Denver Broncos two big free agent mistakes so far
Through two days of free agency, the Denver Broncos have been somewhat active, but they have made two big mistakes so far.
The 2022 NFL free agency period is in full swing, and the Denver Broncos have done some work. They have reportedly agreed to terms with D.J. Jones, a talented defensive lineman, and most notably Randy Gregory, a former Cowboy, and talented edge rusher.
While both of these signings have filled needs, I believe George Paton has made a couple of mistakes so far that might come back to bite the team during the season and perhaps in future years.
His first mistake in my opinion was signing Randy Gregory.
Gregory was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft and has played in just 50 games since being drafted. In 7 seasons, he’s averaging about 7 games per year. He’s missed all of the 2017 and 2019 seasons because of suspensions and has never played more than 14 games in a year.
In 2021, Gregory played in 12 games, missing 5, and he notched 6.0 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 19 total tackles, and 17 quarterback hits.
This was his best season to date.
While Gregory is very talented, his inability to stay on the field and lack of notable production leaves me scratching my head at this move.
Gregory and the Broncos agreed to a 5 year, $70 million contract with $28 million guaranteed. The contract pays him an average of $14 million per year. While the total value and guarantees are high, the contract is essentially a two-year deal.
Before the 2024 season, the Broncos would be able to get out of the contract via release. This would force them to eat $2 million in dead money but save $14 million. I suppose they could also restructure down the road, but I am personally not banking on Gregory playing more than 2 years for the team.
I hope he proves me wrong, but his lack of elite production, especially on a star-studded Dallas defense that featured Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, leaves me worried that he won’t be able to be nearly as effective in Denver.
The second mistake the team made was letting Morgan Moses get away.
Moses reportedly agreed to a 3 year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, which is paying him an AAV of $5 million per year.
This is a bargain for one of the most stable and consistent tackles in the NFL. Moses has not missed a start since his rookie season in 2014 and has experience playing in an outside zone scheme, both in Washington and in 2021 with the New York Jets.
Moses made a ton of sense for the Broncos; he was the best right tackle free agent out there, would not have been too expensive, and does not come with any injury concerns.
Bobby Massie filled in admirably, but I think Moses is more talented. He’s also younger.
If the Broncos were to re-sign Massie, I would guess that a new contract would come in at around $5 million per year for Massie, which would make me wonder even more why we did not sign Moses.
There are still right tackles out there for Denver to get. Billy Turner, the former Bronco and Packer, has obvious connections with Nathaniel Hackett. La’el Collins could also be acquired via trade or if Dallas releases him.
However, the Randy Gregory signing and not signing Morgan Moses strike me as two big mistakes the Denver Broncos have made so far during free agency.