NFL Combine Rumor: Broncos Plan to 'Spend Decent Money' on Free-Agent Edge Rushers

A big portion of George Paton's offseason blueprint may have been leaked.

If the quarterback position is king in today’s NFL, then the pass rusher is queen. Unfortunately for the Denver Broncos, the roster currently may be without its king and queen. 

Quarterback will always get the publicity as it's a position that receives a disproportionate amount of the credit when a team wins as well as way too much blame in losses. However, while the Broncos continue to search for a viable long-term option at quarterback, the team simply cannot overlook the abysmal pass rush it fielded in 2021.

The Broncos have been heavily linked to pass rushers at the top of the 2022 NFL draft so far this offseason. However, don't be surprised to see GM George Paton attack the Broncos’ massive pass-rush need prior to April’s draft via the NFL free-agent market. 

According to 9NEWS' Mike Klis, the Broncos are planning on splurging come free agency. 

"The buzz at the Combine is the Broncos will be looking to spend decent money on a pass rusher when free-agent negotiation period opens in two week.” 

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Alas, Klis also stated that while Von Miller is a free agent this offseason, a reunion between Miller and the Broncos is considered “unlikely.” There are plenty of reasons aplenty as to why the Broncos had such a poor pass rush last season. 

Trading your best edge rusher midway through the season in Miller (thanks for the two Day 2 picks, Los Angeles!) and Bradley Chubb dealing with setback after setback on his foot certainly hurt. However, the unit was not good enough and needs a massive injection of talent prior to the 2022 season.

It would be fun for Denver to bring Miller back but even if not, there are ample edge rushers that should be available in free agency. Chandler Jones is coming off of an 11-sack season despite being 32 years old (just like Miller) and may be considered the best in free agency. 

There are also some smaller, more finesse rushers who are arguably entering their prime in Harold Landry and Haason Reddick that could be considered as well. A step down from those listed above, but still likely to offer a big boost to the Broncos’ defensive front, are the likes of Emmanuel Ogbah and Jadeveon Clowney. 

Also worth considering and waiting to see whether they become available are such edge talents as Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Danielle Hunter, and Trey Flowers, all of whom may very well be cap casualties and find themselves on the open market in the very near future given the structure of these players’ contracts and the financial position their current teams find themselves in currently.

If and when the Broncos sign an edge rusher this offseason, do not expect that to be it for Denver when it comes to adding talent to the defensive front. With the draft around the corner, it seems unlikely that Michigan’s Aiden Hutchinson or Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux falls to Denver at 9, but prospects like Georgia’s Travon Walker, Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson II (mocked to Broncos by Daniel Jeremiah), Michigan’s David Ojabo could be the selection if Paton stays at pick No. 9. 

There are options aplenty projected to go further down the board as well. In Paton’s NFL Combine press conference earlier this week, the GM referenced not only the quality and quantity of edge rushers in this draft class, but also how valuable it is to have multiple pass rushers to field a quality defense in today’s league. 

“I think there’s some talented ones in free agency, and I think there’s a lot of depth in the draft," Paton remarked. 

Just like last season where the Broncos spent big in free agency to acquire cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby, only to turn around and use the No. 9 overall pick on Patrick Surtain II, no one should be surprised if Paton invests heavily in the edge rusher position this offseason, and follows that up with a top-of-the-draft selection to upgrade the pass rush. 

“With the edge rushers, kind of like corners, you can’t have enough," Paton said on Tuesday. "You need to pressure the quarterback in this league.” 

If Denver is going to turn around its bottom-of-the-league pass rush from 2021, Paton may have no choice but to spend and spend big on the edge rusher position this offseason.

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