The 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and it's hard to not love the haul that the Denver Broncos came away with. Could they make one last free agency push before the bulk of the offseason begins? I don't know about you, but I am personally over the moon about the Broncos NFL Draft class, which also included a trade for Jets DE John Franklin-Myers.
Franklin-Myers is a good starter who brings a respectable pass-rush force to the DL, which is precisely what Denver needs. And oh, the Broncos drafted a QB of the future in Bo Nix and also managed to get his college teammate, WR Troy Franklin.
It's a new and joyous era in Broncos Country, and they could put the sprinkles on top with these three free agency signings.
1. Markus Golden, EDGE
In 42 career games playing for Vance Joseph with the Arizona Cardinals, Markus Golden racked up 53 QB hits and 16.5 sacks. With the Broncos adding one EDGE during the 2024 NFL Draft in Jonah Elliss, it would not hurt to bring in a true veteran presence, and more of a veteran presence than the young trio of Nik Bonitto, Baron Browning, and Jonathon Cooper.
Honestly, Denver is missing the exact type of player that Golden is. He can be a pass-rush specialist for the team on late downs and can serve as a veteran leader for the rookie in Elliss and the up and coming players in Bonitto, Browning, and Cooper. The Broncos should consider signing Markus Golden for the veteran minimum.
2. Connor Williams, C
The Denver Broncos did draft a center in the seventh round, the second to last pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but between youth and talent, there is no better free agent left on the market than Connor Williams, a former Dallas Cowboy and Miami Dolphins who is one of the best centers in the NFL. A late-season ACL tear in 2023 has truly derailed what Williams was likely hoping as a cash-in type of offseason.
For Williams, he still has youth on his side, as he's still just 26 years old, turning 27 on May 12th. The Denver Broncos should consider bringing Williams in to see if the ACL recovery can finish, which would allow him to likely cement his status as the C1 for the team in 2024. I know that if the Broncos signed Williams, they'd have about 48 centers in the OL room, but my goodness, protecting Bo Nix should be priority No. 1 for the team, so it would never hurt to keep adding.
3. Justin Simmons, S
Hehe. How about a homecoming? Justin Simmons is somehow still a free agent, but I would say that perhaps Simmons has wanted to wait until the 2024 NFL Draft concluded before signing with a team. He surely has some contract offers out there, and even with the Broncos signing S Brandon Jones in free agency, why not bring Simmons back?
I mean yeah, Simmons might not have a desire to return to the team and might desire to play for a true contender, but what if Simmons never wanted to leave in the first place? You have to wonder how much longer Justin Simmons stays on the open market before the Denver Broncos sniff around the possibility of bringing him back.