The Broncos certainly know how to make a splash during the free agency signing period. Two years ago, they made the biggest move when they signed Peyton Manning. It is safe to say that move has certainly paid off. Last year, the Broncos shocked the NFL world by stealing Wes Welker away from the Patriots. Welker helped Denver become the NFL's most prolific offense ever on the way to over 600 points scored in 2013. What did John Elway do for an encore in 2014? Elway and the Broncos went after some of the biggest fish in free agency. Denver signed safety T.J. Ward in the opening moments of free agency on Tuesday, and then they made one of the most surprising moves by nailing down Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib late Tuesday night. Denver then swooped in grabbed the newly released DeMarcus Ware from Dallas on Wednesday. The focus for Denver going into the offseason was to upgrade their defense, and they did just that. Here is a breakdown of the three big signings Denver made:
1) T.J. Ward-The deal is a four-year $23M agreement, but the key numbers are that the Broncos guaranteed only $14M. It averages out to about $5.5M dollars per year. This is an extremely good deal because Ward is only 27, and he was one of the best safeties available in free agency. The Broncos get a guy in his prime, and they add him to the back end of their secondary, a spot they really needed help in. This might be my favorite move the Broncos made so far. He is a very physical player, and that is something that the Broncos need at this point. By the way, it was famous last year as the guy who literally blew up Rob Gronkowski's knee in the game up in Foxboro. I think this was a great move by the Broncos.
2) Aqib Talib- The deal is reportedly worth six years and $57M , but it includes $26M in guarantees. Plus, the Broncos can cut Talib after three years, and they don't owe him another penny. Talib is 28 years old, and he was considered one of the top five corners available in free agency. As of late Tuesday night, it looked like Denver was going to re-sign Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but when those negotiations hit a snag, the Broncos turned their attention to Talib. He immediately becomes Denver's #1 corner, and his physical play should help the Broncos in the run game, and he will be the guy who matches up against the top receiver on opposite teams. Talib is definitely an upgrade for the Broncos and they essentially got him for about $8.5M dollars per year. That is lower than some of the other CB deals that were doled out to Sam Shields and Brent Grimes. The one thing that scares me about him is that he is injury prone. Don't forget he also was injured in both of the AFC Championship Games he played in with the Pats the last two years. The one thing I like is that the Broncos again steal another key piece away from the Patriots like they did with Welker a year ago. I think this was a good move by Denver, but I'm worried about the injury bug with him.
3) DeMarcus Ware- The deal is worth $30M over three years. $20M is guaranteed and it is reported that Ware will make about $13M this year. As soon as the Cowboys released Ware, Denver jumped all over him. They were considered the favorites and they got their man. Ware is 31, and last year he was bothered by injuries and he only had six sacks for the Cowboys, which was an all-time low in his career. When healthy, Ware is one of the premier pass rushers in the entire NFL, and it sounds like he will be healthy heading into the 2014 season. Don't underestimate a guy who has a chip on his shoulder, and Ware certainly has that going into next year. Players like Ware want to get a Super Bowl ring, and they want to go to a winner, so going to Denver was a no-brainer. You pair him with Von Miller, and the Broncos have that bookend, pass-rushing combination that they so badly want. I think the Ware signing was a really good one, and he will also bring a very solid presence to the locker room. That part can't be underestimated. It is a really good move for both Ware and the Broncos.
-Denver also re-signed WR Andre Caldwell. The deal is for two years and $3.45M dollars. Look for Caldwell to fill in for the departed Eric Decker. Caldwell is not the same caliber of player as Decker, but he provides some stability considering he has been in the offense with Manning for the past two years.
-Denver did lose some free agents from their team. Guard Zane Beadles to Jacksonville in a deal that will pay him $30M over five seasons with $13M guaranteed. This was a total business decision by Beadles. Denver wasn't going to pay him that money, and he deserved to cash in on the open market. Although Beadles has been a mainstay on the offensive line since 2011, he was always considered the weak link in their group. Denver might move Orlando Franklin inside to guard and move Chris Clark over to RT. I am sure they will look to add another interior lineman in the draft.
-The Broncos also lost WR Eric Decker to the Jets. It was apparent at the outset that Denver didn't have any intention of re-signing Decker, and as a result he is headed to the Jets. It will be interesting to see the final contract numbers for Decker, but the Broncos focus in free agency was going to be on the defensive side of the ball. This year's draft is supposedly very deep at WR, so look for Denver to draft a receiver in the first three rounds. The bottom line with Decker is that he is a solid #2 receiver, and the Broncos have to think about re-signing Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas next offseason. You can't afford to sink huge numbers into three or four receivers. It just doesn't work that way. Was Decker a benefit of having Manning as his QB? Of course he was, but he is still a really solid player, and it is a shame that the Broncos couldn't have found a way to lock him up. Decker won't put up the numbers with Geno Smith in NY, but he will be a good addition for the Jets and their putrid offense.
-The bottom line is that the Broncos still have Peyton Manning as their QB. If you can take the pressure off him just a little bit, and give him some help on the other side of the ball, then they might be an even better team in 2014. Adding Ward, Talib, and Ware has certainly done that. You think John Elway was a little scarred after watching his team get crushed by Seattle in the Super Bowl? I think so, and these moves can get Denver right back there next year in Arizona.
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