On Thursday, news broke that the Denver Broncos signed EDGE rusher Frank Clark to a one-year deal. This further indicates that the Denver Broncos are all-in this year. You don't sign a quality, veteran pass rusher unless you like your chances to succeed this year.
Between the Frank Clark signing on Thursday and the Broncos spending over $200 million during the 2023 free-agency period, it's abundantly clear that the team thinks they can compete this year, and that's saying something.
Compensation update: Broncos are giving former Chiefs’ pass rusher Frank Clark a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million, per source. The deal includes a $5.5 million guaranteed base salary, $1 million in makeable incentives and another challenging $1 million in incentives. https://t.co/JbAgDZ6LbN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 8, 2023
According to Spotrac.com, at this moment, the Denver Broncos have spent a whopping $255 million in free agency this year, which is far more than the second-place team, the Atlanta Falcons, who spent $215 million.
In a lot of instances, teams who spend a ton in free agency don't necessarily see that type of success on the field. In fact, many would argue that spending a lot in free agency is the wrong move. However, why would a team like the Broncos decide to open their checkbooks like this?
Well, a team wouldn't do this if they didn't like their chances, right? A rebuilding team like the Indianapolis Colts, for example, would have no reason to spend that much in free agency since they're clearly in the rebuilding phase.
The Broncos are in a totally different boat, and I'm so here for it. They made, perhaps, the best move of the offseason when they traded for Sean Payton, giving the team a future Hall of Fame, Super Bowl-winning head coach. Payton also gives the Broncos a coaching advantage most weeks.
They already had important pieces at cornerback, left tackle, and quarterback, three of the most important positions in football. Wide receiver is also becoming an incredibly valuable position in today's NFL, and Denver added to that position as well.
Signing Frank Clark might be an "eh, whatever" type of signing to some, but again, it should indicate that Denver is serious about contending, which is refreshing. Too many times we've seen George Paton milk the heck out of the "next man up" mentality when someone goes down. This didn't work during his first couple of years in Denver.
Now that Sean Payton is in the mix, you can clearly see the uptick in aggression. I bet if someone other than Sean Payton was the head coach, Denver would not have made this move. It's worth mentioning that third-year player Baron Browning is having knee surgery, which is going to keep him out until training camp, but Browning should be 100% for week one.
This isn't just a signing to brace for a potentially lengthy recovery for Browning. I think this is more than that.