The Denver Broncos have made a ton of roster moves in the recent years, and some of them have made us forget about certain players. It's clear that last offseason, the Broncos wanted to get a bit younger and a bit more stout in the trenches.
They also wanted to find a franchise QB, and all three items were emphatically completed. There may only be a handful of teams in the NFL right now who have a better long-term status than the Broncos at the moment, and part of that is them making the right roster moves.
Well, have we forgotten about these three former Broncos players in 2024?
3 former Broncos players we have totally forgotten about in 2024
Mike Purcell, DT
There was this odd group of Broncos' fans who were insistent that Mike Purcell was this awesome player who the Broncos needed to bring back and keep on the roster. Well, Purcell did not play in a regular season game in the NFL this year, and since leaving the Broncos, the team's defensive front has gotten a lot better.
New arrivals like John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, and Jonah Elliss have made huge strides in helping the Broncos' DL improve, and returning players like Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, and Jonathon Cooper all improved massively in 2024. The team's defensive front is a total wagon and is a mismatch for any offensive line they play.
Ronald Darby, CB
One of the hardest jobs in the NFL has to be being the opposite starting cornerback to Patrick Surtain II. Well, the team did sign Ronald Darby in free agency a few years ago, and Darby was a very good player for the Broncos.
However, the team said goodbye following the 2022 NFL Season. In his 16 games with the Broncos, Darby allowed a strong 81.8 opposing passer rating. Well, the team struggled in 2022 finding a CB2, as Damarri Mathis ended up getting benched in favor of Fabian Moreau, but Riley Moss emerged in a big way for the Broncos in 2024.
His ball skills are very good, and he's been able to excel in man coverage. It seems like after multiple years of trying, the emergence of Riley Moss has made us forget the high-end production the Broncos got from the 16 games they had Ronald Darby.
Justin Simmons, S
An all-time Denver Broncos' great, Justin Simmons played in Denver from 2016-2023 and was cut by the team following last season. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons for 2024 and is again not in the postseason. It's actually kind of brutal that the first year Simmons leaves Denver, or got shown the door, the Broncos snapped their playoff-drought streak.
The team basically signed Brandon Jones to replace Justin Simmons in the starting lineup, and Jones played out of his mind in 2024. Heck, he should have been a Pro Bowler, and it would not shock me if Jones got a second-team All-Pro nod, actually.
Brandon Jones had three interceptions, 10 passes defended, and 115 total tackles for the Broncos in 2024. He allowed an opposing passer rating of 79, which is outstanding and sticky coverage. Jones is also still just 26 years old, so the Broncos got a good one for the next few seasons.