The Broncos should consider making some modest free agency moves.
The Denver Broncos play Monday Night Football in Week 13, and they should consider signing a couple free agents before the game. The Broncos could be about to end the NFL’s second-longest playoff drought.
Denver has been suffering from an eight-year Super Bowl hangover, but if they win a position in the playoffs, that can be put to an end. They do have some minor ailments that are starting to pile, and the fact that they haven’t had their bye week yet could be contributing to this.
Denver plays the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football to closeout Week 13. Before that big game, they should make a few free agent signings.
3 free agents the Denver Broncos must sign ahead of Week 13
Shaq Lawson, DE
The Zach Allen issue seems a little dicey to me. Sean Payton claimed that Allen “…should be fine,” but how fine is that? I guess we’ll know for sure when the first injury report is released this week. Allen was late on the report in Week 12 with a heel injury and was ruled out of the team’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
His absence was noted in the first half, but Denver recovered successfully. Given that the Broncos have one more game at home against an inferior team before the bye, they may choose to keep Allen on the bench and rest him during the bye. That would give him three weeks of rest, which could be great.
In the meanwhile, they should look at signing Shaq Lawson, a free agent defensive end who is still 30. Throughout his NFL career, Lawson has been a rotating player, recording 26 sacks and 77 quarterback hits.
Xavien Howard, CB
Riley Moss, who sustained a hard blow to his knee during the Denver Broncos’ Week 12 game, is another player whose injury status is currently unknown. Sean Payton stated that they were considering bringing him back into the game, but you never know.
Knee problems are significant, therefore the wisest course of action may be to keep Moss out of the team’s Week 13 game against the Browns and rest him over the bye. The Broncos should be considering the big picture, but if he is healthy enough to play…
The team should investigate signing CB Xavien Howard, who was a top-3 cornerback in the NFL at his peak. He’s a genuine ballhawk who might provide a valuable experienced presence in this secondary if Riley Moss is forced to miss a few games.
Jimmy Graham, TE
Jimmy Graham reached his best in 2011, but he returned to the New Orleans Saints in 2023 and grabbed four touchdowns. Graham was arguably the most dominant player in Sean Payton’s offense during his stint with the Saints. Yes, Graham is 38 years old, and it is 2024, but I can’t help but wonder if they could use him for maybe five snaps every game and give him some red zone targets.
This may be redundant, considering the Broncos do have a player in Courtland Sutton who is deadly in the end zone, but the Broncos TE room is about as effective as drying oneself with a damp towel. The team recently released Greg Dulcich and will need to conduct another hunt to locate a viable TE.
Jimmy Graham may be a great addition in a few games. He’s familiar with the offense and how Sean Payton manages his teams, so there must be some value here.
