The 2013 season has come to an abrupt and heartbreaking finale for the Denver Broncos, and they do not have time to dwell on that heartbreak for long, as the team must look forward to the off-season and how they are going to keep this team in contention for another Super Bowl. This means that the team is going to have to make some quick, but smart decisions about which of their 16 potential free agents they'd like to keep around, and devise a plan for how they will fill the holes that remain once some of these players inevitably wind up on other NFL teams. Of the 16 Broncos players that are set to hit free agency, seven of them held starting roles for Denver this past season; I'm here to take a look at who should stay, who the Broncos should let go, and how they may go about replacing these players.
Wide Receiver- Eric Decker
Much to the dismay of Jessie James and Decker's many female fans in Denver, the Broncos will undoubtedly have to part ways with Decker come the off-season. Decker will be a hot commodity in the free agent market, and he no-doubt knows that; he'll likely collect a big pay-cheque from another NFL team, unless he's willing to take a pay-cut to stay in Denver. With Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Julius Thomas all still under contract for another season, it's likely in the Broncos' best interest to wave goodbye to #87, as unfortunate as that is. As far as replacing Decker goes, the Broncos have a couple options: They will have to make a decision on another free-agent receiver, Andre Caldwell, who performed well this season when called upon, making 16 receptions on 29 targets, for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. Caldwell may be a cheap, yet efficient way to fill the void of Decker, if he is able to replicate that success over the full course of a season with more snaps. If the Broncos are not able to maintain Caldwell, they may be required to draft a receiver in the upcoming draft, a draft that is deep with receivers (15 projected to be taken in the first 3 rounds). As a final option, Denver could wait to see who hits the free-agent market from other teams, although they are in no position to get into a bidding war over any big names. The Broncos would be smart to re-sign Caldwell for an affordable price, and draft a receiver in one of the later rounds of the draft. A couple possibilities to replace Decker's size and speed are Donte Moncrief (Ole Miss) near the end of the third round, or Pittsburgh's Devin Street towards the end of the fourth round of the draft.
Running Back- Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon Moreno had the breakout season that everyone has been waiting for (and maybe believed would never come) in 2013, and is now ready to head up a very weak class of free agent running backs. Moreno will be worth a lot of money on the open market, with teams such as the Browns, Raiders, Cardinals, Giants, and Dolphins all likely looking for someone to fill a void at the position. Moreno is probably the easiest of Denver's potential free agents to replace, with Montee Ball waiting to take the number one spot at running back. Ball showed towards the season that he has adjusted to running at the NFL level, and has greatly improved his pass-blocking as well. Ball will likely be back in the work-horse role that he occupied in Wisconsin come next season, with Ronnie Hillman and CJ Anderson both under contract as back-ups. The Broncos may look to take a running back later in the draft, or sign a smaller name in free agency in order to supplement the backfield. Anthony Dixon of the 49ers would be an intriguing, and likely cheap, option if San Francisco allows him to hit the open market.
Cornerback- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
DRC was probably one of the best off-season signings in the NFL last year, based solely on how cheap the Broncos were able to sign him for. Now, with a full season of solid football under his belt, and the Broncos needing to conserve cap space, it's unlikely DRC will be back in the blue and orange without taking a pay cut to be there. The Broncos are in a tough situation when it comes to their secondary as the off-season approaches; Chris Harris is a restricted free agent, who absolutely must be re-signed, Champ Bailey's play continues to falter as he ages, meaning he'll need to restructure to stay with the Broncos, Quentin Jammer should be on his way out after a poor showing all season, which leaves the Broncos with only Kayvon Webster and Tony Carter under contract for 2014 right now. With Harris likely due a big pay-upgrade due to his excellent level of play, it likely leaves DRC on the outside, unless he's willing to be paid less to play on the Broncos. One thing that is working in the favour of the Broncos in this situation is the abundance of CBs that have the potential to hit the market around the league, which would lower DRC's value; Vontae Davis, Brent Grimes, Captain Munnerlyn, Alterraun Verner, and Sam Shields are just some of the talent that may be available. My personal preference is that the Broncos keep Rodgers-Cromartie around if they can, but ultimately they will likely let him test the market and find his worth, before making any hasty decisions. As I noted before, there is the potential for a lot of talent to hit the market, which should make DRC replaceable if need be.
Guard-Zane Beadles
Zane Beadles was part of the rock-solid (until the Super Bowl) Denver offensive line that allowed the lowest quarterback pressure percentage in the league. Beadles was not necessarily that impressive on his own over the course of the season, but the upcoming draft is not deep with guards by any means, and neither is the free agency market, which will up the value of the 2010 second-round draft pick. As with DRC, the Broncos will allow Beadles to test the waters of free agency to find his worth in the market, before making an attempt to sign him. If the Broncos must replace the third-year guard, they have the option of moving Orlando Franklin inside to guard, and have Chris Clark, who stepped up big-time at left tackle this season, move to right tackle for the 2014 season.
Defensive End- Shaun Phillips
Shaun Phillips, like Rodgers-Cromartie, was another one of Elway's wonderful 2013 free agency signings that was so brilliant because of the price. Phillips provided the Broncos with 13 sacks and 30 tackles for the cheap price of $1.4 million. If the Broncos were able to sign Phillips to the same contract, or even slightly higher, it would be a smart investment to make. Phillips showed that he can still play hard at the age of 32, and was a big reason why the Broncos were able to survive without Von Miller for much of the season. Phillips is getting up there in age, and is at the point in his career where he is pushing for a championship; he'd likely be willing to work around the Broncos' cap needs in order to get a contract worked out. If Phillips' demands too high of a price though, the Broncos are in a position to let him walk. Von Miller is expected to be healthy for the 2014 season, and Malik Jackson, who was exceptional against the run this season, and chipped in 7 sacks of his own, is also under contract. Additionally, Jeremy Mincey, who played very well for the Broncos during the final stretch of the season, will likely be an affordable re-sign for the Broncos, which would make losing Phillips easier. Ultimately, the Broncos will likely need to choose between signing Phillips or Robert Ayers at the defensive end position, as signing both would probably be too costly.
Linebacker- Wesley Woodyard and Paris Lenon
Both of the Broncos middle linebackers this season, one who played 73.3% of the defensive snaps (Woodyard), and another who played on 31.5% of all defensive snaps (Lenon) are both eligible for free agency this off-season. Woodyard, one of the Broncos defensive captains, had a poor showing this season, which allowed Lenon to play on more snaps over the second half of the season. Both linebackers are by no means must-signs for Denver, but I'd like to see them sign Woodyard to an extension. Woodyard has been one of the leaders of the defense over the past few seasons, and it truly would be a shame to see him go. Woodyard's poor play throughout the course of the season may actually benefit the Broncos, because it means his value will not be as high and he may be willing to sign for less than the 3.25 million he made in 2013. Paris Lenon is a player who the Broncos should consider to provide depth at linebacker if he's willing to sign for somewhere in the ball-park of $1 million annually; otherwise, his play is replaceable for cheaper.
The Broncos' toughest decisions will come at cornerback and defensive end, where they have the potential to look a lot different next year. I have full confidence in John Elway working his off-season magic, although his magic may be hindered by the big cap hits of Peyton Manning, Champ Bailey, and Joel Dreesen. Dreesen is a potential buy-out option for the Broncos, which would open up $2.5 million in cap space, and Champ should be willing to re-structure his contract in order to stay with the team. Champ, as much of a great guy and player as he is, has not played up to his salary over the past couple seasons. Additionally, Peyton Manning should think about a re-structure as well, if he wants to enable Elway to put a competitive team around him to make another run at a Super Bowl.
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