The Denver Broncos have work to do in the 2021 offseason under new general manager George Paton.
Paton has some critical areas of the roster as it is to address before the Broncos get the chance to look into the 2021 NFL free agency crop, but that’s not going to prevent us from taking a look at some wish-list players for the team given their current needs.
Those needs obviously include the cornerback position (where AJ Bouye is not expected to return in 2021), linebacker, safety, and possibly defensive line and edge rusher. Offensively, the Denver Broncos could also seek out free agent quarterbacks.
The team will have to make decisions on prominent in-house free agents like safety Justin Simmons and defensive lineman Shelby Harris among others, but there should be enough cap space to make another couple of impact moves through free agency even if both of those guys are re-signed.
Focusing entirely on the defensive side of the ball, here are a few players to keep an eye on as free agency approaches.
Denver Broncos 2021 free agent wish list: Michael Davis, CB, Chargers
Filling positions of need is good, but stealing from division rivals makes it all the more enjoyable.
Over the past four seasons, Michael Davis has steadily and quietly developed into a very solid starting outside cornerback in the NFL.
Excelling in zone coverage, Davis has 31 pass breakups over the past three seasons along with five interceptions in his last two. He has also proven himself to be a strong tackler with 171 career tackles to his name.
Davis also just turned 26 in early January and at that age, is a player worth investing a long-term contract in. That will be a theme you notice throughout this post — getting players who have developed well and are young enough to warrant a long-term contract.
The Broncos are not exactly in the “win now” mode to be able to sign veteran guys to short-term contract and try to ring chase. The smarter play would be to go after younger guys who could excel for potentially even two contracts with the team.
Michael Davis has the zone coverage abilities and ball skills to be able to be an impactful starting outside corner in Vic Fangio’s defense. Making a move like this would push Bryce Callahan back into the nickel role for the 2021 season and potentially beyond if he’s able to stay healthy and earn another contract with the Broncos.