When Sean Payton was hired by the Denver Broncos in the 2023 offseason, everybody assumed it would mean that a number of former New Orleans Saints would follow him to the Mile High City...and they were right. Payton definitely brought a New Orleans flare to Denver by bringing in people he's worked with in the past, from coaches like Joe Lombardi to players like Adam Trautman and Michael Burton.
In the 2024 offseason, I think we can expect even more former Saints to come to the Denver Broncos, but which ones make the most sense?
Let's take a look at eight names on both sides of the ball who could make some sense.
1. Jameis Winston, QB
One player at the game's most important position who could be heading to the Mile High City in 2024 is former #1 overall pick Jameis Winston.
It should be noted that the Denver Broncos have never won a Super Bowl without at former #1 pick at the quarterback position. I'm just saying...
Jameis Winston was let go by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2019 season in which he threw a whopping 30 interceptions. Payton and the Saints scooped him up and let him learn from Drew Brees and digest the offense for a year. By the time Winston took over in 2021 as the starter, he looked like a totally different player. He was on pace for nearly 50 touchdowns through the first six weeks of the season before suffering a torn ACL.
And that not only derailed his season, but we haven't seen Winston as a full-time starter ever since. Whether he's coming in as a potential candidate to start or to back someone up, I think seeing Winston in Denver in 2024 is a distinct possibility.
2. Alvin Kamara, RB
Alvin Kamara is currently under contract with the New Orleans Saints, but the Saints can save over $11 million if they make him a post-June 1 cut this offseason. I'm sure New Orleans would look to trade Kamara first, and if they put him on the market, you can bet that Sean Payton is going to be on the phone with his old pal Mickey Loomis, the general manager of the Saints.
Kamara is a massive difference-maker at the running back position. The Broncos lack a true go-to threat offensively, and Kamara would bring a level of star power that is undoubtedly missing from this team. He's never had less than 1,100 yards from scrimmage as an NFL player.
I could absolutely see the Broncos being interested in Kamara if he becomes available in the 2024 offseason.
You might be wondering about Javonte Williams, and what the Broncos would do with him. Perhaps even Samaje Perine, who is under contract for 2024 as well.
I don't think the Broncos need to marry themselves to Williams or Perine in 2024, even though they were such integral parts of the offense in 2023. Williams, specifically, had a really poor year in 2023 and is entering a contract year in 2024. The Broncos don't need to build the offense around him in 2024, by any means. Perine was barely involved as a runner, which was extremely odd given the effectiveness we saw from him at times.
I think moving on from Javonte Williams is a potentially underrated storyline for Denver in 2024.
3. Taysom Hill, TE
The Saints can save $10 million in 2024 by making Taysom Hill a post-June 1 cut, and with both Sean Payton and Pete Carmichael no longer in New Orleans, you can't help but wonder if the writing will finally be on the wall for Taysom Hill as well.
Hill is obviously the most effective when he's being utilized by the coaches who have proven they can maximize his skills, and I think Payton would love to get his hands on this guy. The Broncos need someone who can help them cash in when they get to the red zone, and Hill can do that both as a runner and receiver.
He's got 38 career touchdowns, including 15 over the past two seasons.
4. Jimmy Graham, TE
The reunion tour for Jimmy Graham actually went surprisingly well for the Saints in 2023 as Graham caught just four passes, but four of them went for touchdowns.
Is it possible we could see Graham bring his red zone expertise to a Broncos tight end position that desperately needs it?
5. Marcus Davenport, EDGE
I really liked the idea of the Broncos going after Marcus Davenport last offseason, but he ended up signing a one-year deal with the Vikings worth probably way more than the Broncos would have been interested in. But at that time, the Broncos were also still banking on Randy Gregory coming through in his second season with the team.
Times have changed.
Injuries have prevented Davenport from being a true impact player in recent years, and that could drive his price down to something palatable for the Broncos. He played in four games for the Vikings last year and had four QB hits, 2.0 sacks, and 6 pressures. He could be a steal for Denver in 2024.
6. CJ Gardner-Johnson, SAF
Another player who missed a lot of time in the 2023 season due to injury is CJ Gardner-Johnson, a player who was connected to the Broncos for a decent amount of the 2023 offseason.
Gardner-Johnson ended up signing with the Detroit Lions, but he'll hit the market again in 2024 and could be a great fit for the Broncos once more. The Broncos have a clear opening next to Justin Simmons at safety with PJ Locke hitting free agency and Caden Sterns entering a contract year.
Given Gardner-Johnson's history of ball production, he would be an outstanding pickup if the price is right.
7. Isaac Yiadom, CB
Depending on what the Denver Broncos decide about their own young cornerbacks, we could see a bit of a reunion in 2024 free agency.
Not only would this be a former Saint coming to play for Sean Payton, but it would be a former Bronco coming back to the team that drafted him. I must confess -- I cheated a bit with this one. This would not be a reunion with Sean Payton, specifically, but I wanted to bring up Isaac Yiadom anyway.
Yiadom was drafted by the Broncos in 2018 when Vance Joseph was the head coach, and he was traded when Joseph was fired and Vic Fangio replaced him. Since getting traded by the Broncos, Yiadom has bounced around the league and found a lot of success playing for Dennis Allen and the Saints this past season. He racked up 14 pass breakups and allowed just 48.9 percent of passes to be completed into his coverage.
If the Broncos aren't sold on the development of Damarri Mathis or Riley Moss, Yiadom reuniting with Vance Joseph and coming back to where his career began could be intriguing.
8. Sheldon Rankins, DL
Sheldon Rankins is another former Saints first-round pick on this list and a player who could help the Broncos at a major position area of need in 2024. The Broncos need a makeover of their defensive line, and a player like Rankins could add some much needed pass rush up front.
He had 6.0 sacks this past season with the Houston Texans and has been a consistent pressure player throughout his career.