The Denver Broncos have a new head coach in Nathaniel Hackett, and he will look to quickly make his mark on his football team by attracting other players to follow him to Denver.
With Nathaniel Hackett getting the nod, he will start to build this Broncos team how he sees fit. First, he will look to fill both the offensive and defensive coordinator positions. Once Hackett has done that, he can start to piece together what scheme will be used on both sides of the ball and then find players to bring into the fold.
Nathaniel Hackett was most recently the offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, and it would make sense that he would look to his old team for some players who would be willing to join him in orange and blue. Which, I find, are more appealing colors anyway.
Now, the Broncos are a talented, young roster and many players will remain but like many well-stocked rosters, adding more talent can never be a bad thing. According to spotrac.com, the Green Bay Packers have plenty of players that are currently set to become unrestricted free agents and a few who are restricted free agents. This will give the Broncos some options on who they could potentially target.
Don’t forget that the Broncos have a plethora of draft capital and a bevy of cap space. This gives general manager George Paton the ammunition to aim, and shoot his shot at making this Broncos team better through the lens of head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
And who knows? Maybe a player or two might become a victim of the Packers cap situation or maybe, just maybe, a certain quarterback will look to be traded.
With that, here are some Green Bay Packers that could follow Nathaniel Hackett to the Mile High City.
Kevin King, Cornerback
The Broncos may see both Kyle Fuller and Bryce Callahan depart this offseason. With Pat Surtain, Ronald Darby and Micheal Ojemudia set to return, the Broncos could use another corner to help keep the secondary strong in coverage, and add needed depth.
Kevin King will become an unrestricted free agent and according to PFF, King is coming off his best season in his career thus far. PFF graded King with a coverage grade of 68.4, a defensive grade of 71.0, and ranked King 25th out of all qualifying cornerbacks in the NFL.
In a division with plenty of talent at quarterback, you can’t have too many corners. The Broncos adding King would be a good start.
Za’Darius Smith, Edge Defender
Effecting the quarterback’s play is one of the most important things a team needs to accomplish to have a successful season.
When the Broncos traded Von Miller, a giant hole was left to fill. While players like Jonathon Cooper and Malik Reed played admirably at times, it still wasn’t enough to generate the pressure needed to sustain success off the edge. With Shelby Harris and stud lineman Dre’Mont Jones operating in the interior, the Broncos need to add some more pass rush.
Enter Za’Darius Smith, who could end up being a potential victim of the Green Bay Packers’ dire salary cap situation. Smith could give the Broncos a plug-and-play veteran that has had plenty of success in Green Bay. Smith posted 13.5 sacks with 37 QB hits in 2019, and 12.5 sacks with 23 QB hits in 2020.
Although Smith is coming off an injury this season, he returned to the lineup in the NFC Divisional playoffs against the San Fransisco 49ers and looks to be healthy for this upcoming season. The Broncos could indeed take a swing on the versatile pass rusher, especially with Bradley Chubb’s health once again in question.
De’Vondre Campbell, Linebacker
Versatility is a common trait we see in today’s NFL linebacker. The ability to both stop the run, hold up in coverage against opposing offensive schemes and add to the pass rush when needed. The Broncos could use another one of these players.
Coming off a stellar season in yellow and green, De’Vondre Campbell is set to become another member of the Green Bay Packers unrestricted free agent club. Per PFF, Campbell ranked second overall of all qualifying linebackers in the NFL. Campbell had an overall defensive grade of 85.0 and was tied for sixth in tackles.
The Broncos could use the services of Campbell, especially with the futures of both Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell up in the air. De’Vondre Campbell could infuse the linebacking corps with more versatility and pair quite nicely with the promising Baron Browning.
Robert Tonyan, Tight End
Sometimes, the most under-the-radar players can make all the difference. Robert Tonyan could be just that if the stars align for the Broncos this offseason.
Tonyan is a big-bodied, physically imposing tight end at 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds. He had a breakout season in 2020, posting 580 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 52 receptions. Tonyan is set to become an unrestricted free agent and could be a potential piece of the puzzle for the new-look Broncos.
Tonyan is not the most known commodity, but could be a valuable depth piece for the Broncos and could add some familiarity to the tight end room. Especially if a certain quarterback is acquired by the Broncos.
Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback
I know. Aaron Rodgers, right?
There has been plenty of buzz regarding the long-time Packers quarterback looking to jump ship and find a fresh start with a new team.
The Broncos have been linked to being that fresh start for Aaron Rodgers dating back to early last year. Rodgers is coming off another incredible season, throwing for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, and only had four interceptions. Rodgers was also named MVP by PFWA and will be sure to lock up the official NFL MVP Award from the Associated Press.
It is no secret the Broncos need a quarterback. With a 6-year drought at the position, the Broncos will look to find an upgrade at any means necessary and they have the roster, cap space, and draft capital to make it happen.
Interestingly enough, the Broncos and their fans have been in a similar situation before. Not long ago, another Hall of Fame quarterback walked through the halls of the UC Health Training Center at Denver Broncos headquarters to accept the quarterback job in 2012.
That worked out pretty well.
Yes, it would be another franchise-altering moment if Aaron Rodgers comes to the Denver Broncos and would give Nathaniel Hackett an old friend at quarterback.
The Broncos have been longing to find their next QB for quite some time and Rodgers fits the bill in many ways. The only question remains, can GM George Paton pull of an Elway-like move and bag this franchise another Hall of Fame quarterback?
Davante Adams, Wide Receiver
Let’s have some fun, shall we?
With the possibility of Aaron Rodgers in play for the Denver Broncos this offseason, it would only make sense to list his favorite target and give the Broncos a true Packers reunion with Hackett leading the charge.
Davante Adams is a star and arguably one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Having a player like Adams would be quite the statement piece for the Broncos, and would put the whole AFC on notice.
Now, this may be a head-scratcher to some in regards to obtaining Adams since the Broncos are already set at wide receiver with Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Jerry Jeudy, and K.J. Hamler.
It would take a tremendous amount for the Broncos to obtain Adams on top of trying to lure Aaron Rodgers away from Green Bay.
However, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right?
It should also be noted that Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to sharing his thoughts about who he wants with him on the football field. If the Broncos can land Rodgers, he could request his pass-catching buddy to come with him.
It’s always fun to dream isn’t it, Broncos Country?