Sure, we are a couple of months away from the start of the 2024 NFL free agency period, but that does not mean we cannot look at some free agents that could make a ton of sense for the Denver Broncos. Broncos GM George Paton recently said that the team is not going to be in that first wave of free agency.
However, Sean Payton is the one with the final roster authority, and the team certainly has some first wave needs in free agency, if you catch my drift. The Broncos' defensive front was a liability all year, and the team also did not get much from their tight end room. Overall, you could argue that several positions on the roster need to see some additions in free agency.
So, I've put together a list of 10 players that I think make the most sense for the Broncos. I am not advocating that the team signs each player, as that would just be silly, but I think each one does have an argument to be signed by the Denver Broncos in 2024 for one reason or another.
1. Danielle Hunter, EDGE
I am going to start with my No. 1 choice in free agency. Danielle Hunter was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings back in the 2015 NFL Draft, and Broncos' GM George Paton was in the Vikings' front office when they made that selection. There is also this blurb from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler:
"No one has helped their free agency profile more than Hunter, who is tracking for nearly 19 sacks on the season"; he wrote. "Hunter will be 29 to start the 2024 season, paving the way for a lucrative three- or four-year deal at well above $20 million per season. Jacksonville has long been a fan of Hunter's game, but Denver also could bolster its pass rush -- the Broncos are typically unafraid to spend in March.""Jeremy Fowler
With the huge need that the Broncos have for a consistent pass-rushing force, and an obvious connection with George Paton, the fit of Hunter to the Broncos almost makes too much sense.
2. Connor McGovern, C
I think pending free agent Lloyd Cushenberry is going to price his way out of Denver. And he deserves it too. Cush played his butt off in 2023 and is going to end up as one of the highest-paid centers in the NFL. The Broncos have a ton of huge contracts along their offensive line, and I just do not think they'll have the room to re-sign the former LSU Tiger.
The Broncos have reason to extend stud LT, Garett Bolles. Ben Powers is also under a huge contract. Stud right guard Quinn Meinerz is eligible for an extension, and right tackle Mike McGlinchey signed a huge deal with the team last offseason. There isn't a lot to believe that Cush will be back with the team. So, why not sign the player that the Broncos tried to replace with Cushenberry!
Connor McGovern has been with the Jets for the past four seasons. He's an above-average center who wasn't even making $2 million with the Jets this year. I think he'd come cheap and would be a very logical signing, even if George Paton thinks that Alex Forsyth is a future starter.
3. CJ Gardner-Johnson, DB
A draft pick of Sean Payton's back in 2019, CJ Gardner-Johnson is a very versatile defensive back who has played for the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions. He was tied for the league-lead in interceptions in 2022 with six, and can lineup all across the secondary, and even close to the line of scrimmage. Gardner-Johnson's contract this year was for just $6.5 million.
Because of a pec injury, he has played in just five games between the regular and postseason. I don't think he really has much leverage to command a rich deal, so I think he becomes even more obvious for the Denver Broncos, as they need to get younger and better in the secondary. The safety room should be in a bit of transition this offseason, and myself and other Broncos fans were pounding the table for the team to sign him last year.
4. Hunter Henry, TE
Hunter Henry will turn 30 late in the 2024 NFL Season. He played the last three seasons with the New England Patriots after spending the first part of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers. Even on the inept Patriots offense this year, Henry managed to catch 42 passes for 419 yards and six touchdowns.
His 17-game averages come out to 54 catches, 636 yards, and six touchdowns. If the Broncos were to get that exact output from Henry in 2024, they'd be in great shape. The team was likely hoping for a jump from second-year TE, Greg Dulcich, but he cannot get his hamstring to stay healthy. And anything they get from Dulcich going forward should be viewed as a bonus, iny my opinion.
Hunter Henry is a veteran weapon that the Broncos need.
5. Javon Kinlaw, DT
I think the Denver Broncos should jump at the opportunity to sign Javon Kinlaw. He's a former first-round pick back in 2020 and just has not panned out the way the San Francisco 49ers had hoped. However, he is not at all a bad player and might benefit from a change in scenary. He'll come at a low cost and did have respectable production this year.
Kinlaw played in just 44% of the Niners snaps on defense this year. He racked up 3.5 sacks, 25 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and six QB hits. Honestly, even though he may be more of a reclamation project, the upside is there, and I think the Broncos should start doing fun things in free agency and should take a stab at players like Kinlaw.
6. Chase Young, DE
Another fun player that the Denver Broncos should take a stab at potentially is fellow 49er, Chase Young, who came over in a trade from the Washington Commanders at the deadline this year. Young put together his best season in 2023 and actually stayed healthy. In 16 games, he racked up 25 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, even tackles for loss, and 15 QB hits.
Also, according to ESPN, Chase Young ranked 15th among all EDGE rushers in pass rush win rate this season. He's also set to enter his age-25 season in 2024, so he's still very young and surely in his prime. Spotrac.com estimates his market value at $13.6 million per year, which would be a doable number for the Denver Broncos, in my opinion.
7. A'Shawn Robinson, DT
Another fun player the Broncos should look at is A'Shawn Robinson, a run-stopping extraordinaire. Robinson has played for the Lions, Rams, and Giants during his NFL career. Robinson is not at all a pass-rushing threat, but he is very good with what he is asked to do. Doesn't that sound a lot like DJ Jones? Well, yes, but Robinson is a better player and cheaper.
Between Robinson and Jones in 2023, Robinson played in more games, had more solo tackles, total tackles, and one more tackle for loss. Robinson also had two passes defended, and Jones didn't have any. Pro Football Reference has its own statistic called Approximate Value. Here's more from them about the stat:
"Created by PFR founder Doug Drinen, the Approximate Value (AV) method is an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year (since 1960). The way Drinen described the intent of this measurement was:PFR
"AV is not meant to be a be-all end-all metric. Football stat lines just do not come close to capturing all the contributions of a player the way they do in baseball and basketball. If one player is a 16 and another is a 14, we can't be very confident that the 16AV player actually had a better season than the 14AV player. But I am pretty confident that the collection of all players with 16AV played better, as an entire group, than the collection of all players with 14AV.""
In 2023, Robinson and Jones had an AV of 6. In 2023, Robinson was on a one-year deal worth $5 million, so he is making half of what DJ Jones is making for the same production. There truly is no reason to not cut Jones and sign Robinson in 2024 if the option presents itself.
8. Tyler Boyd, WR
The Denver Broncos could benefit from adding a quality veteran wide receiver in free agency, and Tyler Boyd is just who the Broncos need. He's not going to be expensive and has been a WR2-3 his entire career. He's the epitome of consistent. Boyd has caught no less than 58 passes for 667 yards and two touchdowns since 2018. His 17-game averages come out to be 73 receptions for 850 yards and four touchdowns per year.
I think the Denver Broncos could get Boyd for less than $10 million per year, and trading/cutting both Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick saves them plenty. I think with Patrick's situation specifically, we could see him return to the Broncos on an incentive-laden deal with a much lower base salary.
9. D'Andre Swift, RB
D'Andre Swift is exactly who the Denver Broncos in the backfield. Frankly, Javonte Williams was not good enough this year. I do think Williams was still fully working his way back from his knee injury, but he averaged less than four yards per carry.
D'Andre Swift rushed for over 1,000 yards this year for the Philadelphia Eagles and also added 39 receptions. Swift has caught 195 passes over his career and is a true dual-threat back. I think someone like Swift is exactly what Sean Payton would want on the offense. I think the team could either trade or cut Javonte Williams, and maybe even cut Samaje Perine. Building the RB room centered around Swift and Jaleel McGlaughlin should help the run game and offense overall.
10. Kirk Cousins, QB
Yes, Kirk Cousins. If the Denver Broncos can make the money work, Kirk Cousins should be wearing orange and blue in 2024. Cousins is entering his age-36 season in 2024. He is still rehabbing from the torn Achilles he suffered about halfway through the 2023 season. However, there are no indications that Cousins won't be fully healthy come Week 1 of 2024.
Cousins has historically signed deals that are shorter in length, so he'd be no stranger to a two-year deal. Signing Cousins to a two-year deal would likely mean the Broncos have an out from the contract after one year. And you really never know what direction the Broncos want to go with their QB situation for the long-term. Perhaps the team has already fallen in love with Michigan's JJ McCarthy? But maybe in the same breath, they stink McCarthy could use a year on the bench.
Or, Denver might have their eyes on someone in the mid-rounds like Tulane's Michael Pratt. My point is that signing Kirk Cousins gives the Broncos a stable QB situation since he'd be a good fit for Sean Payton's offense. The Broncos would have won 10 games this year with Kirk Cousins under center. Furthermore, Payton has worked with a QB in his late-30s before. And it just so happens that Drew Brees had his best statistical seasons in his late-30s.
To me, Kirk Cousins makes a ton of sense. GM George Paton was in the Vikings' front office when they signed Cousins back in 2018. Folks, this signing makes a ton of sense.