Controversial former Denver Broncos player may have obvious home for 2024 season

The Denver Broncos have had some poor offensive line play for years, but the unit was strong in 2023. Could this former Broncos guard have found a new home for 2024? When the Denver Broncos signed guard Ben Powers last offseason, that ended any chance that they'd bring back their 2019 second-round pick and home-town kid, Dalton Risner.

Risner was a four-year starter for Denver, but beyond his strong 2019 rookie season, was pretty underwhelming. Dalton Risner also left a poor mark with the Denver Broncos when he shoved former QB Brett Rypien on the sidelines during Denver's Christmas Day game in 2022. It was an ugly game that led to the dismissal of former head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

In 2023, Risner didn't sign until a few weeks into the season, but did play well for the Minnesota Vikings. With the Vikings not appearing to have any interest in bringing him back, could the New England Patriots step up?

Their starting guard, Cole Strange, could miss a good chunk of the 2024 NFL Season with a serious knee injury suffered last year. The Patriots' OL was already horrible before this news, but now with Strange out, the unit is a liability at best. Well, with cap space still available, could Dalton Risner get a call from New England?

It'd be a decent fit for Risner, who has previously sounded off on Twitter/X about his feelings about being unsigned. The former Broncos second-round pick never consistently caught on with the team and could be on his third NFL team in as many seasons if he does not sign back with the Vikings.

The Denver Broncos, on the other hand, appear to have a top-10 offensive line in the NFL, which is great news. Losing Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency hurts, but the team still has four solid starters until the center position gets figured out.