The Denver Broncos, surprisingly, have money to blow.
After parting ways with the trio of Mark Sanchez, Ronnie Hillman and Britton Colquitt, the Broncos saved over $7 million against the cap, which, according to Spotrac, now gives them over $10 million in cap space. That’s enough space to add a quality veteran, or two, to your roster.
And luckily, there are plenty of those available.
While the vast majority of the 700-plus players cut over the last week have played their last snaps in an NFL uniform, there are plenty of old faces looking for one last opportunity.
Here are three in particular the Broncos should be targeting in the coming days.
Louis Vasquez
Remember that name? You should. He started 18 games for the Broncos last season on route to a Super Bowl victory. In fact, he’s started 48 out of a possible 49 games for the Denver Broncos over the last three seasons.
So why is he on the list? Well, the Broncos went ahead and cut him early in the offseason, and for one reason or another, he’s yet to be picked up.
On the one hand, that makes me nervous; why is a 29-year-old former All-Pro who’s hardly missed a game during his career still sitting on the unemployment line two days before the start of the season? There has to be something going on, right?
On the other hand, it’s really hard for me to believe that Michael Schofield is actually better than Vasquez. And even if he is, it’s hard for me to imagine that Vazquez, on a cheap contract, wouldn’t be one of the better depth lineman in the NFL.
Geoff Schwartz
Along those lines, the Denver Broncos need depth on the offensive line, and Schwartz can provide just that.
He may be an NFL journeyman, but he’s a grinder. He’ll never make a Pro-Bowl team, but he’ll do his job. That’s what Denver needs.
We saw during the preseason that once the first-string line went out of the game, it was a mess. Pass rushers were getting to the quarterback at will. At one point or another, there will be an injury on the offensive line, and right now, the Broncos have to be nervous about who’ll step up in their place. Schwartz could calm that anxiety.
Terrance Knighton
Another familiar face, but sometimes reunions just make sense.
Pot Roast was a fan-favorite a few years back, and he earned that reputation; he was very good. Nowadays, he’s not nearly the same player he was during the Broncos’ first Super Bowl run, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a solid complement to Sylvester Williams inside.
The fear with Knighton is that his lack of versatility limits him to a very specific scheme; that’s why he didn’t pan out in New England. But with Wade Phillips as a coordinator, nobody gets pigeon-holed into a scheme; they’re given the freedom to do exactly what they do best.
BONUS: Emmanuel Sanders
If the Broncos wanted to go a different route, they could allocate some of that newfound money towards makings sure Emmanuel Sanders is here long term. Right now, he’s looking to be one of the 10 highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, and with over $7 million in recently cleared cap space, they might be able to do just that.
One way or another, Sanders is going to get paid, and the Broncos want to make sure it’s by them.