Broncos Tapped as 'Top' Landing Spot for 5x Pro Bowl WR

Denver "badly wants" a veteran wideout in free agency.

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) runs with the ball after making a catch against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos "badly want" to procure a veteran wide receiver when NFL free agency begins next week, according to The Athletic's Mike Jones, who identified five-time Pro Bowl WR Amari Cooper as the potential "top target."

"The Broncos badly want a veteran wide receiver to pair with second-year pro Bo Nix," Jones wrote Thursday. "With the Bengals taking Tee Higgins off the free-agent market by using the franchise tag on him for a second straight offseason, Cooper is among the best options available. The 30-year-old never seemed to fully settle in with Buffalo after a midseason trade, but he should fit well with Sean Payton’s offense."

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Long known for his reliable hands, Cooper enters the open market the owner of 10,033 career receiving yards and 64 touchdowns across 10 seasons and four teams. His stock took a hit amid a tumultuous 2024 campaign that began as the Browns' WR1 and, following a midseason trade, ended as an afterthought in the Bills' pecking order.

9NEWS' Mike Klis also named Cooper a possible free-agent option for the Broncos, noting that "perhaps his difficult 2024 season will drive down the market for what had been one of the league’s elite receivers."

The Broncos have one vet wideout in tow — Courtland Sutton, who needs (and likely will get) a contract extension — flanked by a host of younger pass-catchers including Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin. It's a position that's "stronger than some would think," head coach Sean Payton affirmed last month.

That, of course, screams of the proverbial smokescreen. The Broncos are intent on surrounding Nix with as much talent as he can handle, such to the extent of likely using their first-round pick on a "Joker" tight end or running back.

We should assume a receiver will be part-and-parcel to a process that begins Monday with the opening of the NFL's legal tampering window. Stay tuned.

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