When talking about the offensive free agents in this year’s market, everything was about frugality; with the defense, though, there’s money to spend, especially on the defensive line.
Whether they reach a deal or not, the Broncos are clearly willing to give Malik Jackson a contract that will verge, if not shatter, the eight-figure mark. That also means that if Jackson does decide to leave Denver for browner pastures, John Elway will have to find someone else to spend that money on. And while everybody else who could be worth that type of money was franchised on Tuesday, there’s still plenty of quality players up for consideration.
And just think: How good would the Broncos defense be if their defensive line actually got better? The secondary and linebacking corps may already be the best in the league; one more shrewd signing and the d-line may be too!
So let’s break it down and look at five free agent linemen who could take the Broncos defense from historic to, well, whatever’s better than historic:
5. NT Terrance Knighton
EXPERIENCE: 7 years DRAFT: 3rd round (72nd overall) out of Temple
CAREER STARTS: 96 HONORS: None
’15 CAP HIT: $4 M PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $1.4 M
LAST YEAR: 1.5 sacks; 29 total tackles
BEST YEAR: 3 sacks; 42 total tackles; 1 interception; 1 fumble recovery (’13)
WHY THE BRONCOS COULD BE INTERESTED: Why wouldn’t the Broncos bring Terrance Knighton back? Denver loves Pot Roast! More importantly, this Pot Roast is being sold on the clearance rack!
After two fantastic seasons in Denver, where the Jacksonville castoff revived his ailing career and led one of the best run defenses in the NFL, Knighton got greedy. He placed all of his cards on the table, looking for a big-money deal and it never came. Instead, he was left to sign a one-year, prove-it contract with the Washington Redskins, which did not go as well as he would have hoped.
A year removed, John Elway may be able to get Pot Roast on the cheap like he originally hoped for. Pair him with Sylvester Williams, and suddenly Denver’s run defense becomes even more intimidating.
4. DE Robert Ayers
EXPERIENCE: 7 years DRAFT: 1st round (15th overall) out of Tennessee
CAREER STARTS: 39 HONORS: None
’15 CAP HIT: $2.44 M PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $6.1 M
LAST/BEST YEAR: 9 sacks; 41 tackles; 2 forced fumbles; 4 passes defensed
WHY THE BRONCOS COULD BE INTERESTED: For a long time, Robert Ayers was looked at like a bust in Denver, but that’s unfair. Ayers never put up big sack numbers, sure, but he was a real asset in the run game, and he continues to be.
As a pass rusher, though, Ayers is coming off a breakout season, where he put up nine sacks in just 12 games for the Giants. That type of production will earn Ayers a few extra dollars this offseason, but if Malik Jackson ends up leaving, the Broncos may be willing to pay the price.
3. NT Damon Harrison
EXPERIENCE: 4 years DRAFT: Undrafted out of William Penn
CAREER STARTS: 48 HONORS: PFF 2nd-Team All-NFL (’15)
’15 CAP HIT: $2.36 M PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $8-10 M
LAST YEAR/BEST YEAR: .5 sacks; 72 total tackles; 1 fumble forced
WHY THE BRONCOS COULD BE INTERESTED: Bookended by Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, Damon “Snacks” Harrison hasn’t received nearly as much attention as he should, but he’s an absolute stud. In fact, he may be one of the best nose tackles in the entire league.
If the Broncos feel that Sylvester Williams is never going to be the Pro Bowl-caliber player they drafted him to be, then maybe they go out and bring that guy in during free agency. And at just 27 years old, Harrison has his best years ahead of him.
2. DE Mario Williams
EXPERIENCE: 10 years DRAFT: 1st round (1st overall) out of North Carolina St.
CAREER STARTS: 145 HONORS: Pro Bowl (’08,’09,’13,’14), 1st-Team All-Pro (’14); 2nd-team All-Pro (’07, ’13)
’15 CAP HIT: $19.4 M PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $9-11 M
LAST YEAR: 5 sacks; 19 total tackles
BEST YEAR: 14.5 sacks; 40 total tackles; 2 fumbles forced; 2 passes defensed (’14)
WHY THE BRONCOS COULD BE INTERESTED: Here’s the stat every Broncos fan needs to be counting on if/when the Denver Broncos make a play for Mario Williams: Zero playoff appearances.
After a decade in the NFL, after All-Pro designations and Pro-Bowl nods, Williams has never once played in a playoff game. That may be reason enough for him to come to Denver.
And really, this guy is still a fantastic player. Yes, he may be coming off the worst season of his career, but so is the rest of the Bills defense, and Mario Williams has made it very clear that Rex Ryan is to blame. Remember, he’s just a year removed from putting up 14.5 sacks and being named 1st-team All Pro.
Under Wade Phillips, and within a pass rushing corps that includes Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, Williams would be back to dominating the league in no time.
1. DE Malik Jackson
EXPERIENCE: 4 years DRAFT: 5th round (137th overall) out of Tennessee
CAREER STARTS: 24 HONORS: None
’15 CAP HIT: $1.60 M PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $10.7 M
LAST/BEST YEAR: 5.5 sacks; 46 total tackles; 2 fumble recoveries; 7 passes defensed
WHY THE BRONCOS COULD BE INTERESTED: The numbers don’t even begin to do Malik Jackson justice. The only way to truly understand how impactful he is on a game-by-game basis is to watch him on a play-by-play basis.
Von Miller, Chris Harris and T.J. Ward may be the stars of the Broncos defense, but Jackson is the guy that makes the whole thing run; his versatility allows Wade Phillips and the rest of the guys to simply do what they do best.
Whether it’s the pressure he puts on the quarterback, the batted passes, the run defense or a number of other things, he impacts every facet of the game; he’s the Broncos’ version of Michael Bennett.
Unfortunately, that all leads to Jackson looking for a huge payday. Let’s just hope he’s willing to consider a hometown discount.