is two days ahead of the new league year kicking off.
Even if Wolfe's camp doesn't have four potential visits lined up, you can't blame them for putting a bug in Elway's ear and pushing the envelope in the press. This could be the 30-year-old's last chance at a multi-year contract.
Wolfe has said himself that he'd prefer to finish his career in Denver. But as a married man and relatively new father, he's also got to do what he can to maximize his opportunity to earn as much money as he possibly can before retirement.
My bet is that Wolfe ends up staying in Denver. But if Elway wants to hold onto the one individual player who arguably took to Vic Fangio's new defensive scheme the best, he's going to have to pay for the privilege.
Re-signing Wolfe comes with a fair amount of risk, though. Although he's coming off a career year in which he posted seven sacks before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in Week 13, he has missed a lot of time over the years due to health.
However, if Wolfe hadn't so obviously proven to be such a fit for Fangio, and had he not posted career-high numbers in a contract year before getting hurt, his injury concerns might be more pressing. The bottom line is, Wolfe produced at a high level and the Broncos are facing a gaping hole on the defensive line.
Not getting Wolfe re-signed would be a blow, but the silver lining is, this is an absolutely stacked defensive line class in free agency. One way or another, Elway will provide Fangio with the personnel tools necessary upfront to make his defense hum. Here's to hoping Wolfe is among them.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
