Should the Broncos Pay or Pass in 2020 – Safety Will Parks?

The Broncos have a lot of interesting decisions to make this offseason in regards to free agency. Before they decide on which ones to target from other teams, Denver must first look at its own players who are set to hit the open market.

Heading into the offseason, the Broncos have 14 players who are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in 2020. At the end-of-season press conference, Broncos general manager John Elway said the Broncos are going to wait a month before they start evaluating their own players.

“That gives us more time to do it the right way. Rather than doing it on a personal side, because the coaches get connected with (players). I think you get a better objective view when you get away and you’re able to go back and look at it individually,” Elway said.

In the meantime, let’s take a tour through the list of players the Broncos need to make a decision about. During the next few weeks, I’ll take an in-depth look at Denver’s pending free agents, answering a simple question: Should the Broncos pay to keep them or take a pass, letting them head into free agency.

Next up…

***

WILL PARKS
Safety

The Broncos selected safety Will Parks out of Arizona in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. That was a good value for Parks who was seen by some in the scouting community as a fourth- or fifth-round pick before the draft.

Parks was one of my favorite players to scout in that draft class. In college, he was put in a position more like a linebacker than a safety, so he played close to the line of scrimmage and showed incredible toughness. Watching him on film, you could see a player that had incredible versatility and the ability to line up at linebacker, free safety, strong safety or nickel cornerback. In addition to his versatility, Parks showed a tenacity and energy that was evident after he made a play.

That versatile skill set has shown up during Parks pro career with the Broncos. He began as a backup to T.J. Ward as a strong safety and special-teams player in 2016. Parks has played about 2,000 snaps in four seasons at strong safety, free safety and nickel corner for the Broncos.

That’s why deciding what kind of contract he can get is a bit complicated. What should Parks be designated as? What does Park want to play? Does he want a larger role and a more consistent role? Many questions to answer here with the talented and versatile player.

Should the Broncos pay or pass? Let’s take a look.

***

Positives

Of course I’m going to highlight his versatility as one of the biggest positives for his game. Parks can play multiple positions because he’s really smart and really dedicated to his craft. The energy he brings to the field can be infectious to his teammates and Parks doesn’t give up on a play.

Parks is not a big safety, but he can make big hits and separate the ball from the ball-carrier or receiver he’s tasked with taking down. He’s not the fastest player, but he does a good job of anticipating where the play is going and that helps him get to the catch point in good time.

***

Negatives

Some might consider Parks a jack of all trades but a master of none. Parks is athletic, but he does lack range as a deep safety. When he plays close to the line of scrimmage, this masks that deficiency in his game.

Parks is not afraid to take on a ball-carrier, but larger blockers do tend to blot him out. There have been some communication problems that lead Parks out of position at times under Fangio. He tends to work these things out and play better, but there are some lapses at time in his game.

***

The Market

So, let’s look at the market for both safety positions. Parks can play nickel corner, but that’s not the salary bracket he’s going to be in during free agency.

Free safeties are getting paid big money, as evidenced by Bears safety Eddie Jackson’s new deal that pays him $14.6 million annually on average. That’s the type of money that Justin Simmons is likely to seek with his new deal with the Broncos. Simmons is the top priority for the Broncos this offseason and will likely get the franchise tag in order to secure his services for the 2020 season – and the move gives the Broncos until mid-July to get a new contract done.

Parks is not in this ballpark. Rams free safety Eric Weddle is the 10th highest-paid free safety with an annual average salary of $5.2 million. Parks is not in the range, either. Instead, Parks is likely to get a new deal that pays him around $2-3 million per year – if you designate him as a free safety.

What is a team wants to pay him like a strong safety? Landon Collins is the highest-paid strong safety with an average annual salary of $14 million. Broncos starting strong safety Kareem Jackson is No. 3 in the league with an average annual salary of $11 million. Obviously, Parks is not going to get this type of deal. A veteran strong safety like the Patriots Patrick Chung (a solid player) ranks No. 17 in the league at $3.9 million. If Parks is designated as a strong safety when his new contract is negotiated, he is still likely in that $2 million range.

***

The Verdict

Broncos fans love Will Parks. The coaches appreciate his work ethic and high football intelligence. The players in the locker room love Parks because he’s got a great energy about him and is a great teammate.

With that being said, the Broncos need to pay Parks.

He’s not going to get a huge contract from any team out there, so Denver can keep him around because of his experience in the defense and his ability to play multiple positions. Injuries are going to happen in the NFL, so keeping Parks on the roster ensures that they have a player to rely on if injuries hit three different spots in the secondary.

***

PAY OR PASS 2020?

Adam Gotsis | Defensive end

Follow @CecilLammey