Once the flashy players and big contracts have been signed, the conversation typically moves to the draft. Even though the draft is important, getting quality impact free agents later in free agency could be even more important to the following season’s success.
According to NFL.com’s Top 99 free agents list only 24 of the top 99 players still remain on the market. However, these 24 players could have a major impact on a team’s success, and the Denver Broncos could certainly upgrade their team by signing a few of them.
While the Broncos only have about $6 million in cap space available, there are still some moves that the Broncos could make to open up additional cap space; cutting Ryan Clady for example.
Here is the list of four free agents that are still available that would significantly help the Broncos:
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Age: 33
Rank on NFL.com Top 99 list: 23
Past contract: 2 years, $7.25 million signed in 2014; $3.25 million last year with the New York Jets
2015 Stat Line: 16 games started; 3,905 passing yards; 59.6% completion; 31 touchdowns; 15 interceptions; 88 passer rating; 63.63 quarterback rating
Ryan Fitzpatrick would be an instant upgrade for the Broncos at the quarterback position compared to the play they had in 2015. The Broncos have expressed mild interest in Fitzpatrick and have reached out to his agent to get an idea on his price tag. That is about as far as the Broncos have gone with Fitzpatrick, as he is seeking a contract similar to Brock Osweiler’s, averaging $18 million a year.
The Broncos certainly will not pay that type of money to Fitzpatrick, but as of now, it doesn’t seem like any other team will either. The Jets, his former team, have interest in him, but apparently the two sides are very far apart on contract talks as well.
If Fitzpatrick’s value continues to drop, it would not be a surprise if John Elway pulled off his free agency magic and worked a deal to bring in Fitzpatrick to the Mile High City. It isn’t likely that Fitzpatrick will end up in Denver, but the longer Fitzpatrick stays on the market, the more interesting it will be to see if Elway goes after a quality starting quarterback.
