The NFL is well over a week into its annual free-agent signing period and though many of the main courses have been gobbled up, there are still some scraps to be had.
Many fans of the Denver Broncos feel that the team has improved by leaps and bounds following the moves made by general manager George Paton. Not only has Paton made sure that Justin Simmons, Von Miller and Kareem Jackson would stay in Denver, but he has also brought in the likes of Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller.
The Broncos have filled many of their holes and now can sit back and prepare for what should be an exciting draft next month.
But like just about every team in the league, the Broncos could still patch up a few spots on the roster where added depth is needed. According to Over the Cap, the Broncos currently have about $39.1 million in available cap space. Only two teams have more.
Entering the next wave of free agency, here are three guys the Broncos could still look into signing. All three of which would provide veteran depth in areas of need.
Rick Wagner, OT
The Broncos will likely turn to Ja’Wuan James to start at right tackle this season, at least in the beginning. But there is no way the team can’t be skeptical about how he’ll perform. As a result, the team needs a solid backup and currently does not have much in that department following Elijah Wilkinson moving on to the Chicago Bears.
Rick Wagner would be a suitable pickup to serve in that role. Wagner has played in 118 career games while making 96 starts. He has experience under his belt and is a guy the Broncos can turn to if James gets hurt or underperforms.
Wagner is on the other side of 30 years old and was cut after just one season with the Green Bay Packers, so one has to wonder what he still has left as a player (especially since he’s been on the market this long), but offensive tackles with that kind of experience who are willing to settle into a backup role could be worth a roll of the dice.
If the Broncos don’t sign a guy like Wagner, they could opt to take a tackle in the draft or they could look into the possibility of Calvin Anderson being used in that role.
Signing a player like Wagner is not something the team must do, but it’s certainly an idea to consider.
Virgil Green, TE
The Broncos have two good-looking young receiving tight ends in Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam, but there could certainly be another blocking tight end added following the release of Nick Vannett.
Former Bronco Virgil Green is sitting on the free-agent market following three fairly lackluster seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Green is not going to light up the stat sheet, but he has long been one of the best blocking tight ends in the league.
The only other tight ends on the roster are Andrew Beck and Austin Fort, though Beck is listed as a fullback. Green could certainly come in to push the two of them for a roster spot and is a better blocker than both.
Do the Broncos still want a predominantly blocking tight end? That is what they signed Vannett for last offseason but he never really got the job done. Could Green be seen as an improvement or does Paton want to get away from this type of player completely?
As stated, Green won’t add much to the passing game (he has just 102 career receptions in 10 seasons), but he might be able to rejuvenate his career with the team that originally drafted him back in 2011 and come in and give the Broncos that really good piece that always goes missing in the box score.
Alex Smith, QB
Paton is either going to add one of the remaining few available veteran quarterbacks as a backup to Drew Lock, or he is going to do something wild like draft a quarterback in the first round.
With the trade talks surrounding Deshaun Watson now pretty much dead, the Broncos must turn their attention to what is available. Unless of course, they really want to go into 2021 with Brett Rypien as the primary backup.
Assuming the team won’t draft a quarterback in the first round, Alex Smith still makes a lot of sense as a backup option.
Smith is coming off of an inspirational season in which he won the league’s Comeback Player of the Year Award, but the Washington Football Team did not see him in their future plans. But Smith would make for a great mentor to Lock.
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Smith is a veteran with a ton of experience. He has led teams to the playoffs and he has watched as other, younger quarterbacks like Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Mahomes have taken his job. As a former No. 1 overall pick, Smith has had a roller-coaster of a career.
That’s what makes him a perfect fit in Denver. Lock’s career is off to a rocky start and some fans have seen enough to say that the Broncos should move on from him. Because of his own experience alone, Smith could help keep Lock’s head in the right place.
Smith could help Lock handle the ebbs and flows of being an NFL quarterback. He could help him in the way of film study and preparing for opponents as well.
Then, if Lock were to falter, the team could turn to Smith to take the reigns. Smith is the ultimate game manager at quarterback. With a defense as good as Denver’s could be, that might be all they need.
Smith would be a great signing for the Broncos.