The Denver Broncos are approaching their bye week and have some time to add a free agent or two to help some weak spots on their roster. The team is 3-5 at the bye and is somehow in the playoff mix in the AFC. Their last nine games are tougher than their first eight, so the team will really need to be at their best if they want to get back into the win column more.
They have battled a ton of crucial injuries along with poor coaching, mainly from the offense. It’s clear that the coaching from Nathaniel Hackett has not improved much in the first half of an NFL season, so I personally have no reason to believe it will improve during the second half.
One thing that can improve though is their roster, and I think there are some players who could come in and immediately help the Denver Broncos.
Three free agents for Broncos to add during bye week
Eric Fisher
Eric Fisher is a former Pro Bowl left tackle who held down the blindside of Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City for years. He tore his Achilles and missed the Chiefs’ Super Bowl back in 2020, and the team moved on after that.
He then signed with the Colts, and played most of the season, but was not retained. He wasn’t exactly great with Indy, but he figures to be 100% now since he has been out of football for a good bit. The Denver Broncos should consider signing Fisher, who is not that much older than Garett Bolles, to protect the blindside of Russell Wilson.
Fisher has never been great, but he’s always been solid, and this would allow Cameron Fleming to be the primary swing tackle and give the Broncos a decent tackle duo alongside Billy Turner. Perhaps Fisher elevates the rest of the offensive line.
Three free agents for Broncos to add during bye week
AJ Bouye
AJ Bouye was once a Denver Bronco, but it did not work out too well. He broke out with the Texans years ago, signed with the Jaguars, was traded to the Broncos, and had a stop with the Carolina Panthers. He’s 31 years old and brings what would be a ton of experience to the Broncos lineup.
He also has some familiarity with a few of the players in the secondary, which could be an added bonus. With Ronald Darby out for the season, more pressure has been put on Patrick Surtain II, K’Waun Williams, and rookie Damarri Mathis, who has not done a good job thus far.
Denver could use Bouye on the outside. I think he could give the team some decent play in a reserve role. He also isn’t going to cost a ton, so there’s no reason to balk at a price tag if that were to happen.
The secondary is the strongest part of the Denver Broncos once again, so maybe some think that we should leave it be. I disagree and think that a move could be made to bolster an already elite unit.
Three free agents for Broncos to add during bye week
Everson Griffen
I think Denver needs to improve their defensive line, which is giving up a ton of rushing yards again. It’s the weak point of the defense for the second straight year, which stinks, but Everson Griffen could help out. There is an obvious connection here between the Vikings, his former team, and George Paton, a former Vikings executive.
Griffen was drafted in the fourth round back in the 2010 NFL Draft. He has 85.5 career sacks, and his best years came with the Vikings where he notched 12 sacks in 2014, 10.5 sacks in 2015, and 13 sacks in 2017.
He has 200 career QB hits and stayed very healthy for the bulk of his career. He also has six games of playoff experience. He turns 35 this year, so there is reason to believe that he isn’t close to what he once was, but I’d trust him over DeShawn Williams.
Since Denver is still in the playoff mix, they may as well take a couple of small swings like this, right? The worst thing that can happen is that they don’t work out, but it’s not like it’s going to cost any draft capital to make a move like this.
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George Paton, in my opinion, needs to be more aggressive with his in-season moves, and making some during the bye week makes sense to me.