The free agency market is mostly all dried up, but there are still some notable names left on the market, and these three could make the Broncos' roster before week one. While other teams are snatching up the best remaining free agents on the market, the Denver Broncos are signing long snappers.
Sure, the team made a ton of splashes in free agency, but they've also had ample opportunity to make other, less flashy but still important moves to bolster the remaining holes on the roster. Someone like Shelby Harris would have been perfect to add to the Broncos' already thin defensive line. However, he signed with the Cleveland Browns.
Yannick Ngakoue is a sack master who has never had less than eight in a season, but he signed with the Chicago Bears. I digress, but you get the point. With that said, there are still some remaining free agents on the market who can easily make the Denver Broncos' 53-man roster before week one. Let's dive into those players.
3 free agents who could make the Denver Broncos' roster before week one
1. Carson Wentz, QB
One free agent that I would have loved to see the Broncos take a chance on this offseason is Carson Wentz, who went from MVP candidate and Super Bowl champion down to a low-end starter. Wentz's downfall first came in 2020, his last year with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was then traded to the Indianapolis Colts, where he had a bounce-back season, tossing 27 touchdowns on just seven interceptions.
He was shipped to the Washington Commanders for the 2022 season but again played poorly. What I would love most about this addition is that I think Wentz would instantly be an upgrade over who the Broncos currently have in their QB room besides Russell Wilson. Jarrett Stidham was atrocious in the first preseason game, and Ben DiNucci is not fooling anyone.
Wentz at least has a bit of a track record of success, and something else to consider is what Sean Payton was able to do with the likes of Trevor Siemian, James Winston, and Teddy Bridgewater during their stints in New Orleans. Siemian threw 11 touchdowns and three interceptions in his tenure in New Orleans. Bridgewater threw 10 TDs and three INTs in 2019 with the team, and Jameis Winston threw 14 touchdowns and three interceptions during his time with Sean Payton and the Saints.
Call me crazy, but I think Carson Wentz is better than all three of the aforementioned passers, so my thought process is that adding Wentz would be a nice low-risk/high-reward type of reclamation project for Payton. And I do think Wentz can easily hold down a QB2 role with many teams.
2. Leonard Fournette, RB
The Denver Broncos added an RB2 in free agency when they inked Samaje Perine to a two-year deal. However, I don't think Perine is very good or the best option the Broncos could have gone with. Someone who the team can still sign and would most definitely make the roster is Leonard Fournette, a Super Bowl champion, and former 1,000-yard rusher in 2017 and 2019.
Fournette and Perine share very similar skill sets as running backs, but Fournette is obviously a much better player and has been much more productive over his career than Perine has. Fournette was drafted in 2016, and his 17-game averages come out to 964 yards, 478 receiving yards, and nine total touchdowns per year.
I'm not sure why the Denver Broncos opted for Perine over someone like Leonard Fournette, but they can correct that mistake with this addition before week one.
3. Jadaveon Clowney, DE
Jadaveon Clowney is still a free agent and has recently made visits to the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars. He's also someone who the Denver Broncos could use along the defensive line or as a stand-up pass rusher. He's never lived up to his draft status, but he's carved out a nice career since entering the league in 2014.
He has 43.0 career sacks, 90 tackles for loss, and 108 QB hits across nine seasons. His 17-game averages come out to seven sacks and 17 QB hits per season, which is fine production. Denver's defensive front has gotten a bit beat up lately, and they got worked in their first preseason game.
With DJ Jones down with a concussion, Mike Purcell not yet back on the field, and Baron Browning likely set to miss multiple regular season games, the defensive front, which was already weaker to begin with, is very thin. Jadaveon Clowney could come in and instantly provide a needed boost to a position group that desperately needs it.