Zach Kerr Contract Details: A Possible Steal For The Denver Broncos
By Steven Kriz
With the numbers in for Zach Kerr’s contract, find out why he could next in a long line of John Elway free agency bargains for the Denver Broncos.
Who is Zach Kerr? Every so often it seems that Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway finds away to lure in a diamond in the rough. A few years back the Broncos signed Terrance Knighton, a mostly unheard of defensive tackle from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Knighton, after a slow start in 2013, blossomed into a prominent force in the middle of the Broncos defense.
Two years ago, after letting Rahim Moore walk in free agency, Elway signed Darian Stewart—a safety from the Baltimore Ravens. Most had never heard of Stewart, but he turned into a Pro Bowl caliber safety in just his first year with the Broncos, and helped turn a good defense into a historically great one on the way to a Super Bowl victory.
This season, could it be Zach Kerr, a recently signed defensive tackle from the Indianapolis Colts that is that unknown gem? If so, he’s going to be quite the bargain.
Tuesday, the
details of Kerr’s contract became public
, and like usual with these under-the-radar signings, it appears to be a good one for the Denver Broncos. According to
, Kerr signed a two-year deal worth a total of $3,000,000.00, with $1,250,000.00 fully guaranteed. Kerr carries a $1,437,500.00 cap number in 2017, an enormous bargain for someone they envision starting for this defense.
First of all, Zach Kerr is a big-bodied 3-4 DE. He’s coming in at 6’2″and 334 lbs, 40 lbs heavier than Jared Crick. Due to his size alone, the Broncos have to love his potential. Maybe as a pass rusher he is relatively raw, recording only 2.5 sacks in 2016 (one coming against the Broncos in week 2). However, he has proven to be very good at stopping the run. This is an area the the Broncos struggled mightily with in 2016. Since they were one of the best run stuffing teams in the NFL in 2015, they would like to get back to that standard. Denver hopes that Kerr can assist with that.
@CameronWolfe Not bad by Zach Kerr on the backside of OZ here pic.twitter.com/BwwtjUYVyq
— Greg Jones Jr (@Coach_Jones92) March 11, 2017
Zach Kerr gets inside on Easton, who can't hold his block. This is the run blocking in a nutshell. pic.twitter.com/mRGC3bJsCr
— Vikings Corner (@VikingsCorner) December 19, 2016
Due to the fact that he is so much bigger than Crick , the Broncos hope he will be a nice upgrade. Add Kerr to Derek Wolfe, and also recently signed Domata Peko and you find yourself with a really stout, run-stopping front.
Additionally, this should help Von Miller and Shane Ray tee off on quarterbacks that won’t be able to simply hand the ball off on third down. Almost anyone would agree, with a better rush defense, the Broncos defense should be far stronger.
Next: Elvis Dumervil a Denver Bronco again?
John Elway may not be done adding to this defensive line just yet. However, if he is, he may be getting some real bang for his buck. If Kerr doesn’t work out, the Broncos can easily cut ties with him after the year with only a $250,000.00 dead money cap hit.
Hopefully that’s not the case with Kerr. Due to the manageable contract, and great potential, it would seem doubtful. However, anything is possible in the NFL. Seems like a typical Elway under-the-radar signing though. Maybe one that ends up being a fixture to this defense for years to come. Here’s to hoping that Zach Kerr is this years free agent steal.