5 EDGE players Broncos could target after Jacob Martin release

The Denver Broncos made somewhat of a surprising move on Wednesday afternoon, releasing veteran pass rusher and special teams player Jacob Martin, a player the team acquired in a trade at last year's trade deadline. The Broncos had made the blockbuster deal involving pass rusher Bradley Chubb going to the Miami Dolphins, and they subsequently "replaced" Chubb's spot on the roster by doing a pick swap with the Jets for Jacob Martin, a Colorado native and veteran reserve edge/special teams player.

Martin played in five games for the Denver Broncos, averaging about 20 defensive snaps per game and about 19 special teams snaps per game. He would miss the final four games of the season with a knee injury but he was impactful early upon his arrival, sacking Ryan Tannehill in the Broncos' loss to the Titans and nearly getting home for a few other sacks in the games he played after that.

The Broncos save a little over $3.8 million by releasing Martin, though he had $1 million in guaranteed money on the deal that carried over from the New York Jets. Interestingly enough, the Broncos have now saved over $5 million in the last couple of days with the release of Martin and the addition of veteran safety Kareem Jackson. A rather unprecedented situation led to the Broncos actually getting salary cap relief by doing another deal with Jackson, as reported by Mike Klis:

Those two moves seemingly give the Broncos roughly $5.17 million in total salary cap relief, and even if they were pushing close to the salary cap before, that opens up the options for this team to pursue additional veteran help on the pass rush market. And in my opinion, that's now a necessity.

Although Jake Martin wasn't expected to play a massive role in 2023, I think with Randy Gregory missing most of his first season in Denver due to injury and the rest of the EDGE group being a bunch of young guys, the Broncos would be wise to "raise the floor" of this particular room.

How can they do that? As fate would have it, there is actually quite a robust group of EDGE guys on the market right now, some who have history with the current Denver Broncos coaching staff and some who don't. Let's take a look through some of the top five options out there (in no particular order).

5 EDGE options for the Denver Broncos after Jacob Martin release

1. Frank Clark

Frank Clark is obviously a very familiar name for everyone in Broncos Country because he's been doing his best to terrorize the Broncos for the last handful of years as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs and Clark parted ways this offseason, and while a reunion there could still feasibly happen, I think the Denver Broncos should swoop in and at least ask what Clark is looking for this season in terms of a role, and in terms of a pay day. Clark made a lot of money with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he added plenty of jewelry to his hand with a couple of Super Bowl victories.

Clark has also come up extremely clutch in the playoffs for the Chiefs with 13.5 sacks in postseason play, 10.5 of which came in the last four seasons. He will turn 30 in June but Clark is still capable of playing a big role for a defense, and there is a connection for him in Denver with outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite.

Clark and Wilhoite were teammates on the Seattle Seahawks in the 2017 season. Who knows if that connection will come into play, but it's an interesting note at the very least. And although Clark has been designated as a "DE" with the Chiefs, he'd likely play a hybrid "EDGE" role in Denver.

2. Yannick Ngakoue

Over the course of his NFL career, here's a quick look at some key numbers for Yannick Ngakoue:

Yannick Ngakoue per 17 games in the NFL:

- 10 sacks
- 21 QB hits
- 10 TFL
- 3 FF
- 16 games played

The last stat there might end up being the most important. I realize that Ngakoue is pretty well-traveled at this point and there's a reason (or reasons) for that. He's not the most stout run defender, but this is a guy who has consistently put up 20 QB hits per season and an average of 10 sacks per 17 games played? Given the fact that he's still just 28 and he's a virtual lock for 16 games per season, what are teams doing here? I think they're overthinking Ngakoue.

George Paton has been part of trading for Ngakoue in the past. The Vikings once acquired him in a trade. It's time for Paton to swing a deal for Ngakoue again, this time just signing him in free agency. He might be my favorite option among those available.

3. Justin Houston

Justin Houston has been signing one-year deals with the Baltimore Ravens the last couple of seasons, and modest ones at that. He made a combined $6.2 million with the Ravens the last two seasons and gave them 29 games, 34 QB hits, 14 sacks, 2 FF, and 13 tackles for loss.

Not bad for the old-timer, right?

I've always appreciated Justin Houston's game and I've been clamoring for the Broncos to sign him for years. He would be a great veteran for the young guys to learn from as well.

5 EDGE players the Denver Broncos should be targeting

4. Markus Golden

There are a wide variety of players available in free agency right now off the edge and one of the more consistently productive guys out there is veteran Markus Golden, who recently played for Vance Joseph as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.

Over the last two seasons as a member of Joseph's defense in Arizona, Golden played 33 games, racked up 39 QB hits, 17 TFL, 13.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. That's really strong production from a guy that gets really no love from anywhere.

And frankly, Golden has been producing at that level for much of his NFL career. He averages 20 QB hits and 7.0 sacks per 17 games over the course of his 111 total NFL games.

5. Jadeveon Clowney

Yes, it's fair to say that Jadeveon Clowney has been more hype than substance in his NFL career as a former number one overall pick. With that being said, when you break down his career overall, he's managed to be relatively productive.

Not 1st overall pick productive, but productive nonetheless.

His 17-game averages since he came into the league in 2014 include an average of 17 QB hits, 7.0 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. Clowney has played in plenty of different defensive schemes, and although he's not crossed paths with any of the primary coaches on the Denver Broncos right now, I think he would have an opportunity at plenty of playing time and would be worth a shot depending on the price.

This list highlights the fact that there are plenty of veterans available in free agency right now that could really raise the floor of an otherwise young and inexperienced group off the edge for the Broncos. Dare I say it would be reckless for the team to go into the season with the group it has and not take advantage of this group of veterans just sitting there.

Heck, if the price is right, maybe you even sign a couple.