Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said Monday that the team is not currently shopping for an outside linebacker to replace the injured Shaquil Barrett. The fourth-year Bronco is expected to be out at least two months, maybe three, with a hip injury sustained in a non-team workout.
Barrett was a key contributor on special teams, playing more than 58 percent of snaps, and was expected to see an increase in his rotational role in the pass rush this year. In 2016, he played nearly 37 percent of all defensive snaps.
His timeline for return could be as early as the start of training camp to as late as the final week of the preseason. He’ll be playing catchup physically to be ready in time for the Sept. 11 opener against the Chargers on Monday Night Football.
When asked if the team is planning to bring in another OLB in Barrett’s absence, Joseph said, “Not right now.
“Everybody at roster is pretty full and fit right now. There is nobody available to bring in, but moving forward, you never know. We’re always looking for players to help us become a better team,” Joseph said.
Joseph seems content to see how Barrett’s injury heals and to give Vontarrius Dora a chance to earn playing time, but the dropoff after Von Miller and Shane Ray at OLB is quite steep without Barrett. Dora signed with Denver last offseason as a college free agent and played just nine snaps last year – all on special teams. The other two OLBs currently on the roster, Ken Ekanem and Deon Hollins, are both undrafted free agent rookies.
Joseph said there’s no one available to bring in, but there are certainly some options that could replace Barrett, if only as an insurance policy.
The Broncos have some money to spend, should they desire to do so.
According to Spotrac, Denver currently has $11.59 million available in cap space. That’s more than enough room to add a rotational linebacker / special teams contributor in the mold of Barrett, or even a pass-rush specialist like DeMarcus Ware, who was lost to retirement.
Should the Broncos decide to go shopping, here are a few possible options still available through free agency:
Trent Cole
At 34 years old, Cole is long in the tooth. Coming off a near season-ending back injury that caused him to miss nine games last season, he’s a health risk. But he said earlier this offseason he’s not retiring and he’s looking for a team ready to “let me off the leash.” Denver had success in this capacity with DeMarcus Ware recently, although Cole wouldn’t bring much to special teams as a replacement for Barrett.
Paul Kruger
Denver would be Kruger’s fourth team in six years. He spent last season in New Orleans after three in Cleveland. Baltimore drafted him in 2009. He boasts 221 career tackles and 35 career sacks. His special teams contributions might be more limited than Barrett’s, but he could be a valuable one-year pickup in a mercenary role.
Mike Morgan
Morgan, an undrafted player in 2011, compiled 69 career tackles for the Seahawks, but was not tendered this past offseason. He missed time with injury in 2016, appearing in only nine games, but was healthy for the final five games of the season. He’d contribute on special teams, and at 29, should have plenty left in the tank.
Spencer Paysinger
Paysinger might be the closest one-to-one replacement for Barrett on this list. The bulk of his snaps in Miami last year came on special teams, and he played a rotational role on the front seven. He’s also familiar with Vance Joseph, who was his defensive coordinator last year. His price tag should be less than $1 million, so he’d also be a relative bargain.
Erik Walden
Like Cole, Walden is a former Colt who’s getting up there in years. He’s 31, but has played 129 games over his nine seasons. He played over 70 percent of Indy’s defensive snaps last year and doesn’t contribute much on special teams, so his role would be different than Barrett’s, for sure. He might fit in more like Ware did last season – which wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
