3 players that could follow Vance Joseph to the Denver Broncos

Vance Joseph is back in Denver as the Denver Broncos' defensive coordinator. Sean Payton continues to fill out his coaching staff, but perhaps no hire made will be more widely discussed than this one. Joseph was hired in Denver as the team's head coach back in 2017 over the likes of Kyle Shanahan. Predictably, things did not go well as the Broncos attempted to shoe-horn Paxton Lynch into the lineup for a year with Trevor Siemian as the incumbent, then throwing Case Keenum out as the starter for all of 2018.

Vance Joseph never stood a chance, did he? But, he didn't burn any bridges in Denver and has now been welcomed back by the new regime led by Sean Payton after four years with the Arizona Cardinals in a defensive coordinator role. Joseph is still not well-liked by many members of Broncos Country because of how the team played when he was the head coach, but he'll have a chance now to be part of some winning ways in Denver after all.

With four years in Arizona, Joseph has worked with a lot of new players who might be able to help the Denver Broncos moving forward. Could his connections come into play in 2023 NFL free agency? Here's a look at three players that could follow Vance Joseph to the Denver Broncos in 2023.

Players that could follow Vance Joseph to the Denver Broncos

1. Shaquil Barrett, EDGE, Buccaneers

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, here. This one may be a complete longshot to happen, but is it impossible? It's not.

Shaquil Barrett was originally picked up by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State once upon a time. He got his first shot at real playing time when Vance Joseph became the head coach in 2017 and he was on the field for 67 percent of the defensive snaps. That number drastically decreased in 2018 when the Broncos drafted Bradley Chubb, and Barrett left in free agency to go play for the Buccaneers in 2019.

There, he became one of the truly dominant edge players in the league and a Super Bowl champion (again). How could the Denver Broncos bring Barrett back in 2023? Well, the Buccaneers are primed to potentially blow up their roster. They could save over $14 million against the 2023 salary cap if they designate Barrett as a post-June 1 release. That may not be the first spot they look to save money, but it's within the realm of possibilities.

Barrett is coming off of a torn Achilles. He will turn 31 in November. The Broncos would probably love to have his presence coming off the edge along with some of the other young players they have and perhaps his career arc will come full-circle.