Denver Broncos Depth Chart
- AFC West
- Stadium
- Empower Field at Mile High
- Head Coach
- Vic Fangio
- Offensive Coordinator
- Pat Shurmur
- Defensive Coordinator
- Ed Donatell
- Special Teams Coach
- Tom McMahon
- Defensive Scheme
- 3-4
The Denver Broncos could decide to trade wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton in the coming weeks leading up to the NFL draft after they drafted wide receivers in the first and second rounds last year -- Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, respectively. Denver also has Tim Patrick, who impressed in 2020 in an expanded role, and Courtland Sutton, who will be returning from injury in 2021. The Broncos have received inquiries on Hamilton, Penn State's all-time leading receiver and former fourth-round pick. He has hauled in 81 catches in his three seasons with the Broncos and had 23 receptions for 293 yards and two touchdowns last year. The 26-year-old had a 12.7 yard-per-catch average in 2020, so he could be a nice downfield threat for another team if he's traded.
The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks players were the first groups in the NFL to announce that they won't attend voluntary offseason workouts this year due to concerns over COVID-19. Players from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions later announced that they would do the same. Voluntary workouts for NFL teams are set to begin next Monday, and the league and Players Association have been in talks regarding how much in-person work will take place this offseason after it was scrapped last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The players union has pushed for no in-person workouts this year. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said "you can expect" more announcements from teams in the coming days.
Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock, whose future in Denver may be in question after an up-and-down 2020 season, has been doing film sessions with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning this offseason, according to offensive guard Dalton Risner. "Peyton Manning is a big fan of Drew Lock," Risner said. "Him and Drew have been doing a lot of work this offseason and watching film. If he's on board with Drew, I've been on board with Drew, too. It's been fun." Last year was Lock's first full season as the full-time starter in Denver, and it didn't help that his No. 1 wideout, Courtland Sutton, missed the vast majority of the year due to injury. Working with Manning won't hurt, but Lock will need to show fantasy managers more in 2021 if he's to become anything more than a mediocre low-end QB2.
The Denver Broncos re-signed safety Kareem Jackson to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday, according to a source. Denver initially declined to pick up Jackson's $10 million 2021 option, which made him an unrestricted free agent. His re-signing is a big boost to an already strong secondary. Jackson had a career-high 89 tackles and played in all but five of the team's 1,088 defensive snaps in his 11th NFL season last year. He was ranked as the league's fifth-best safety in 2020 by Pro Football Focus. The Broncos also signed franchise-tagged All-Pro safety Justin Simmons to a long-term contract, giving the Broncos perhaps the best safety duo in the league now that Jackson is back in the fold.
While the Denver Broncos long-term extension with safety Justin Simmons isn't quite finalized just yet, it's expected that he will become the league's highest-paid safety and first safety in the NFL to make over $15 million per season, according to sources. The move comes after the team placed the franchise tag on him for the second straight season. The contract is reportedly a four-year, $61 million deal, with $35 million in guarantees. The 27-year-old graded out as the eighth-best safety in 2020, per Pro Football Focus. He was a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career last season, when he had 96 combined tackles (77 solo), a career-high five interceptions, nine passes defensed and a fumble recovery. Simmons is in play as a starting defensive back on a weekly basis in IDP leagues.