2022 Free Agency

[grizmo78]

Figured since we have most of our offseason threads up, this one can get started too. 

Broncos FAs:

 

While you could make an argument for some of our UFA's to come back, I wouldn't be opposed to letting most of them go and hopefully collect some comp picks for them next year. I'd have to think at least one of our linebackers would be brought back though between Jewell, Young, and Johnson. Who would you look to retain?

[lomaxgrUK]

Priority UFAs

Young

Would like to have back at the right price (in order) - UFAs

Gordon
Jewell
Massie
Callahan
Saubert
Weatherly
Hairston

[paul-mac]

I really think we are going to struggle to bring back many, if any of our own UFAs, let alone bring in any external guys.

 

 

OTC have us at $42m cap room at the moment. $6m of that will be needed to sign our draft picks and around $10m to bring back the likely RFAs and ERFAs (Calvin Anderson, Malik Reed, Brett Rypien, Jonas Griffith, PJ Locke)

 

 

That leaves us $26m which is exactly how much we will be spending on a QB. Rodgers/Wilson/Garoppolo all coming in around that number. Heck, even if we ran it back with Bridgewater, he is reportedly looking for around that number.

 

So that means we don’t have any cap room to bring any of these guys back or sign any new guys.

 

I think what’s likely is that if we do bring Rodgers or Wilson across, we would rework their contract. Both only have 2 years left on their deal so we could reduce their base salary considerably and convert it to a signing bonus, stick a 3rd year on the end of the contract and pro-rate that bonus over 3 years. At the end of that 3 years the QB could then decide whether to continue playing or retire.

 

This could save us about $10m against the cap to bolster the team.

 

I’m not really seeing many other places we can save on cap:

- Dae’Sean Hamilton’s $2.2m surely comes off the books 

 

- Mike Purcell I guess you could cut him and save $2.9m

 

- Sam Martin is a bit overpaid for a punter at $2.25m but given some of the crappy punters we’ve had, I’m not sure we want to cut him and gamble.

 

- You could pay Chubb (option year) a long term deal and design it such that the cap number is pretty low in year one but I’m actually a bit reluctant to commit to him long term. He’s spent far too long in the treatment room in his first 4 years and when he has played, I’m not convinced he hasn’t regressed since that 12 sack rookie year. 

[Broncofan]

Honestly the only priority FA who likely gets a large amount of attention that I'd want back is Kenny Young.    And I'd much prefer him to Jewell, because of the complete game he offers in both run D & pass coverage.   Jewell is such a smart guy, but he's also limited by his athletic ceiling.  

Saubert, Hairtson & Weatherley I'd love to have back as depth - I'd be surprised if they were in demand. 

Calvin Anderson as a 2nd rd RFA seems the one RFA raise I'd make.   According to OTC, it's a 1.6M raise to ensure he stays (from 2.4M to 4.0M IIRC), but this is one time that I'd pay the $ - otherwise, any team can offer any contract to him and we have to decide to match it or let him go without any compensation (since he was a UFA signing).   For a guy you're planning to start at RT next year, 4M is very reasonable (and 1.6M to avoid a CJ Anderson 2016 repeat, where MIA offered a poison pill contract that Elway then matched, and then ate 7M of dead money when CJA was past his peak in 2017-8 and released, tried to save 880K for a 1.8 to 2.7M / 1 year contract decision, and ended up paying 6.2M+ more for 9M/2 years instead).

Edited January 14, 2022 by Broncofan

[paul-mac]

30 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

Honestly the only priority FA who likely gets a large amount of attention that I'd want back is Kenny Young.    And I'd much prefer him to Jewell, because of the complete game he offers in both run D & pass coverage.   Jewell is such a smart guy, but he's also limited by his athletic ceiling.  

Saubert, Hairtson & Weatherley I'd love to have back as depth - I'd be surprised if they were in demand. 

Calvin Anderson as a 2nd rd RFA seems the one RFA raise I'd make.   According to OTC, it's a 1.6M raise to ensure he stays (from 2.4M to 4.0M IIRC), but this is one time that I'd pay the $ - otherwise, any team can offer any contract to him and we have to decide to match it or let him go without any compensation (since he was a UFA signing).   For a guy you're planning to start at RT next year, 4M is very reasonable (and 1.6M to avoid a CJ Anderson 2016 repeat, where MIA offered a poison pill contract that Elway then matched, and then ate 7M of dead money when CJA was past his peak in 2017-8 and released, tried to save 880K for a 1.8 to 2.7M / 1 year contract decision, and ended up paying 6.2M+ more for 9M/2 years instead).

What about Malik Reed? 

[Broncofan]

7 minutes ago, paul-mac said:

What about Malik Reed? 

Reed was awful this year.   Like, really bad.  I get he's cheap, though.   But it may be he's just not starter material.  And if he doesn't bring pass rush chops, he's a minus in the run game.

Original rd tender, sure (which means no compensation) - if it's not guaranteed.   If it's guaranteed, at 2.4M, I'm so undecided on him. 

I thought it might be we're being too hard on him, but the metrics back up the tape (look at bottom at the graph, he's literally dead last)

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Broncofan

[paul-mac]

Just now, Broncofan said:

Reed was awful this year.   Like, really bad.  I get he's cheap, though.   But it may be he's just not starter material.    Original rd tender, sure (which means no compensation).  I'm so undecided on him. 

I thought it might be we're being too hard on him, but the metrics back up the tape (look at bottom at the graph, he's literally dead last)

 

 

Oh Jeez. I know he was poor this year but I thought he was poor as in “bring him back cheaply as a rotational backup behind other guys”. Looking at this I think we just let him walk.

 

I’d be looking at a 4-strong EDGE rotation next year of Bradley Chubb, Jonathan Cooper, a veteran FA signing (which may just mean bringing Weatherly back) and a rookie draft choice 

[Broncofan]

5 minutes ago, paul-mac said:

 

Oh Jeez. I know he was poor this year but I thought he was poor as in “bring him back cheaply as a rotational backup behind other guys”. Looking at this I think we just let him walk.

 

I’d be looking at a 4-strong EDGE rotation next year of Bradley Chubb, Jonathan Cooper, a veteran FA signing (which may just mean bringing Weatherly back) and a rookie draft choice 

Yeah, Cooper actually flashed 3-4 games IIRC.   I think he hit the rookie wall (I hope it's that), and disappeared, but at least he flashed.   For Reed, to be in his 3rd year and do that - way different than a rookie. 

I don't think we can count on Cooper as more than the 3rd guy, and we do need a 4th depth guy who can be cheap, like Weatherley (but no, I don't pay up).    EDGE is going to be a Day 2 priority IMO if we don't have a Rd1 pick (hoping that's the case lol).

Edited January 14, 2022 by Broncofan

[broncosfan_101]

Calvin Anderson’s the one guy I’d make a priority. A $4M 2nd round tender is more than reasonable for a swing OT who might have starter upside. And I agree that at least one of Young or Jewell should be back, but it depends on the defence we’re running next season. If we stay with a 34, I like Jewell’s instincts inside. If we go to a 43, Young’s athleticism is probably more important. 

[Orangecrush151]

What’s up with all the hate on Jewel, young has limitations as well and jewel imo looked good in coverage as wel this year. I think he is vastly underrated by the fans

[AkronsWitness]

5 hours ago, Orangecrush151 said:

What’s up with all the hate on Jewel, young has limitations as well and jewel imo looked good in coverage as wel this year. I think he is vastly underrated by the fans

He's unathletic for the position, especially in 2022 where LBs are evolving into big strong Safety's. He would have been a great LB 10 years ago.

You need to be able to run and cover in space, especially when you have to beat the Cheifs twice per year and can't run zone all the time. That's not Jewels strength and it is Kenny Youngs.

Kenny Young, Baron Browning and Nakobe Dean would be dynamic.

 

Also--i doubt Paton traded Von Miller and specifically got Kenny Young back in a trade to not resign him. He obviously likes him

Edited January 25, 2022 by AkronsWitness

[lomaxgrUK]

8 hours ago, Orangecrush151 said:

What’s up with all the hate on Jewel, young has limitations as well and jewel imo looked good in coverage as wel this year. I think he is vastly underrated by the fans

No hate from me. I love Josey. Young just brings a level of dynamism to our LB core. I'd be fine with us re-signing Josey and pairing him with Browning. Plus, we don't know how he's going to recover from his injury.

3 hours ago, AkronsWitness said:

He's unathletic for the position, especially in 2022 where LBs are evolving into big strong Safety's. He would have been a great LB 10 years ago.

You need to be able to run and cover in space, especially when you have to beat the Cheifs twice per year and can't run zone all the time. That's not Jewels strength and it is Kenny Youngs.

Kenny Young, Baron Browning and Nakobe Dean would be dynamic.

 

Also--i doubt Paton traded Von Miller and specifically got Kenny Young back in a trade to not resign him. He obviously likes him

We've defended well against the Chiefs with Josey in the lineup; certainly far better than the league average. 

Josey is a really good man cover LB from the backfield which is what LBs are required to do for most Defenses in this league. How many LB's can consistently cover move TE's in the NFL? 3? Maybe 5 at a push?

People see Josey's 40 time (and some people, his skin colour) and assume he's unathletic. Can people point me towards the clips of Josey's athleticism letting us down on the field?

[BroncoBruin]

The guy did get beat by a fullback on a wheel route. 

[jsthomp2007]

10 hours ago, lomaxgrUK said:

No hate from me. I love Josey. Young just brings a level of dynamism to our LB core. I'd be fine with us re-signing Josey and pairing him with Browning. Plus, we don't know how he's going to recover from his injury.

We've defended well against the Chiefs with Josey in the lineup; certainly far better than the league average. 

Josey is a really good man cover LB from the backfield which is what LBs are required to do for most Defenses in this league. How many LB's can consistently cover move TE's in the NFL? 3? Maybe 5 at a push?

People see Josey's 40 time (and some people, his skin colour) and assume he's unathletic. Can people point me towards the clips of Josey's athleticism letting us down on the field?

You know who will defend well?  Nikobe Dean.

[lomaxgrUK]

18 hours ago, BroncoBruin said:

The guy did get beat by a fullback on a wheel route. 

But was it a mental blip, or a physical blip? Browning got smoked a fair amount from very athletically limited RBs when he was in the lineup. Doesn't mean he's not athletic.