Broncos Swing & Miss on D.J. Reader, who Signs With Bengals

The Broncos lost out in the D.J. Reader sweepstakes. Where does that leave the team?

After the Denver Broncos spent the majority of the first two days of the NFL's legal tampering window talking to and negotiating with free-agent defensive tackle D.J. Reader, it felt like momentum was on their side. Alas, the Cincinnati Bengals jumped into the fray, significantly upping the ante and blowing the Broncos' offer out of the water. 

Per multiple reports, Reader has chosen to take his talents to Cincinnati, leaving the Broncos scrambling to figure out their next move. 

D.J. Reader heads to Cincinnati Bengals, according to league sources. $53 million over four years, according to sources, highest paid nose tackle in NFL

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 17, 2020

The Broncos showed Reader some love, and telegraphed their interest and even went so far as to offer a competitive $12M per year per 9NEWS' Mike Klis. But the Bengals' offer of $13.25M APY was a bridge too far for GM John Elway. 

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The news leaves fans wondering what might be next for the Broncos. Despite the perception in the fan base, the Broncos have been extremely active in utilizing the legal tampering window to negotiate with outside free agents. 

Elway is willing to compete on the open market, but ultimately, he has his price. As good as a player like Reader is, is the gap between him and Mike Purcell really worth $10M/year? I have my doubts. 

The flip-side to that coin is that in the NFL, like in life, you get what you pay for. That's true in many ways, but every year, NFL teams spend big bucks in March only to rue their decision come the fall. 

It's good that Elway has the discipline not to go head over heels, especially in the wake of last year's free-agent haul for Denver, which resulted in only one of the Broncos' big-three signings making an impact (Kareem Jackson). The Broncos will continue to explore the free-agent market but it'll be the second- and third-wave players, which is where Elway has built his resume as a front-office czar. 

Keep an eye on ex-Seahawks DL Quinton Jefferson, ex-Bills CB Kevin Johnson, ex-Bears CB Prince Amukamara, ex-Chargers RB Melvin Gordon and ex-Ravens DL Michael Pierce. It's also worth mentioning that with each swing and miss on the free-agent market, the odds of homegrown guys like Derek Wolfe, Shelby Harris, and Chris Harris, Jr., re-signing increases. 

For now, Elway will hang his hat on the Graham Glasgow signing while the Broncos' GM mourns the loss of his mother, Janet Elway, who passed away from pancreatic cancer on Tuesday. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.