In this off season, the Denver Broncos had a quartet of key players who hit unrestricted free agency. Until Friday, only one of them had signed with a new team.
On Friday, former Broncos linebacker Mike Ford signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, according to AllFalcons.com. Terms of the deal have not yet been reported.
Ford is entering his season at 27, and his time with the Broncos was hardly more than a cup-of-coffee-type stay. Denver called for his waiver on the cusp of the regular season opener and went on to appear in 13 games, seeing the majority of his playing on special teams.
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Ford entered the league as a free agent for the Detroit Lions as he signed off from Southeast Missouri back in 2018. When Denver acquired him, the team saw it as a way to cement what had been a porous special teams cover unit.
Looking at the other three corners Denver has allowed access to the open market, it’s surprising to see, first, Nate Hairston (Minnesota), then Ford as the next to be signed by an outside team. Poor former beginners Bryce Callahan and Kyle Fuller in the free agent market.
For a time, it looked like Denver might re-sign Callahan, but instead General Manager George Patton switched to a pivot and signed Coon Williams in the former San Francisco 49er slot. It spelled the end, in all likelihood, of a potential return to Denver for Callahan – who is arguably the top corner in the NFL when he’s healthy.
Fuller was signed to a one-year deal last spring, and although the Broncos relied on him heavily early in the 2021 season, he quickly proved his All-Pro form in the rearview mirror. Perhaps more evidence of the Bronco’s lackluster stature in the past few years is that Ford and Hurston have highlighted the list of free-dealers signed by outside teams.
Safety Kareem Jackson got Pittsburgh’s attention before eventually choosing to strike a one-year deal to re-sign with Denver. Undo Melvin Gordon is still sitting on the market after he fired his agents and hired new actors.
The Broncos’ top three players are great—Patrick Serten II, Ronald Darby, and Williams—but behind them, the squad’s depth dips sharply. Michael Ojemudia highlights the best of the rest with the recently returned Essang Bassey and is the only depth angle with any slot experience in the NFL.
Expect Denver to use at least one of its eight draft picks on the back corner later this month.
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