3 free agents the Denver Broncos should avoid in 2021 offseason

How interested are the Broncos in adding a cornerback? Look at any mock draft. Each time, Denver is taking a cornerback. For good reason too after the miss on A.J. Bouye and playing against Tyreek Hill and Keenan Allen four times a year.

Simmons and Kareem Jackson can’t do all the work. They need a guy on the perimeter that can cover quick receivers and need little time to recover. Is Jackson that guy for the Broncos?

Jackson certainly has been a mixed bag in his five years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He missed the entire rookie year with a torn pectoral muscle but bounced back in Year 2. Since coming out of Houston, the former Cougar has totaled 150 tackles, three interceptions and a sack to go with 41 pass deflections.

Jackson has never proven to be a bonafide No. 1 corner. His skills are better at breaking up passes instead of causing turnovers. Each season, Jackson has only captured one interception. In reality, teams will be willing to overpay due to the luxury of a position.

Ideally, Denver signing a cornerback does not take them out of the market of drafting one. Everything though is based off money. If the market is $12 million for Jackson, would Denver be willing to pay the price? For now, no. They shouldn’t overpay for a player who could be their No. 2 corner by the time the season is over.

The verdict is still out on Von Miller’s return for 2021. The hopeful plan is for the two to agree on his option this upcoming season. Even if Miller stays in Denver, a team can never have too many pass-rushers.

What to make of Clowney’s 2020 season? That’s somewhat of a difficult question when breaking it down. For the first time since 2014, the 28-year-old pass rusher did not record a sack. He also only played in eight games with the titans due to a lingering knee injury.

Would Denver be smart adding Clowney into the mix?

As a run stopper, Clowney is elite off the edge. Few defenders can play as strong as him off the initial snap and cause that much destruction along the way. The problem is, Clowney wants to be paid like an elite pass rusher. That usually means a salary of $15-17 million per season.

He’s yet to have a double-digit sack year. He’s coming off a knee injury. Worst of all, there’s no telling if he’ll help the No. 25 run defense improve that much if he’s rotating in and out for only 50 percent of plays.

Paton needs to fix the front seven, but it needs to be smart with the money. Signing Clowney at all is a big gamble and one the Broncos can’t afford to make.