Broncos' Worst Free Agent Signings in the Last Decade

The Broncos' five worst free-agent signings of the past decade are a cautionary tale.

Sep 19, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) hands off to running back Melvin Gordon (25) in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

NFL free agency is almost here. Many dominoes have already fallen around the NFL, including releases and franchise tags.

The Denver Broncos are gearing up for the legal tampering window to open on March 9. Two days later, the new league year opens, and we're off to the races.

Since GM George Paton has been teamed up with head coach Sean Payton, the Broncos have mostly made solid, savvy free-agent decisions. But that hasn't always been the case, especially pre-Payton.

The late John Elway front-office regime shares the bulk of the complicity for today's list of the Broncos' five worst free-agent signings of the past decade. But the current regime had a swing-and-a-miss in 2024, and Paton really missed on a 2022 signing.

Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds (11) makes a catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The lone Paton/Payton free-agent signing on this list, Reynolds arrived on a two-year deal worth $9 million in 2024. There was ample reason to believe that Reynolds could be a nice No. 2 receiver to complement Courtland Sutton, after his 608-yard, five-touchdown 2023 campaign with the Detroit Lions.

Alas, after suffering a hand injury in Week 5, Reynolds landed on injured reserve. Later that month, he was wounded in a shooting in Denver. Two months later, the Broncos waived him.

Relative to the swing, this was a low-cost miss.

Oct 6, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon III (25) runs the ball in the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Elway regime signed Gordon to a two-year, $16 million deal in 2020, which, on its face, wasn't the worst thing for a two-time Pro Bowler, although I always felt it was a tad rich. What it signaled to Phillip Lindsay at the time — the team's leading rusher in each of the preceding two seasons — was the worst part about the Gordon signing.

Lindsay wanted a new contract after rushing for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. He became the first-ever undrafted rookie to do that in each of his first two years, earning Pro Bowl honors as a rookie.

Obviously, the Broncos weren't convinced that Lindsay could carry the load and had doubts that he was built to last. The arrival of Gordon had a negative effect on Lindsay, causing him to play angry (according to him), which led to the first injury issues of his career in the 2020 season.

After initially tendering the restricted free-agent Lindsay in the spring of 2021, the Broncos eventually rescinded it, and he signed with the Miami Dolphins. Lindsay's 2019 campaign was the last time an individual Bronco rushed for 1,000 yards.

As for Gordon, he wasn't exactly a free-agent bust, but he wasn't worth the money the Broncos paid him. He led the team in rushing in 2020 and 2021, coming just shy of 1,000 yards in each season, but he suffered from some tremendous fumbling issues, which cost the Broncos.

In 2022, Paton re-signed Gordon to a one-year deal. He would appear in 10 games that year, finishing with 318 rushing yards and two touchdowns. However, after his fifth fumble of the season, the Broncos waived him.

Gordon earned a second contract with the Broncos, so some might take issue with my listing him here. But his fumbling issues and inconsistencies, combined with his cost and how it torpedoed Lindsay's tenure in Denver, make it a bad signing in retrospect. But you know what they say about hindsight and 20/20 vision.

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Oct 1, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos guard Ronald Leary (65) against the Kansas City Chiefs at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Broncos signed Leary to a four-year, $36 million deal in 2017. He was meant to hold down the right guard position and bring some power and leadership to the Broncos' fledgling offensive line.

When Leary was on the field, he was solid. Alas, he was only available for 29 of 48 games through three seasons, dealing with knee and Achilles injuries.

After his third season, the Broncos declined Leary's fourth-year option, rendering him a free agent. At the time, the money spent on Leary was big, and the Broncos failed to get a solid return on investment.

Leary was a great guy and a tremendous player, though. He just couldn't stay healthy.

August 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gregory (5) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Broncos were aware of the risks when they signed Gregory to a five-year, $70 million deal in the spring of 2022. His tenure with the Dallas Cowboys was replete with drama, especially relative to his run-ins with the NFL's drug policies.

Gregory started out on solid footing in Denver, providing a couple of sacks through the first quarter of the 2022 season. Then he suffered a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve.

The Broncos activated him late in the season, and after an embarrassing Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Rams (51-14), Gregory got in an altercation with Rams guard Oday Aboushi. The NFL initially suspended Gregory one game, but upon appeal, the suspension was lifted and he paid a $50,000 fine.

That Rams loss was the last straw for then-head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who became (at the time) one of two coaches in NFL history to be fired before even finishing his first season.

Gregory's time was cut short by the arrival of Payton as head coach in 2023. Seeing the upside in Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto, Payton opted not to start Gregory in Week 4. The writing was on the wall.

The Broncos soon traded Gregory and a seventh-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a sixth-rounder. Thus ended one of the biggest free-agent misses in Broncos history.

Gregory only totaled three sacks as a Bronco. He got $28 million guaranteed when he signed his five-year deal. The Broncos paid all but $1.08 million of Gregory's $10.9 million 2023 salary in that trade with San Francisco.

Jun 4, 2019; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James (70) looks on during mini camp drills at the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse at UCHealth Training Center. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Broncos signed James to a four-year, $51 million deal in 2019. Due to a knee injury, he only appeared in three games that season.

When the pandemic hit, James opted out of the 2020 season. The Broncos had to march on without their high-dollar right tackle.

During the 2021 offseason, James suffered a torn Achilles during workouts away from the Broncos' facility. The Broncos released him in May. He played 63 total snaps as a Bronco.

After his release, James filed a grievance over the Broncos' decision to void his remaining guaranteed money. The Broncos eventually settled, paying him $1.09 million, which was a far cry from the guaranteed money the team voided upon his release.

James could go down as the Broncos' worst free-agent signing of the 21st century.