The Denver Broncos have said goodbye to many former players to get where they are now. Some of those moves weren't exactly the right ones, but that's the challenge of building a winning roster in the NFL.
It's not easy, and it's only going to get harder, as Denver's roster is among the best, so it will get more difficult for GM George Paton. Denver is one win away from clinching the top seed in the playoffs, which would be the first time that's happened since 2015.
Let's have a bit of fun with this exercise and talk about three former Broncos the team might wish they have for the playoff run.
Do the Broncos secretly wish they had these three players with the playoffs right around the corner?
Justin Simmons, SAF
With starting safety Brandon Jones still needing to miss time since he's on IR, the Broncos could use their former safety in Justin Simmons, as PJ Locke is a weaker player in the secondary. Simmons has been a free agent all year but has had multiple interceptions in every single year of his career.
He had an exceptional stretch with the Denver Broncos from 2016-2023. He was a ball hawk on the backend of the defense and was also quite good in coverage. Heck, if Denver earns the first-round bye, it might make sense to sniff around the free agency market.
Javonte Williams, RB
The Denver Broncos let Javonte Williams leave in free agency last year, and all he's done this year is turn into one of the more efficient running backs in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. He's not missed a start and has rushed for a career-high 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's also averaged a career-high 4.8 yards per carry.
The Broncos signed JK Dobbins, and he rushed for nearly 800 yards in the 10 games he played this year, but he went down with a foot injury, and that might be something that he doesn't come back from. The Broncos' rushing attack has taken a hit since Dobbins left, so having Williams in the mix would be nice.
Devaughn Vele, WR
Devaughn Vele is actually averaging 14 fewer yards per game, but over his last four games for the Saints, he's caught 19 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown, and that averages out to 81 receptions, 1,016 yards, and 4 touchdowns across a 17-game campaign.
Vele has been on a 1,000-yard pace over the last month for the Saints. Denver traded him in the offseason for a fourth-round pick, but there still might have been room for him this year. The Broncos could use a security blanket like Vele who has reliable hands.