Denver Broncos general manager George Paton had a massive offseason in 2022. He made a blockbuster trade for quarterback Russell Wilson, was very active in free agency, and had nine draft picks to work with in the 2022 NFL Draft. Although we’re only two games into the 2022 regular season, we’re already seeing some tremendous returns from the investments Paton made six months ago (or more).
Although the obvious here would be to focus on Russell Wilson and how he’s changed the dynamic of this team (though we’re still looking for improvements in some key areas), I want to focus on some of the other major moves the Broncos made in the 2022 offseason and what players are paying off early for this team.
4 key offseason pickups already showing out for the Broncos
Denver Broncos offseason pickup no. 4: Alex Singleton, LB
This move is another to file under the “in George Paton we trust” category. When the Broncos signed Alex Singleton, a multi-year starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, it felt like an extremely underwhelming move to everyone in Broncos Country. It didn’t seem like Eagles fans were overly upset to see Singleton go, and Broncos fans have been clamoring for a much bigger splash at linebacker for a long time.
Two games into the 2022 regular season, and it looks like the Broncos are pretty lucky to have Singleton on the roster. He’s been a starter and the main communicator for the defense as the team has had to weather injuries to both Jonas Griffith and Josey Jewell, the projected starters going into the season.
Singleton has responded by leading the team in tackles, breaking up a pair of passes, generating multiple QB pressures, and nearly getting home for sacks on Geno Smith and Davis Mills. It’s been a strong start for Singleton, so much so that we should all be wondering what his role might end up being when Jewell and Griffith are both at full strength.
Denver Broncos offseason pickup no. 3: DJ Jones, DL
One of the primary areas of concern going into the 2022 offseason for the Denver Broncos was the defensive line. The team traded away Shelby Harris in the deal to acquire Russell Wilson. Mike Purcell was coming off of an injury-plagued season. Because of some of the issues facing this team up front defensively, they went out and acquired one of the best run-stopping defensive linemen in the game in free agent DJ Jones.
Jones, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, signed a three-year deal with the Broncos and was one of the team’s premier free agent signings. Pro Football Focus doesn’t seem to like Jones so far for the Broncos, but it’s time people stopped treating their subjective grades as gospel. The reality is, Jones has made a tremendous impact on the Broncos’ defensive front both against the run and pass.
Denver ended up being 19th in Pass Rush Win Rate at 39%.
— Robby (@Robby_NFL) September 15, 2022
2nd in Run Stop Win Rate at 38%.
18th in Pass Block Win Rate at 59%
18th in Run Block Win Rate at 70%.
Individually, Bradley Chubb comes in at 7th in PRWR, DJ Jones comes in at 1st at RSWR and Fleming 6th in OT RBWR.
Jones was good enough in Week 1 that Seahawks fans were celebrating on Twitter (hard to believe, I know) the fact that they weren’t going to have to see the defensive lineman again for a while after that game. Seahawks fans have seen plenty of DJ Jones during his time as a member of the 49ers and they got to see him Week 1 when the Broncos came to town. They’re sick of the guy.
Jones has been a force on the interior defensive line, showing off an impressive combination of strength, power, and quickness. It’s only a matter of time before some of his rushes result in sacks.
Denver Broncos offseason pickup no. 2: Montrell Washington, WR
One of the biggest acquisitions for the Denver Broncos in the 2022 offseason was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Montrell Washington, a pick that surprised just about everyone out of Samford, was electrifying basically from the moment he stepped onto the practice field for the Denver Broncos.
Washington had a huge training camp, coupled it with a great preseason, and then he got a little over-eager in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks on some of his return opportunities. As a playmaker, you can’t really blame the guy. He’s out there trying to make a play. Sometimes, you just try a little too hard to do it.
In Week 2 against the Texans, Washington was back on track with some brilliant returns in the punting game as well as a couple of massive plays on offense, one of which was called back due to a completely unnecessary holding penalty by Melvin Gordon (which had 0 impact on the play) and the other which ultimately didn’t count because Washington wasn’t quite able to get both feet in bounds. Still, he made a remarkable play on the ball.
Slowly but surely, Washington is working his way into the game plan offensively. The Broncos are having some serious issues right now with wide receiver depth, and perhaps the time is right for Washington to have his most prominent role with the starting offense yet. For now, Washington will continue to be a major difference-maker in the return game.
Denver Broncos offseason pickup no. 1: Randy Gregory, EDGE
As of the end of the 2021 season, there was probably only one position group that was a bigger problem area for the Denver Broncos than EDGE, and it was the quarterback position. Once the Broncos had their QB in place this offseason, the attention and focus shifted to edge, where George Paton and company had a plan that wasn’t exactly in alignment with the wish lists of everyone in Broncos Country.
Broncos Country wanted Von Miller back, and Miller was campaigning to come back at one point. If not Miller, many Broncos fans seemed to be thrilled with the idea that the team could potentially acquire Chandler Jones. The Broncos left both Miller and Jones alone in free agency, not even extending them offers, instead deciding to fix their gaze on Cowboys pass rusher Randy Gregory.
When Broncos fans saw this news, it took people a long time to come around. As of Von Miller’s dominant performance in Week 1 for the Buffalo Bills, a lot of people still hadn’t come around. But as it turns out, Randy Gregory is quickly looking like an excellent pickup.
Despite missing much of the 2022 offseason after a shoulder procedure, Gregory has been one of the team’s best defensive players through two games. He’s got two forced fumbles, a tackle for loss, a sack, a couple of QB hits, and he’s been a consistent force off the edge. He’s showing no ill effects of the shoulder procedure and looks really explosive out there. Not only that, but this guy is just a lot to deal with.
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He’s got a unique combination of size, length, quickness, and strength. Although Gregory doesn’t look like Myles Garrett coming off the bus, he’s an imposing figure in his own right. He has helped take the Denver Broncos’ pass rush to the next level in 2022 so far.