Denver Broncos free agency analysis and remaining options
The Calais Campbell dream for the Denver Broncos died officially on March 9th.
The Broncos made a late push to steal Campbell from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have used the Broncos as a pipeline to fill out their depth chart in recent years. In the end, the Broncos weren’t willing to match what the Jaguars were offering financially, and Campbell signed with the Jags for four years, $60 million, $30 million in guarantees.
That was a price point the Broncos simply couldn’t compete with, and the Jaguars sold Campbell on the opportunity to be the unquestioned leader of their young, talented defense.
They also seem to have an endless amount of funds available to spend.
It’s frustrating to see the Broncos come so close to signing someone like Campbell and ultimately fail, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s clear that Campbell is more about money than competing for a championship, which Broncos players were not shy about expressing on Twitter.
Boys ain't tryna win a SB lol
— Chris Harris (@ChrisHarrisJr) March 9, 2017
They not tho https://t.co/b5xcZSXab6
— Brandon Marshall (@BMarshh) March 9, 2017
The good news for the Broncos? All is not lost. There are still some very good players available on the defensive line, including a player that threw a touchdown pass against the Broncos this past season.
Former Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe surprisingly didn’t sign with anyone at the start of free agency. He has had three days to gauge his value on the open market, and teams are taking a wait-and-see approach, leading some to believe he might take a ‘prove-it’ contract on a one or two-year deal.
That is something I would think the Broncos would be interested in, especially with rumors they were interested in both Campbell and Chris Baker.
The Broncos’ focus seems to be on upgrading in the trenches, but on the defensive side, they lost out on both Calais Campbell and Chris Baker, who signed with the Buccaneers.
A couple of other players that could fit that are intriguing are Johnathan Hankins of the New York Giants, Bennie Logan of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Jared Odrick, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars.