Broncos 2020 Free Agency Preview: Safeties
Mar 5, 2020, 7:10 AM
When the NFL free agency kicks off on March 18, the Broncos figure to be very active. For one, they have a lot of holes to fill, so there are plenty of reasons for John Elway to go shopping. But in addition, Denver’s general manager will have a lot of money to spend.
Currently, the Broncos are $58 million under the 2020 salary cap, but that number could grow to as high as $76 million once Ron Leary and Joe Flacco come off the books as expected. And if Elway really wants to get crazy, he can free up nearly $9 million in additional cap space by parting ways with Todd Davis and Jeff Heuerman.
How should the Broncos put all of those dollars to use? In the weeks leading up to the start of free agency, we’ll offer a position-by-position breakdown of the best players projected to be on the open market, as well as analysis of who would be a realistic fit in Denver.
It continues today with one of the few positions where the Broncos will most likely be making some changes – safety. Justin Simmons is an unrestricted free agent, but Denver has suggested that they’ll use the franchise tag on the rising star if they can’t get a long-term deal done. But backup Will Parks is also on the open market, looking to find a starting job and score a big contract. So most likely, John Elway will have to add at least some pieces at safety. When he goes shopping, these players are worthy of a long look.
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Top Five Available
1. Justin Simmons – Pro Football Focus gave Simmons a grade of 90.8 during the 2019 seasons, putting him among the best in the league at his position; the web site also named him to their first-team All-Pro roster for the year. Those are the accolades the Broncos safety will be touting as he seeks a multi-year deal worth $14 or $15 million per season. Simmons is a smart, reliable player who has gotten better and better during each of his four years in the league.
2. Anthony Harris – Right behind Simmons in the Pro Football Focus rankings this season was Harris, as the Vikings safety finished 2019 with a 90.5 rating from the site. Not surprisingly, he was also named first-team All-Pro by the group. One thing that jumps out about Harris, however, is his playmaking ability. Last season, he hauled in an NFL-leading six interceptions, showing a ballhawk mentality that is key at his position. That’s going to earn the former undrafted free agent a ton of money on the open market.
3. Karl Joseph – With the 14th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Raiders added Joseph to their secondary. They expected him to make an immediate impact, becoming a big-time player at safety. It’s never quite happened, in large part due to injuries. Through his first four seasons, Joseph has yet to appear in all 16 games during a single year. That said, there’s a lot of talent still there, especially for a player who will turn 27 just before the start of the season. Joseph is a gamble somebody will make.
4. Devin McCourty – For teams looking to add a consistent, veteran presence in the secondary, McCourty is the perfect fit. During his 10 seasons in New England, the safety has only missed five games. In that time, he’s also played at a very high level, earning a pair of Pro Bowl invites and reeling in 26 interceptions. Yes, he’ll be 33 years old by the time the 2020 campaign begins, meaning he’s not a long-term answer by any means. But for a two- or three-year run, he can really help a defense looking to get over the hump.
5. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix – During his first four seasons in Green Bay, Clinton-Dix was a model of consistency. He appeared in 64 out of 64 games, snagged 10 interceptions and earned a Pro Bowl invite. Then, he spent half of a season in Washington, which turned into a lost nine games, and last year in Chicago, where he bounced back a bit. Teams will be hoping their getting the player who excelled for 71 games with the Packers, which is certainly the lion’s share of Clinton-Dix’s career.
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Realistic Options for the Broncos
1. Clayton Geathers – During his five seasons in Indianapolis, the former fourth-round pick has been a spot starter for the Colts. In 2018, however, he got the chance to play extensively in 12 games, providing the chance to show what he could do when given the opportunity. And the results were positive. That season, Geathers posted 89 tackles and three passes defensed, a sign that he can make plays and is around the football.
2. Andrew Sendejo – After eight very productive years in Minnesota, Sendejo was jettisoned to Philadelphia in the middle of last season. Despite the upheaval, the safety was able to post a career-high three interceptions between his stints with the Vikings and Eagles. He turns 33 in September, so he’s definitely a fit for a team looking to add a veteran presence in the secondary. But he’d be a great reserve who can start when needed.
3. Eric Berry – There’s no doubt that the 31-year-old safety can play in the NFL. During his nine-year career, he’s been voted into the Pro Bowl five times and earned All-Pro honors on three occasions. And two of those selections came after he missed a large portion of the 2014 season due to Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He also suffered through a torn Achilles in 2017. All of this added up to Berry taking the 2019 season off in order to get right mentally and physically, which he now believes he’s accomplished.
