10 former Broncos who failed miserably on other teams in 2023

As much as we all monitor the Denver Broncos closely, it's hard not to keep an eye on former Broncos who are on other teams around the league. Especially when those players either spent considerable time with the team or had a memorable run with the team (for better or worse), you want to know how those players or coaches are doing.

Call it morbid curiosity, if you will.

And there are certainly some instances in which Broncos Country may be actively rooting against certain players or coaches. The 2023 season certainly brought a mixed bag when it comes to former Denver Broncos players and coaches, but there were a lot of notable names who didn't fare well in their new cities. Let's recap some of what we saw this year from old "friends".

1. Nathaniel Hackett, OC, Jets

The New York Jets hired Nathaniel Hackett on merit, or so they say, but the follow-up move to trade for Aaron Rodgers was a clear indicator of what the New York Jets had in mind all along. This was a package deal, presumably the package deal Broncos GM George Paton thought he was getting in the 2022 offseason in Denver.

That never materialized, and for the Jets, they also got Nathaniel Hackett without Aaron Rodgers, because Rodgers ended up missing the entire season due to injury.

And the results were horrendous, as you may expect. The Jets finished the season 29th in the NFL in scoring, 30th in points per drive, 31st in total yards, 30th in turnovers, 32nd in 1st downs, and 32nd in passing touchdowns. The Jets' offense -- without Rodgers calling the shots -- was an embarrassment.

Even though they got up for their game against the Denver Broncos in Week 5, the Jets had the worst 3rd down offense in the league in 2023, and the 32nd ranked red zone offense. There was no "gold zone" for Nathaniel Hackett's offense in Denver, and he didn't fare better in New York.

The Jets -- averaging 15.8 points per game -- were somehow worse than the 2022 Broncos, who averaged 16.9 points per game.

2. Randy Gregory, EDGE, 49ers

The saga between the Denver Broncos and pass rusher Randy Gregory was something we should have all known was going to be bad from the start. And to be fair, there were a lot of fans of the team vehemently opposed to this move when it was originally made in 2022 free agency.

Everyone wanted either Von Miller or Chandler Jones. Not that those people (me included) would have been right about paying big money to either of those guys, who look absolutely done in 2023, but Randy Gregory came with his own baggage and was merely a part-time player for the Dallas Cowboys prior to entering 2022 free agency.

Before signing with the Broncos, Gregory had never played more than 457 snaps in a single season. He played 437 snaps the year prior to coming to Denver, where he was given a five-year contract worth $70 million in total money, $28 million guaranteed. The deal the Broncos offered was identical to the one the Dallas Cowboys offered, only the Broncos' offer didn't come with as many contingencies.

Gregory spurned the Cowboys, who actually announced they had re-signed him on Twitter.

And the joke was on the Broncos.

Gregory barely played in his first season in Denver due to injury, and then was completely ineffective in his second year before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos foot the bill financially, basically paying the 49ers to take Gregory off their hands.

And to be fair, Gregory didn't exactly light it up with the 49ers, but he also didn't do terribly, either. The 49ers just have a tremendous rotation off the edge, and Gregory is merely part of it. He's had some decent games. But he's being included on this list because of how much better off the Broncos were without him.

3. Frank Clark, EDGE, Seahawks/Free Agent

The process of the Denver Broncos signing veteran pass rusher Frank Clark was not terrible. Baron Browning had to have surgery on his knee, and Clark had some familiarity in Denver with OLBs coach Michael Wilhoite from their playing days.

You figured that Clark, at a minimum, could provide a veteran presence off the edge, enhance your depth, and give you a decent option to lean on consistently. Boy, was that an unfair expectation.

Frank Clark was terrible with the Denver Broncos, not just in the regular season but during the offseason. He had multiple unexcused absences at training camp. He popped off to the media about how the Broncos and Chiefs weren't a "rivalry" because it was so one-sided. He declined to be interviewed at times. He played into the fourth quarter of preseason games because he was in the doghouse for not being in game-ready shape.

Frank Clark was a disaster for the Denver Broncos, and people painted the team's decision to cut him as Clark freeing himself of the organization. That was hilarious. Clark signed with his original team, the Seattle Seahawks, and they ended up cutting him because he was terrible for them as well.

He had 0 QB hits, 0 sacks, and 0 tackles for loss in 2023.

4. Von Miller, EDGE, Bills

Von Miller is the best player in Denver Broncos history on the defensive side of the ball, so it gives me no pleasure to report this...

Von Miller was a ghost of himself in 2023.

Of course, Miller was also coming back from another major injury at the age of 34, so perhaps this was to be expected, but in 12 games, Miller finished with just 3 QB hits and 3 tackles. He did not record a single sack.

Was this due to him playing coming off of an injury and just not being as fresh as he could be? Let's hope that's the case, because in 11 games for the Bills just last year, he had 12 QB hits and 8.0 sacks. Maybe Miller will be physically in a better spot in 2024, but he is shaping up to be cut by the Buffalo Bills this offseason after signing at six-year, $120 million deal in the 2022 offseason.

I thought Von Miller would be racking up 12 or so sacks into his late 30s. Unfortunately, he's had a lot of trouble staying on the field over the last 4-5 years. It's shocking to even think about, but could this be the end of Von Miller in the NFL?

It would be a sad ending, if so.

5. Ejiro Evero, DC, Carolina Panthers

Former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero ran a pretty slick operation for the team last year. So much so, that fans were hoping Evero would stick around on Sean Payton's staff if Vic Fangio wasn't coming along with him.

But just like Evero declined to take the interim head coach position after his buddy Nathaniel Hackett was fired, he also declined to stay on Sean Payton's staff. Evero's a loyal friend, no doubt.

He decided to bolt Denver for the Carolina Panthers, forsaking all of the players he'd spent 2022 coaching with the Broncos, and he put himself in a really bad situation. The Panthers were arguably the biggest disaster in the NFL this season, especially after they were crowned as building a super-staff in 2023.

Evero's defense was 32nd in turnovers forced. They gave up more rushing touchdowns than any team in the NFL. They were 27th in red zone percentage. They were 29th in points allowed. And despite all of those numbers, most people who follow the Panthers were pleased with the job Evero did calling the defense. Sometimes, numbers don't tell the whole story.

It was probably a mistake for Evero to leave Denver just for being bitter that the team fired his pal. He was on a trajectory to become a head coach at this time a year ago, and his stint with the Panthers has derailed that, if only for a year.

6. Dre'Mont Jones, DL, Seahawks

Dre'Mont Jones just couldn't wait to leave Denver at the end of last season, and really even before that. People could see the writing on the wall with Jones when he spoke out after the Bradley Chubb trade, a move that really didn't sit well with him.

The Broncos quickly pivoted to Zach Allen, who statistically was way better than Jones in 2023, but Jones found greener pastures in Seattle.

Or so he thought...

Jones had a career-best 12 QB hits in 2023, along with 4.5 total sacks, but Seahawks fans have been wondering out loud on Twitter whether or not the team can get out of his contract after just one season. Jones was bad enough -- and Seattle's run defense was bad enough all year -- that the team made a blockbuster move to acquire Leonard Williams from the Giants at the trade deadline.

And Jones's snaps diminished in the middle of the season before getting ramped up again late in the season, but it was a bad first year for him in Seattle which could result in the Seahawks moving on rather quickly. Seattle fans were lamenting the loss of Shelby Harris, if that tells you anything.

Harris is a good player, but the team spent a lot of money to get Dre'Mont Jones, and it might be a bust.

7. Billy Turner, OL, Jets

In a completely unsurprising development, former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Billy Turner was one of the most outspoken folks after Sean Payton's now-infamous comments about Nathaniel Hackett and the 2022 Broncos came to light in a USA Today article.

Turner was on a second stint in Denver in 2022 as he followed Nathaniel Hackett, his offensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers from 2019-21. Turner wasn't able to make much of an impact in Denver in 2022, although the opportunity was certainly there with a revolving door at both tackle and guard positions almost all season.

Unfortunately, he didn't add any real value.

And he didn't add any real value to the Jets blocking anyone except Nathaniel Hackett on social media. He called Sean Payton a "F***ing Bum" on his Instagram page and ended up not being able to back up his comments when actually asked to play ball.

Turner had a bounce-back game in early December, but then suffered a setback in Week 15, allowing another trio of pressures in one of his 14 games played (2 starts).

8. Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Eagles

The Denver Broncos made the decision to trade Albert Okwuegbunam to the Philadelphia Eagles after he had a really strong preseason performance against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite Okwuegbunam bringing a speedy, athletic option to the position in the passing game, the Broncos got rid of him and hit full send on Greg Dulcich in year two.

Unfortunately, Dulcich couldn't stay healthy, and the Broncos' offense sorely missed that kind of athletic presence at the tight end position all year. That is, at least, until Lucas Krull entered into the mix.

Although the Broncos suffered for trading Okwuegbunam, so did the Eagles after acquiring him. Despite some injury issues of their own at the position, Okwuegbunam was only able to appear in four games and get one target in the passing game. Yikes.

It didn't work out for Okwuegbunam and the Eagles, and now that he's poised to hit free agency, he's likely going to have to sign on with another team on a short-term deal in hopes of rehabbing his value. I still think there's a lot of talent here that is untapped, but the reality is, it's been a couple of years since Okwuegbunam produced at even a reasonably high level.

9. Brandon McManus, K, Jaguars

The subject of the Denver Broncos moving on from Brandon McManus this offseason was way more controversial than it needed to be.

Of course, the Broncos ended up having a kicking competition because they weirdly decided to cut McManus after the draft, free agency, and basically entire offseason went by. When it comes to letting go of kickers, it's often the devil you know vs. the devil you don't, isn't it?

McManus made a lot of big-time kicks for the Denver Broncos in his time with the team, but it was time to go. And he surfaced quickly with the Jacksonville Jaguars. McManus did a solid job for Jacksonville early in the season, but it was in the second half where he could have ultimately cost the team a number of close games.

Specifically, McManus missed field goals in three-point losses against both the Texans and Bengals in consecutive games. He missed seven total kicks from 40 yards or longer and his fiel goal percentage of 81.1 percent was tied for the 8th-worst in the league this season.

10. Melvin Gordon, RB, Ravens

Melvin Gordon was one of the Denver Broncos' only consistent sources of offense from 2020-21, but he was also a consistent source of fumbling the football.

Over three seasons in Denver, Gordon fumbled the ball an absolutely disgusting 12 times. That seems impossible for a former first-round pick and big-moeny player who is paid to play the running back position, but it happeend. And it cost the Denver Broncos a wide variety of games.

It should come as no surprise that Gordon was limited in his opportunities as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, playing in just four games and receiving just 29 total touches. And it came as no surprise to members of Broncos Country when Gordon fumbled the football in the Ravens' regular season finale, in which he received seven touches, his second-most of the season.

And it doesn't look like we're going to see much of Gordon at all in the postseason for the Ravens, who added veteran Dalvin Cook to their practice squad recently. Thankfully for the Ravens, that fumble by Gordon didn't end up costing Baltimore any when it comes to the postseason, but it did help allow the Steelers to get in.

Is that something that could come back to bite the Ravens? We'll have to wait to find out.