The Denver Broncos figure to soon wrap up their search for a new head coach and the direction of the team will then go straight into roster rebuilding.
The new league year is set to open on March 15 which will signal the official start of the free-agent signing period. Between now and then, the Broncos will likely look to add some cap space in order to pursue new additions to their roster.
For instance, the team can get back nearly $27 million in cap space by releasing three players: Graham Glasgow, Ronald Darby and Chase Edmonds.
The Broncos could get upgrades at each of those positions so there is a good chance that none of those guys are back in Denver next season.
Currently, the Broncos have just $9.6 million in available cap space but with nearly half the league in the red, that might not look so bad.
The Broncos are going to look to make some big moves to get back into contention and free agency is one of the best ways to do that. That is the biggest reason the Jacksonville Jaguars went from having the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back drafts to the divisional round of the playoffs this season.
That said, the Broncos should circle these four names on their free-agent board.
Free agents for Broncos to splurge on: Mike McGlinchey, OT, San Francisco 49ers
If you’re wondering why the San Francisco 49ers have had so much success under head coach Kyle Shanahan, most of it starts up front with a tough, tenacious offensive line.
Guess what is the number one thing that the Broncos need? A tougher, more tenacious offensive line.
The right tackle spot was never addressed with a solid option this past season as the team had multiple marginal guys vying for the starting role in training camp and then both Billy Turner and Tom Compton were hampered with injuries most of the year.
Spotrac shows McGlinchey with a potential market value of about $10.7 million a year, which would be more than double his current annual salary. That salary puts him as the 15th highest-paid right tackle in the league, but a new deal should put him comfortably in the top 10.
The Niners likely won’t let McGlinchey slip away too easily as he is an essential piece in what they like to do, but if he becomes available, the Broncos should consider the hefty price tag in order to get this position fixed as it has been an issue for some time now.
Free agents for Broncos to splurge on: James Bradberry, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
During the offseason, the New York Giants were looking to trade cornerback James Bradberry but chose to release him when no one wanted to make a deal. The Philadelphia Eagles scooped him up and that has proven to be a great decision.
Bradberry started in all 17 games for the Eagles and provided great coverage for the team, helping him become a Second Team All-Pro. He had three interceptions during the regular season and returned one of those for a touchdown.
On Saturday night in the divisional round of the playoffs, he got an interception against his former team, the Giants, as part of the Eagles’ dominant 31-point win.
But the Eagles only signed Bradberry to a one-year deal, making him an unrestricted free agent when the season closes. The Eagles could certainly be interested in keeping him around, but if he begins to take offers from other teams, the Broncos should be interested.
If the team parts ways with Darby, which it should, Bradberry and Patrick Surtain could make up the best cornerback duo in the NFL and with Justin Simmons at safety, perhaps the best secondary in all of football.
It could start to become the ‘No Fly Zone’ Vol. 2.
Free agents for Broncos to splurge on: Da’Ron Payne, DL, Washington Commanders
This would definitely be one of those “break the bank” kind of deals as a long-term contract for Da’Ron Payne could bring close to $100 million but he could join up with the likes of D.J. Jones and Dre’Mont Jones (who would need to be resigned as well) to make up an incredibly tough defensive front.
The former first-round pick is coming off a career year in which he had 11.5 sacks and was voted to the Pro Bowl, facts that will only drive his price up further. He has 26 sacks for his career and has missed just one game in his five-year career thus far.
The Commanders are going to want to keep him around but they have even less space available than the Broncos and will have to dump several contracts in order to be able to afford him. That would be the case for the Broncos too, which may make signing a guy like Payne more of a pipe dream than anything else.
He also plays defensive tackle, which is the position D.J. Jones is at so if the Broncos stick with a 3-4 alignment, they are fine with Jones unless they could use either him or Payne at the defensive end spot.
Payne would be a major upgrade over Jones in terms of a pass-rushing defensive lineman, however.
Payne will be one of the crown jewels of this year’s free agency class.
Free agents for Broncos to splurge on: A’Shawn Robinson, DL, Los Angeles Rams
Looking at a player that can play the defensive line spot, A’Shawn Robinson would be a terrific signing for the Broncos.
He doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves because he plays on the same unit as Aaron Donald, but he was a key piece of the Rams’ Super Bowl team last season. He would also come considerably cheaper than Payne.
Robinson can play the end or tackle spot on the defensive line and that could also make him attractive to the Broncos. He is not a guy who gets after the quarterback but he is a good run-stopping defensive lineman.
For his career, Robinson has nearly 300 total tackles and on a unit that included Dre’Mont and D.J. Jones, he could be a wonderful complementary piece.
Robinson was placed on injured reserve this past November and only played in 10 games this season so it remains to be seen if he is still a priority in Los Angeles but at 27 years old, he’s likely still got some good years of football left in him.