Broncos should have made a run at Calais Campbell, who has found a new team

When the Baltimore Ravens released veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell at the start of free agency, the Denver Broncos seemed like a natural fit for him to end up with.

That was for two reasons. First, the Broncos could use more depth along the defensive line. In addition, Campbell is a Colorado native and could have a high interest in returning home.

That will no longer be a possibility as Campbell reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday.

Seriously? The Falcons?

Campbell will be entering his 16th season in the NFL and it is surprising that he wouldn't choose to sign with a team that was more of a contender. Though things change quickly in the NFL each season, the Falcons don't seem to be anywhere close to competing for a championship.

Many sources are saying that Campbell chose the Falcons over the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had expressed interest in bringing him back. Campbell played there from 2017-2019. That would have made sense as the Jaguars became one of the best teams in the league toward the end of last season.

But coming to Denver would have made more sense.

Born in Denver, Campbell attended South High School and became one of the top defensive prospects in the entire country while there before heading to the University of Miami in college.

Signing a one-year deal, Campbell, who will turn 37 years old in September, is quite likely playing in his final NFL season. It seems that him playing out that career in Denver would make quite a bit more sense than Atlanta.

Now you can easily argue that the Broncos are not a championship contender right now, but that hometown appeal should have been worth something.

After losing both Dre'Mont Jones and DeShawn Williams in free agency, the Broncos are thin on the defensive line, even with the signing of Zach Allen.

The team will likely rely heavily on last year's rookie Eyioma Uwazurike and D.J. Jones. Second-year player Matt Henningsen should also be in for a bigger role.

The only other defensive linemen on the roster are Jonathan Harris, Mike Purcell, Elijah Garcia and Jordan Jackson. There is no doubt that more help is needed, and Campbell would have been a welcomed addition.

Seeing Campbell sign with Atlanta, of all places, shows that he was looking for a team to give him an opportunity to close out his career with one more solid season.

There is no reason why that shouldn't have been in Denver.