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Denver Broncos April Fools: 5 worst free-agent signings ever

By Travis Wakeman

22 Sep 1996: Defensive back Dale Carter of the Kansas City Chiefs during the Chiefs 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn/ALLSPORT
22 Sep 1996: Defensive back Dale Carter of the Kansas City Chiefs during the Chiefs 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn/ALLSPORT /
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CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 10: Leonard Floyd #94 of the Chicago Bears rushes past Menelik Watson #75 of the Denver Broncos during a preseason game at Soldier Field on August 10, 2017, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 10: Leonard Floyd #94 of the Chicago Bears rushes past Menelik Watson #75 of the Denver Broncos during a preseason game at Soldier Field on August 10, 2017, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Menelik Watson

Following the 2016 season, Elway knew he needed to work on rebuilding the offensive line, and he zeroed in on the right tackle spot. Ty Sambrailo and Donald Stephenson had both played below-average football at that position and he was looking for an upgrade.

He decided to bring in Menelik Watson, a former second-round pick of the Oakland Raiders. He had made 17 starts for the Raiders, but he wasn’t particularly great for them. Elway thought he could slide him into the Broncos’ system and gave him a three-year, $18.75 million contract.

Watson only started seven games for the Broncos in 2017 and in those starts, he looked absolutely lost on the field. In fact, he may have been even worse than Sambrailo and Stephenson, which was hard to do.

A calf injury landed him on injured reserve in November, ending his season.

In 2018, the Broncos were looking to see if Watson might be able to play guard for the team and hopefully, the team could get something out of the deal that it gave him. But nothing would ever really come of that as a pectoral injury that summer forced the team’s hand, and he was released.

Watson has never played in the NFL since and his career will be easily forgotten, specifically the time he spent in Denver.

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