The Super Bowl and the 2021 NFL season are now in the rearview, meaning the offseason and free agency will soon be fully upon us.
With that important time in the NFL offseason nearing, it appears like the Denver Broncos will have a bevy of crucial decisions to make on a handful of stars that are set to leave the team.
In a recent article from the Pro Football Focus staff, which looks at the NFL’s top 200 upcoming free agents, the Broncos have eight players listed, six of which are found in the top 90.
In a surprising move that might shock many Broncos fans, Teddy Bridgewater is ranked as the team’s best free agent, coming in at No. 49 on the list.
“Bridgewater has out-performed his reworked one-year, $10 million contract and is the only proven starting-caliber quarterback under 30 years old this offseason,” PFF wrote. “That fact alone may dictate his market, depending on how many teams need quarterbacks. And considering the 2022 NFL Draft class is expected to be very underwhelming at the position, he could be in for a decent deal.”
The fact PFF is expecting Bridgewater to have a legitimate market this offseason should be a strong referendum on how this upcoming quarterback class is looking.
Next up are Denver’s two injured run-stuffing linebackers, Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell, who make the list at No. 55 and No. 65 respectively.
“When healthy, Johnson is among the best sideline-to-sideline run-defenders at off-ball linebacker in the league,” PFF wrote of Johnson, while also noting his surprising age (30) given his short NFL career and the fact he is returning from a torn pectoral.”
“From Week 9 of 2020 through Jewell’s injury in Week 2 of this season, his 79.8 overall grade ranked fourth among off-ball linebackers and his 79.5 coverage grade ranked fifth,” the PFF noted in regard to the former Hawkeye. “Jewell also provides value on the occasional pass-rush snap and very rarely misses tackles.”
Right behind Jewell on PFF’s rankings, at No. 66, is Bryce Callahan. Callahan has consistently struggled with injuries throughout his NFL career, but when on the field, there are few slot corners that are better.
“Throughout Callahan’s career, it has been a challenge to identify an on-field flaw in his game,” PFF wrote. “This is why he went from an undrafted free agent to signing one of the top contracts for a slot cornerback. However, staying on the field has often been a challenge, and 2021 was no different.”
With 96.6% of the Broncos snaps at slot-corner set to hit free agency this offseason, the front office would be wise to retain a player like Callahan so the position doesn’t devolve into becoming a desperate need.
Kareem Jackson is the last Denver defender ranked in the top 100, at No. 83. PFF noted the veteran presence and strong play that Jackson could bring to a new team, but also highlighted that 2021 showed signs of notable decline and age is beginning to become a concern.
Melvin Gordon, who — at spot No. 88 — rounds out all of the Broncos ranked in the top 100, received similar notes on age, which is especially concerning given his position. PFF also projects Gordon to be worth a $12 million, two-year deal, which one would hope is pricy enough to keep Denver away from bidding.
The last two Broncos to make the list are tackle Bobby Massie (No. 130) and Kyle Fuller (No. 145), who are both towards the end of their career but could still offer value to the right team.
The Broncos certainly don’t need to bring all of these players back for 2022 — and frankly, shouldn’t bring them all back — but it’s impossible that they’ll have several tough decisions to make in the coming weeks.
