The Denver Broncos have an incredibly bright 2020 NFL season ahead of them. Here are five players they should target in the impending free agency period.
If there is any team in the AFC poised to pop in 2020, it has to be the Denver Broncos. 2020 will be the second year of Vic Fangio as their head coach. While they got off to a rocky start, the Broncos played better as the season went along. They also seem to have a pretty special young quarterback in Drew Lock, who shined for the Broncos in the final quarter of the 2019 NFL season.
Though they play in the same division as the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Denver has a terrific shot at getting back to the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2015. It will probably have to be as a wild card team, but the future looks to finally be bright in Denver. Where they can make huge strides this offseason is in free agency.
We know that general manager John Elway has had his issues in NFL drafts before. While he has hit on a few players over the years, he typically does a better job in free agency. Besides playing for a proud organization in the Broncos, Denver has plenty of ammunition heading into the free agency period.
Denver has the eighth-best salary-cap situation in the league at roughly $58.0 million in available space. The Broncos have a few internal candidates they can look to bring back, but we should expect them to look at players formerly of other teams. Denver needs to improve along the offensive line considerably. Here are their five biggest free agency targets heading into 2020.
5
Byron Jones
CB Dallas Cowboys
One player who is likely to be playing elsewhere in 2020 is Dallas Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones. After being a first-round pick in 2015 out of UConn, Jones has played multiple positions in the Cowboys defensive backfield, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2018. One would think he’d be back in Dallas on a new deal, but the Cowboys have some tough choices to make this offseason.
With running back Ezekiel Elliott skipping in line to get an extension, the Cowboys still need to find ways to bring back quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper on new contracts. Prescott has a decent shot at getting the franchise tag but could be in line for a huge extension. You have to believe that if Prescott returns so will Cooper on a new deal with the Cowboys.
So where does that leave Jones? Possibly on the outside looking in. Even though Dallas has a slightly better salary-cap situation over the Broncos at roughly $74 million, the Cowboys may not have the financial ramifications to bring back all their top players on deals that appropriately reflect their value.
Jones should be a candidate to join the Broncos’ defensive backfield, but only if the Broncos decide to not bring back veteran Chris Harris Jr. on a new deal. While Harris is more of a slot corner, Jones’ versatility could be a valued piece in the Broncos’ secondary for the foreseeable future. He will only be entering his age-28 season with hopefully plenty left in the tank to play out a new deal.