The Denver Broncos have taken care of the first order of business this offseason by hiring a new head coach. The next step will be to hit the ground running when the free-agent market opens.
That is just about one month away and in a recent interview, Broncos general manager George Paton stated that the team intends to be aggressive in free agency.
Previously I talked about some potential free agents that the Broncos should consider splurging on. Those are players that could break the bank.
But the Broncos, even if the plan is to be aggressive, will also have to be intelligent as well. Last year, Paton shelled out a huge deal to Randy Gregory who had a disastrous first year with the team.
Without having a pick in either of the first two rounds of the draft, free agency will be that much more important for the Broncos.
Here are some players that could be available that the Broncos could sign at a reasonable rate.
Free agents that Broncos could sign that won’t break the bank
Ethan Pocic, Center, Cleveland Browns
The Broncos are going to need to address the offensive line with several players this offseason and center will be one of the prime targets, particularly if the team moves on from Graham Glasgow in a cost-cutting move.
Lloyd Cushenberry was placed on injured reserve in November and did not return during the season. It would be a surprise to see him back as anything more than a backup next season but his time in Denver seems to be on shaky ground.
There are options in free agency and one that makes a lot of sense is Ethan Pocic, who spent last season with the Cleveland Browns after signing a one-year deal last offseason. Prior to that, he was with the Seattle Seahawks for five years where he was a teammate of Russell Wilson.
Bringing Pocic, a former second-round pick, into Denver to pair with Wilson would give the team’s starting quarterback a familiar feel at the center spot.
Pocic has great size for the position at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds but he has had some injury issues across his career, including a knee injury that caused him to miss four games this past season.
The Broncos will have to look into the injury history but at the right price, signing Pocic makes a lot of sense.