3 unexpected free agency moves the Broncos can still make this offseason
There are still major events that can go down between now and the beginning of the 2023 season. Can the Denver Broncos make a few unexpected free agency moves? The short answer is probably not. They may end up signing another player or two for depth purposes or someone else who could start if there are injuries, but the major, headline-making news is likely over.
With that said, there are still a good bit of quality, veteran players left on the market that the Denver Broncos could sign. According to spotrac.com, the Broncos have just over $9 million in cap space, so they have the room to make another move or two.
They could also restructure some contracts if they really needed to, depending on how aggressive they could still get. Could the Broncos make a few more unexpected moves this offseason? Do George Paton and Sean Payton have something up their sleeves, or not?
Let's highlight three unexpected moves the Broncos can still make this offseason.
3 unexpected free agency moves the Broncos can still make this offseason
1. Denver Broncos trade for Danielle Hunter
There is no indication that the Broncos are the least bit interested in Danielle Hunter, and ever since it was reported that there was a trade market for him a couple of weeks ago, nothing more has transpired. Hunter has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since he came into the league back in 2015.
He's a three-time Pro Bowler and was drafted by the Vikings' front office that had George Paton in it, so there's an obvious connection there. Hunter has a desire for a new contract, and it seems he and the Vikings have not been able to come to an agreement on a new deal.
With the Vikings already parting with a few veteran players this offseason, moving Hunter only seems like a matter of time. He turns 29 in late October but did have 10.5 sacks and 22 QB hits in 2022 after playing in just seven games in 2021 and missing all of the 2020 season.
His 17-game average according to Pro Football Reference gives him 12 sacks,14 tackles for loss, and 19 QB hits per season. He's a menace on the defensive interior, and this would surely be an unexpected move for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he'd cost a pretty penny, and Denver did just part with a good bit of draft capital the past couple of seasons to acquire Sean Payton and Russell Wilson.
They also did sign Frank Clark, who is expected to start at defensive end, so Hunter may not be needed. However, Clark can also play as a stand-up EDGE rusher, so adding Danielle Hunter to the defense would give the Broncos the best defensive front in football.