Every offseason, the free agency frenzy is one of the most enjoyable parts of the NFL season. For the Denver Broncos, it’s going to be especially critical as new general manager George Paton puts some pieces into place on the “sleeping giant” of a roster he signed up to build upon.
Although Paton asserted the NFL Draft where the team will be built, there is undoubtedly value in the free agency period and especially so if you can find players who fit your culture and team needs for the right price.
For instance, this year’s class of free agent cornerbacks is especially deep, and the Denver Broncos will almost assuredly consider adding players there prior to addressing areas of need in the 2021 NFL Draft.
One of the top things to watch out for as players change teams in free agency? Some type of connection to other teams around the league, whether it’s an executive who drafted a guy who a coach who has previously worked with someone hitting the market.
It is a huge reason why the Denver Broncos were able to sign Bryce Callahan in 2019, or why the Colts were able to sign Philip Rivers last offseason, and you could point to countless examples year after year.
How much do connections matter? More often than not, they matter a lot. Here are a number of free agents who make sense for the Denver Broncos based on the team’s needs and their current connections to the coaching staff.
Denver Broncos 2021 free agents with connections
1. Mitchell Trubisky, QB (Bears)
Although this move might not overly excite a lot of fans, Mitchell Trubisky is in the vein of the type of quarterback the Denver Broncos should be pursuing in the 2021 offseason.
It remains to be seen what kind of strategy George Paton will want to take at quarterback, but despite his flaws, Trubisky is a player who has now been to the postseason twice as an NFL quarterback and the time he and the Bears were a truly legitimate threat was in Vic Fangio’s final year as Chicago’s defensive coordinator in 2018.
Fangio didn’t work directly with Trubisky, but he was there for Trubisky’s first two seasons in the league and undoubtedly knows him well.
If Trubisky is available at the right price, it’s almost never a bad idea to give a second chance to former top-five picks who are still just 26 years old.
Look at how the strategy of buying low on a former top pick worked out for the Tennessee Titans with Ryan Tannehill. Trubisky is an above-average athlete with plenty of experience who could push Drew Lock in Denver and start for the Broncos if need be.
In addition to his connections with Fangio and other former Bears coaches currently on Denver’s staff, Trubisky has been competing against new Broncos GM George Paton for the past four seasons. He hasn’t lost to the Vikings since his rookie year in 2017 (5-0 since 2018) and also came into Denver in 2019 and got a win against Fangio and the Broncos.
Who knows? Maybe there is yet something there with Trubisky.
Denver Broncos 2021 free agent targets with connections
2. Roy Robertson-Harris, DL (Bears)
From afar, it’s been easy to appreciate Roy Robertson-Harris and the way he has played for the Chicago Bears as a former undrafted free agent.
The Bears picked up Robertson-Harris in 2016 out of UTEP as an EDGE/outside linebacker hybrid type and Vic Fangio turned him into an absolute stud on the defensive line.
At age 27 going on 28, there are productive days yet ahead for Robertson-Harris who is every bit of 6-foot-7 and 292 pounds. Now a full-time defensive lineman, he really burst onto the scene in 2018 with the Bears as a full-time player, racking up 16 pressures, 11 QB hits, three sacks, and a pair of passes defensed.
With his all-around size and length, Robertson-Harris is a terror for opposing quarterbacks, using his massive frame to make life uncomfortable when a quarterback is still in the pocket but also proving himself to be an asset getting his long limbs into throwing lanes.
It would be tremendous if the Denver Broncos could reunite Robertson-Harris with Vic Fangio in 2021 and beyond as well as bring back Shelby Harris. That would give the Broncos a top four in their rotation of Dre’Mont Jones, Shelby Harris, Mike Purcell, and Robertson-Harris with 2020 third-round pick McTelvin Agim close behind.
This fit makes a ton of sense for both parties.
Denver Broncos 2021 free agent targets with connections
3. Alejandro Villanueva, OT (Steelers)
The Denver Broncos have made a couple of acquisitions on the offensive line for former Mike Munchak players in Pittsburgh, but most of those moves have been modest ones.
It just so happens that one of the players who best exemplifies what kind of coach Munchak is is hitting the free agent market in 2021.
Alejandro Villanueva was an undrafted player in 2014 who was picked up by the Steelers in Munchak’s first year on the job with the team as offensive line coach. By his second NFL season, Villanueva had become a full-time starter for the Steelers.
At this point, he’s become a staple for them. His entire development was overseen by Munchak, so there’s an obvious history there between these two. The question is, is the fit right?
Villanueva has played the left tackle position and right now the Broncos’ primary question mark is on the right side. Will Ja’Wuan James be back for the 2021 season? At this point, that is the expectation, so would the Broncos be willing to spend the kind of money it would take to acquire Villanueva?
With as many teams as there are around the league needing help at the left tackle position, it’s hard to imagine Villanueva would want to switch sides of the line at this point in his career, but who knows how convincing Munchak can be?
As a bonus option here, fellow 2014 classmate Matt Feiler is also available in free agency. He didn’t come to the Steelers until 2015, but he is undoubtedly well-known by Munchak and can play on the right side. He could be a nice swing tackle option for the Broncos.
Denver Broncos 2021 free agent targets with connections
4. Mike Hilton, DB (Steelers)
The Denver Broncos will undoubtedly be looking to upgrade the defensive backfield in the 2021 offseason.
One area of the team that needs substantial attention is the cornerback position, where the Broncos’ depth was severely tested in 2020 thanks to injuries to AJ Bouye and Bryce Callahan as well as a suspension late in the season for Bouye.
The Broncos had other injuries at corner and at times you had to reference the team roster guide to know who was even out there playing.
With one year remaining on his contract, the team will give one more shot to veteran Bryce Callahan, who was easily the best corner on the team when he was able to play. They will also be expecting a jump in year two from Michael Ojemudia, who showed promising signs in an inconsistent rookie season.
Because of those two players, I think in free agency, the Broncos could look to strike gold at the nickel position, which is of critical importance in Vic Fangio’s defense.
There might not be a better option in this free agent class than Mike Hilton of the Steelers. Although the connection is somewhat obscure, who knows how well Mike Munchak knows Hilton from his days in Pittsburgh?
Hilton is a smart, aggressive, instinctive player at the nickel defensive back position who would be able to pick up on the intricacies of Vic Fangio’s defense right away. The Broncos undoubtedly need to add more talent at cornerback through the 2021 NFL Draft, but they could go for a free agent like Hilton to take their nickel spot and really make that a position of strength with Essang Bassey in reserve.
Denver Broncos 2021 free agent targets with connections
5. Ifeadi Odenigbo, DL (Vikings)
It’s not always going to be the big names that make for the best free agent signings. Sometimes, like with the Broncos poaching Darian Stewart from the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, you have to strike on free agents at the exact right time.
The exact right time could be right now for Vikings defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo.
The obvious connection here is new Denver Broncos GM George Paton, who had part in drafting Odenigbo in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Northwestern.
Odenigbo is an edge defender and defensive lineman for the Vikings who exemplifies what Paton talked about at his introductory presser of a player who was drafted by the team, developed in their system, and wound up becoming a productive late-round “dart throw”.
In the last two seasons, Odenigbo has played over 1,000 snaps for the Vikings’ defense and has 44 quarterback pressures, 10.5 sacks, and 28 quarterback hits in that time frame.
If you can get this kind of high-effort player as a top reserve off the edge who can play down on the defensive line for the right price, you’ve got to do it. The Broncos’ coaching staff and George Paton would need to come together on how Odenigbo could fit in terms of scheme, but he could. be a valuable rotational rusher.
Denver Broncos 2021 free agent targets with connections
6. Mackensie Alexander, DB (Bengals)
Another player with a connection to new Broncos GM George Paton is former Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Mackensie Alexander.
Alexander was a second-round pick of the Vikings in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Clemson, but didn’t get a second contract in Minnesota, who had drafted a plethora of corners in the years following Alexanders’ selection.
Part of the reason he was allowed to hit free agency with Minnesota was his inability to consistently stay on the field. He has never played a full 16-game slate in five years as a pro.
Still, Alexander has obvious value as a slot defender in the NFL. He had his best year as a pro back in 2018 with the Vikings when he played in 15 games, racking up 43 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, five QB hits, and 10 passes broken up.
Perhaps Paton feels like he can recapture that form.
At the age of 27, there is still time for Alexander to play his best ball as an NFL defensive back, and the fact that he plays in the nickel and has been so effective attacking the line of scrimmage could make him an attractive option regardless.
Denver Broncos 2021 free agent targets with connections
7. Kevin King, CB (Packers)
When this idea was brought up on Twitter, a number of fans came out and scoffed at it because of King’s poor performance in the NFC Championship game.
There is merit to not wanting to throw big money at King for that performance as well as his 2020 tape on the whole, but there is no doubt that he could be a high-upside option.
The Broncos just hired Christian Parker to replace Renaldo Hill as the team’s defensive backs coach. Parker comes to the Broncos from Green Bay where he was a defensive quality control coach as well as a defensive backs coach.
He’s worked directly with Kevin King and could do so within Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme in Denver.
King is the type of player who would benefit greatly from being able to be aggressive, and the Broncos can afford him that provided they bring back safeties Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons.
With that kind of help and the Broncos’ defense being a help-based scheme anyway, King could thrive on a second-chance contract in Denver.
In the 2019 season, he picked off five passes, broke up 15 more, and forced a fumble. King’s size, athleticism, and speed make him an intriguing reclamation project if the Packers decide to move on from him.
Denver Broncos: 12 free agent cornerbacks the team must consider
The 2021 free agent signing period is drawing near. Which players should the Denver Broncos be targeting at the cornerback position?
The Broncos don’t need to go crazy and throw $15 million a year at this guy, but if the price is reasonable, this could be a savvy move given the Broncos’ need for playmakers in the secondary.