8 forgotten Broncos free-agent signings

Courtney Brown, DL, 2005

Shortly after their return to the NFL, the Cleveland Browns had the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. They used that to select Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown.

Brown was a stud in college and seen as a "can't-miss prospect" coming into the league, prompting the Browns to select him. He had a promising rookie season with 4.5 sacks and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. But injuries would slow him down in a big way.

Brown would miss a total of 33 games over the next four seasons, forcing the Browns to move on from him. Mike Shanahan, as he often did with big-name guys, saw a potential reclamation project.

The Broncos signed Brown ahead of the 2005 season and he played in 14 games for the team that year, notching two sacks and two fumble recoveries. But his bum knee would knock him out of the game for good.

Despite signing a multi-year extension with the Broncos, Brown failed a physical because of his oft-injured knee and decided to hang up the cleats after playing in a total of 61 career games.