The Broncos moved on from Brandon McManus this offseason, a bold but probably necessary move. McManus was going to count a bit too much against the salary cap and there were likely some behind-the-scenes reasons for that move as well.
The Broncos then signed Elliott Fry, a strange move, to say the least.
Sean Payton wanted to do away with everything related to the Broncos' special teams last season but bringing in Fry, a kicker with little regular-season experience despite playing for a high number of teams, does not feel like a winning move.
It is possible that Fry is just going to be a placeholder throughout training camp and the preseason while the Broncos wait to find a better option before the season starts. A better option could come in the form of another team cutting their kicker as part of getting down to a final 53-man roster, which could open the doors for the Broncos to swoop in.
The team could then cut Fry loose or even keep him around on the practice squad if he looks good enough this summer. All of the players on this list have a lot more experience kicking the ball in games that matter, however, and for that reason, should be considered if they become available.
Veteran kickers the Broncos could consider before Week 1: Dustin Hopkins, Los Angeles Chargers
Dustin Hopkins is a veteran who will be entering his 11th season in the league. He has spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Last season, he actually injured his hamstring in a game against the Broncos on Monday Night Football. Though he still made all four of his field-goal attempts in that game, he went injured reserve and didn't play again all season.
The Chargers brought in Cameron Dicker, a much younger kicker who was quite solid for the team. Dicker made all of his extra points and just missed one of his 20 field-goal attempts.
The two will battle it out in Los Angeles this summer but Dicker has a good chance of keeping that job. The Chargers would then likely waive Hopkins, making him available.
Payton has some familiarity with Hopkins as well as he spent a brief amount of time with the New Orleans Saints in 2014 and 2015 but was beaten out for the starting job.
Hopkins has made 84.8 percent of his career kicks.
Veteran kickers the Broncos could consider before Week 1: Nick Folk, New England Patriots
After playing for three teams and then a stint in the Alliance of American Football, Nick Folk has spent the past four seasons with the New England Patriots. The 38-year old has played in 15 NFL seasons.
He obviously wouldn't be a long-term option in Denver, but he is a far more accomplished option that Fry.
Folk did miss five field goals and three extra points last season and in this year's draft, the Patriots used a fourth-round pick on Maryland kicker Chad Ryland. Bill Belichick wouldn't use a draft pick on a kicker that high just to cut him, so there is a high probability that Folk's time in New England is drawing near.
If he were to be waived before the season starts, he is another guy the Broncos could look to bring in.
He has made 82.8 percent of his career kicks and sits at No. 26 on the league's all-time scoring list with 1,517 points.
Veteran kickers the Broncos could consider before Week 1: Mike Badgley, Detroit Lions
Undrafted out of Miami in 2018, Mike Badgley found a spot with the Chargers for three seasons but since the team moved on from him in 2020, he has bounced all over the league.
Badgley has been with four different teams since his Chargers days and he's currently on the roster of the Detroit Lions, where he has been since last October. The problem for him is the fact that the Lions have two other kickers on the current 90-man roster.
If Badgley is unable to win the three-headed race that also includes Riley Patterson and Parker Romo, then he will be looking for yet another team.
The Lions traded for Patterson after the Jacksonville Jaguars signed McManus. Patterson has also played for the Lions before and should be considered the front-runner to win that job.
Badgley is definitely the shakiest option on this list, but he has made 94 of his 115 career field-goal attempts thus far.
Veteran kickers the Broncos could consider before Week 1: Zane Gonzalez, San Francisco 49ers
Zane Gonzalez was drafted in the seventh round of the 2017 draft by the Cleveland Browns but most recently played for the Carolina Panthers. This offseason, he was acquired via trade by the San Francisco 49ers, which will be his fifth team.
He was firmly entrenched as the kicker for the Panthers last season but he suffered a quadriceps injury in the team's final preseason game and he ended up missing the entire season.
The 49ers traded for him but then went and drafted Michigan kicker Jake Moody in the third round of the draft, meaning Gonzalez will almost certainly be looking for a new home this season.
Gonzalez hasn't been as accurate as the other kickers on this list with an 80.5 career percentage, but he is only 28 years old and if he could land in a good, consistent spot like the thin air in Denver, he has the talent to become one of the league's best kickers.
For those reasons, this might be my favorite option on this list.
Kickers Broncos could consider before Week 1: Mason Crosby, Free Agent
The only kicker on this list who is currently without a team, Mason Crosby is certainly aging but this could be a move that makes sense.
Crosby has spent his entire 16-year career with the Green Bay Packers but the team chose to move on from him this offseason and he is currently available as a free agent. He mas made over 81 percent of his career field-goal attempts and sits at No. 11 on the league's all-time scoring list with 1,918 points.
Crosby also played for the Colorado Buffaloes in college and stil holds the school record for career field goals made.
So why wouldn't the Broncos just make this move right now?
There are times when the older veterans aren't really interested in taking part in a training camp. Crosby, who will turn 39 in September, would qualify there. He knows he can make kicks and has done so across a great deal of time. Payton knows this too.
Why not let Fry be the proverbial "camp leg" and then bring in Crosby just before the season kicks off, if there were a mutual interest, of course.