Denver Broncos Free Agent Defensive End Breakdown

Up until last year Denver enjoyed the service of a fantastic defensive end, and one of the most prolific pass rushers in the game in Elvis Dumervil. Had his fax machine worked correctly he would still be a Denver Bronco, and while Shaun Phillips stepped in and did more than a great job at filling in Denver could use another pass rusher who is consistent, and can play the run as well as the pass. Shaun Phillips is also a free agent, and while Denver has said they will let their free agents test the market there has been talk that Phillips is the free agent Denver would like back the most. With Von Miller coming back next year Denver will get one of the top 2 defensive players in the game back into their line up. Denver is in a position where their window for the winning a super bowl is down to about 2 years, and adding another top flight pass rusher would help ensure they achieve that goal. Like I did with the other positions I have broken down I will put out the names of players I would target if I was in the front office of the Denver Broncos. 1) Jared Allen from the Minnesota Vikings. Last time Allen was a free agent there was talk that he could decide to come to Denver. He opted to go to Minnesota, and continued to play at an incredibly high level. The one player on Denver whose health issues concern me most is Derek Wolfe. During the Seattle pre-season game Wolfe had to be taken off the field on a stretcher and taken directly to a hospital. Once he returned to the field he had trouble keeping weight on, and just wasn't the Derek Wolfe we have become accustom to seeing. Should Wolfe not be able to return to football Denver really will have a big hole at defensive end. Should he be able to come back and Denver is able to land Jared Allen it will give Denver one of the most well rounded, biggest, and physical defensive lines in the game. 2) Justin Tuck from the New York Giants. Justin Tuck is not the dominant force that he once was in the NFL where he could play any position on the defensive line and dominate anyone he came up against. That said he still managed to get 11 sacks, and was able to force a couple fumbles last season. Denver would make sense for Tuck because he won't have to carry the load as far as getting pressure on the QB goes due Von Miller coming back, and hopefully Shaun Phillips as well. What makes Tuck special isn't just his pass rushing ability. He is also good against the run, and can play the 3 technique (gap between the center and guard) and the 5 technique (the gap between the guard and the tackle). Derek Wolfe is able to do the same thing, as can Malik Jackson. Having players who can play multiple positions opens things up for your defensive coordinator to get creative. Tuck is also an older player who has been to the super bowl, and he would provide great veteran leadership. 3) Michael Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks. We all saw in the super bowl that the Seahawk defense is extremely physical, plays with an edge, and are fast. Bennett is around the same size as Allen and Tuck, and is probably a step faster than both. He managed to rack up 8.5 sacks last year as well as forcing a fumble. Usually a player coming off a super bowl win will try to capitalize on his teams success by turning it into a big free agent deal. He is slightly younger than Allen and Tuck, so there is the potential to sign him to a contract that is longer than 2 years. If Bennett is looking to go to a place where he will not be the focal point of opposing teams offensive lines he could put up some big numbers here as he will most likely never get double teamed because opposing teams usually save that distinction for Von Miller. You can never have too many pass rushers, but bringing Shaun Phillips back, and signing one of the above players will not only create more pressure, but will help free up Von Miller to get up field and make plays in the backfield. Robert Ayers has not shown enough to warrant giving him another contract, and while Jeremy Mincey is a highly touted defensive end who came here from Jacksonville he didn't really show any signs of being special. In this climate of "win NOW" the Broncos need to bring in players who will have an impact right now. I am not saying that we mortgage the future, but we do not have the time for a player come here and develop. Which is why, in my opinion these 3 players would make the most sense for Denver to target this offseason.