Denver Broncos OLB Shaquil Barrett Deserves New Contract

During the absence of Shane Ray this season and beyond, Shaquil Barrett has earned the right to a new contract from the Denver Broncos in the future.

Broncos Country has seen flashes of Shaquil Barrett during his time as a Denver Bronco. Whenever Demarcus Ware was hurt during the 2015 season, we saw him perform like a man on a mission. The Cleveland Browns game that year really opened my eyes to what he can do.

And who can forget when he flattened Tom Brady in a matchup later on that year.

In 2017, we have not heard a lot from Shaquil Barrett. But make no mistake that he has been performing well in 2017. He did miss the first few games of the season while recovering from off-season surgery on his hip.

Barrett has made two spectacular plays in the last two games. The linebacker blocked a punt during the Bengals game last week and strip sacked Derek Carr as the first quarter was ending last week.

Over the last three seasons, we have seen Shaquil Barrett perform time in and time out. With that said, I believe that he deserves a new contract by the Denver Broncos. Honestly, Barrett could be starting on another team. But the Broncos would be wise to hold on to him.

Not saying that Shane Ray is not any good. But there have been times where I think Barrett plays better. For this season, he has recorded 27 tackles and four sacks on the year. This also includes two forced fumbles and fumble recovery. He  is 1.5 sacks away from tying his career high.

Next: Derek Wolfe's Neck Injury Considered Serious

If the Denver Broncos want to keep their defense mostly in tact for the long run, it would be wise to sign Barrett while you can. His performance on the field has earned him a spot on the roster for years to come.

Don’t wait too long John Elway. Get that man signed.