The Denver Broncos’ final 53-man roster will be comprised almost entirely of players currently on the team. Yet, a couple of those spots will likely be claimed by veterans the Broncos will target in the wake of the NFL Draft.
Who should they target and who would help the team the most? Let’s look.
Justin Simmons, Safety
This choice is certainly a little sentimental, but it’s also sensible.
For starters, the Denver Broncos still have a bit of a need at the safety position. Re-signing P.J. Locke and adding Brandon Jones go a long way towards shoring the unit up, but both still have some questions and both are arguably at their best playing near the ball. Plus, Caden Sterns’ knee injury makes his projection incredibly murky, not only because of the number of injuries, but because of the severity of the patellar tendon injury.
Enter Justin Simmons, who is at his best playing deep and would instantly become the team’s best safety once again.
Plus, Simmons’ return would revitalize a locker room that was downtrodden by his departure, while simultaneously providing it with a perfect mentor for what figures to be a remarkably young team over the next few years.
Also, remember, Denver ultimately released Simmons for financial reasons, and given the current safety market and the amount of time it’s taken him to sign, it seems likely his price would be greatly reduced now.
Staying in the Mile High City would also allow Simmons to remain close to his family, without having to move them to a different city for the year, which would seem to be especially appealing to Simmons, considering what we know about his character.
The fly in the ointment is ultimately the probability that, as Simmons nears the end of his career, he probably wants to play for a true competitor, which the Broncos are still a few years out from being. He’s one of the league’s defining defensive backs of the last decade, and he’s never sniffed the playoffs, much less a Super Bowl. Would all of Denver’s perks be worth forgoing that championship pursuit? Only Simmons can answer.
Michael Thomas, Wide Receiver
So much of the Sean Payton’s and the Denver Broncos’ future now rests on the shoulders of Bo Nix.
If this pick doesn’t work, we’re probably looking at an ousting of Sean Payton and another heavy rebuild of the roster, once Wilson’s cap hit is fully off the books. If Payton is ousted without finding any notable success with the Broncos, there’s a healthy chance he doesn’t get another opportunity to bolster his Canton résumé, and even if he does, it’s unlikely he’d be granted the same authoritative power he’s held in New Orleans and, now, Denver.
With that in mind, everything the Broncos do after the next couple seasons should be in the interest of making this quarterback work out, or, at the very least, building a quality nest for the next guy.
Michael Thomas could be a great buy-low target to aid that pursuit.
Now, to get the obvious out of the way, Thomas is far from the player he once was.
In the last four years, Thomas has appeared in just 20 games and has tallied a mere 1,057 yards and four touchdowns on 95 receptions. The last time he was a quality receiver, COVID-19 was barely on the radar of the contiguous United States.
That said, he has a ton of familiarity in the offense and could help upgrade the Broncos’ slot depth behind Josh Reynolds. Plus, he will likely be signed for peanuts. Tyler Boyd just signed a one-year deal worth ‘up to’ $4.5 million. Thomas’ market can’t be too far above the veteran minimum.
If he shows up to camp and doesn’t have it anymore, it’s a no-sweat cut. If he still has a glimmer of the old Michael Thomas, you might’ve just found your young quarterback a highly reliable receiver who will always be where he needs to be in Payton’s offense, and has some sticky hands.
Connor Williams, Center
Considering how little they have done to address the departure of Lloyd Cushenberry III this offseason, it seems clear that the Denver Broncos are very comfortable with banking on Alex Forsyth sliding into the starting center role.
They’ve signed low-level insurance options, like Calvin Throckmorton or Sam Mustipher, but if either of those two are playing a considerable amount of snaps for the Broncos this season, it would be very bad news for Bo Nix and his development.
That’s why a target like Connor Williams could make so much sense.
Williams is more of a zone-blocker, so the fit with what Payton is trying to build might be a little funky, but he’s also a dramatically better option than Denver’s other backup plans at the moment, even with the less-than-ideal fit. Williams also boasts guard/center versatility, and would be a nice upgrade over Luke Wattenberg in that department.
Lastly, the fact he is still on the market, unsigned, while recovering from a season-ending lower-body injury suggests that his 2024 asking price shouldn’t be too steep.
If you sign Williams and Forsyth proves he’s ready to start, you’ve just bought yourself a tremendous backup plan. If you don’t sign Williams and Forsyth proves he isn’t ready, Nix might be destined for a rough start to his career.
Donovan Smith, Tackle
Along the same lines as Williams, Donovan Smith is relatively cheap depth option that would raise the floor of the Denver Broncos’ offensive line by magnitudes.
While it’s barely been discussed, replacing Cameron Fleming with Matt Peart is a scary downgrade that could boast serious problems for Nix if the Broncos can’t avoid injury and Zach Strief isn’t able to work a miracle on Peart.
Soon after free agency opened, the Giants rushed to sign Jermaine Eluemunor from the Raiders, because they were terrified of having a swing tackle situation as bad as what they had with Peart. When Peart was thrown into the starting lineup last year, he struggled mightily, performing like one of the league’s worst run blockers and pass protectors at his position.
The Broncos can avoid that reality altogether, and safeguard their pricey quarterback investment, by targeting a swing tackle option like Smith.
Smith wasn’t even paid like a starter last year, on a miniscule $3 million deal, so he might be trending towards swing tackle status anyway. Plus, his size and strength make him a solid fit with the identity Coach Payton is trying to build up front.
He’s not a flashy option, but he would prevent the Broncos and Nix from facing a blindside disaster.
