NFL free agency is off and running, and we’re keeping track of every major signing, trade and release of the 2021 offseason, with analysis from our NFL Nation reporters and grades from our experts. The new league year begins March 17 at 4 p.m. ET, which means free-agent signings can be made official after that. The first round of the 2021 NFL draft begins April 29 on ESPN.
The Broncos finished their fifth consecutive playoff miss in 2020 with a fairly hefty list of needs, especially at cornerback, but they do have salary cap room to get started in filling those needs. They can be aggressive when they want to be at the opening bell of free agency and can scoop up some veteran players on some shorter one- and two-year deals as free agency moves into the second phase.
They are currently working on a long-term deal for safety Justin Simmons, who has the franchise player designation, so some of their salary cap room has been allotted for the potential of a deal getting done before training camp.
Here’s a breakdown of every 2021 NFL free-agent signing by the Denver Broncos, and how each will impact the upcoming season:
Darby agreed to a three-year deal with the Broncos worth $30 million.
What it means: The Broncos have no bigger need on the roster than at cornerback, where they have already released A.J. Bouye, a starter last season, and the two other cornerbacks who played the most — Bryce Callahan and Michael Ojemudia — are returning from injury. Callahan just finished his second consecutive season on injured reserve and Ojemudia had knee surgery after the season. Darby, who logged over 1,000 snaps last season in Washington, is a walk-in player in the Broncos defense. He will be a fit in Fangio’s scheme, which splices in plenty of combination coverages, where Darby’s 1-on-1 skills can be used to move the help elsewhere. Darby has also started games at both left and right cornerback in his career, so he gives the Broncos some flexibility in how they approach things. They will continue to give the position long looks in the remainder of free agency as well as in the draft.
What’s the risk: They spent some cash here with $19.5 million guaranteed and a deal that could be worth up to $30 million overall. They need Darby, who just turned 27 in January, to play at, or near, his peak. They also need the durability he showed in 2020 — the first season he topped 600 snaps since 2016 — to not be a fluke. He has been at his best in man-heavy schemes throughout his career, some that play more man coverages than Fangio does at times, but at his best the Broncos will have a reliable starter who has shown he has fully rebounded from a torn ACL in 2018.
What it means: The deal is an early glimpse at how new general manager George Paton said he prefers to do business in free agency — retain a team’s key free agents. Harris fits well in Vic Fangio’s defense and has been consistently productive over the past four seasons. In 2020 his seven passes batted down tied him for the league lead among defensive linemen with J.J. Watt. Harris did it in 11 games. He also blocked a field goal and had a two-sack game against the Buccaneers in Week 3. Harris’ versatility — he has played at both end and at nose tackle in some of the Broncos’ specialty looks — is a huge plus.
What’s the risk: Harris, who will be in his seventh season in 2021 and will turn 30 in August, has been durable during his time with the Broncos. In fact, his bout with COVID-19 last season resulted in his first missed games with the team. Harris is a high-effort player — he has always said he remembers how close he was to being out of of the league when was waived six times by three teams combined early in his career — who appreciates his chance to play. In a year when the Broncos had already released Jurrell Casey, retaining Harris gives them flexibility moving toward the draft.
Justin Simmons, safety
The Broncos placed the franchise tag on Simmons for the second consecutive season.
Franchise tag salary: Expected to be about $13.729 million (salary cap pending)
Season: Sixth
Career highlights: Over the past two seasons Simmons has been selected as a second-team All-Pro (2019) and to the Pro Bowl (2020). He has 12 interceptions over the past three seasons combined and topped 90 tackles in each. Simmons has also played every defensive snap in each of the past three seasons and has not played fewer than 74% of the defensive snaps since his rookie year in 2016. Broncos coach Vic Fangio has simply said: “Justin is a great player … we love him.”
Why he was tagged: Simmons played on the franchise player tag last season, which he called “betting on myself.” His representatives have been trying to hammer out a long-term deal with the Broncos. While Simmons has made it clear he would not be all that thrilled playing on the tag for a second consecutive year, Broncos general manager George Paton said as recently as Thursday he is trying to work out that long-term deal. The tag gives the Broncos the ability to negotiate with Simmons without the worry of him leaving to another team without at least the chance to match any offer. The Broncos have tagged, and then signed, players to long-term deals in the weeks that followed the tag in the past, including Demaryius Thomas and Von Miller.
What he brings: In short, everything. Simmons has the athleticism, anticipation and awareness to play the deep safety and he is also a physical player along the line of scrimmage. Simmons even lined up at cornerback when needed earlier in his career when the defense was hit by injuries. Off the field he is one of the team’s most consistent and most active players in the community.