Rumor Mill: Potential Cap Casualties Around the NFL who'd Fit Perfectly With Broncos

If any one of these vets gets the ax from their current NFL team, the Broncos have to be ready to pounce.

Each offseason, the NFL Rumor Mill churns out the names of veterans around the league who could end up being cap casualties. It's by no means a guarantee, but oftentimes, these rumored players are cut by their current teams, which renders them street free agents and free to sign with any team. 

Based on the rumors going around, here's a list of NFL veterans whose current teams could end up parting ways with them and if that happens, the Denver Broncos need to be all over them. 

Alex Mack, C, Atlanta Falcons

He's being rumored because the Falcons are in a very tough spot financially. Mack is still a very good center in the NFL, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 7 player at his position overall, No. 8 in pass blocking, and No. 7 in run blocking. He can still perform at a higher level, but the Falcons are low on cap room and parting with Mack could free up $8 million.

How he'd Fit: It doesn’t seem likely that Connor McGovern returns to the Broncos, so Denver will need someone to step in at center. If the Broncos want to go with a veteran in the middle of their offensive line, Mack makes sense for them. He did make more sense before the offensive coordinator change, but he'd still fit with what the Broncos want to do upfront.

Sammy Watkins, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

He could come into Denver and upgrade the receiving corps right away. The Chiefs aren’t tight in cap space just by looking at it, but if they want to keep Chris Jones and get Patrick Mahomes' extension done, they'll need more room. Cutting Watkins would free up $14M in cap space to help get those two contracts done, potentially.

How he'd Fit: Denver needs a complementary weapon to Courtland Sutton and Watkins can be that guy. Watkins gets open quickly and brings good speed to the offense. He can also pick up yards after the catch, which is very valued in the Pat Shurmur offense. In the NFL last year, Watkins was tied for third in yards after the catch per reception with 5.8. That is a weapon Denver can utilize.

Taylor Gabriel, WR, Chicago Bears

He just isn’t cutting it in Chicago and it is expected the Bears will decide to part ways. With his lackluster performance, Gabriel would likely be very cheap. 

How he Fits: If he does get cut, he is an inexpensive option for the Broncos to add some good speed to their offense that they are coveting.

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Lane Taylor, IOL, Green Bay Packers

Taylor might be a bit of a controversial player to have on this list, but the reason for it is simple. The Packers have Elgton Jenkins at left guard and he had a really good year, while Billy Turner at right guard had a very solid year. Of them all to make this list, this is the least likely to happen in my opinion. O-line has been an issue for multiple teams, so it's hard to imagine the Packers parting with a reserve lineman who isn’t overly expensive and they have plenty of cap space.

How he Fits: If the Packers do decide to let Taylor go, just to free up a little bit of cap room, he would be a great get for the Broncos to shore up the guard position. He fits with what Shurmur wants of his interior O-line and coming off an injury, he may still be cheap. The only conversation to have is, do you move Dalton Risner to right guard, or Lane Taylor to right guard?

Marquise Goodwin, WR, San Francisco 49ers 

He is a speedy receiver who can take the top off the defense. The Niners may be in the Super Bowl with a very talented roster, but they are set to lose some of that talent in free agency. San Francisco has a deep receiving corps, and Goodwin is expendable as they have other speedy options that fit inside the offense.

How he Fits: If there wasn’t a change to the offensive coordinator, Goodwin would be a must have for Denver if he were to be cut by San Fran. He would have experience in the root scheme and hit fit would be very easy. Even after the OC change, Goodwin is a good fit still as he still offers speed, but he just wouldn’t have the experience in the father scheme.

You'll notice all five of the players above are offensive vets. In the video above, I lay out five defensive vets who are rumored to be potential cap casualties around the league who'd fit the Broncos perfectly. Check it out and sound off in the comment section on which guys you'd want to see in Denver. 

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.