Should Broncos make CB Bryce Callahan a top free agent priority?
Jan 18, 2019, 4:43 PM | Updated: 10:55 pm
If Chris Harris Jr.’s Week 13 injury, which eventually ended his season, exposed anything it’s that the Denver Broncos lacked depth in the defensive backfield in 2018. And the possible departure of Bradley Roby through free agency could leave even more holes to fill.
But on Friday, “Stokley and Zach” hosts Brandon Stokley and Zach Bye targeted one free agent cornerback they said the Broncos should make a top priority this offseason: Chicago Bears defensive back Bryce Callahan.
“You’re in need of cornerbacks. It’s a passing league. You can never have too many good ones. And, he knows Vic Fangio,” Stokley said of Callahan.
Callahan, ranked as the No. 28 free agent on ESPN’s top 50 list heading into the offseason, has played his entire four-year NFL career for Fangio, now the Broncos head coach, and former Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell, who’s now Denver’s defensive coordinator.
In 25 games (16 starts) for the Bears over the past two seasons, Callahan has four interceptions, 12 passes defensed, three sacks, and a forced fumble.
Primarily a slot cornerback, Pro Football Focus said quarterbacks who targeted Callahan had passer ratings of 74.3 in 2017 and 78.9 in 2018, both top-five rankings in each season.
But perhaps even more important than his on-field productivity, Stokley said, is Callahan’s knowledge of what Fangio and Donatell want to do on defense and being a translator for his potential future teammates.
“A guy like Bryce Callahan, who’s a really good player by the way and will help this transition and help everybody else on the defensive side of the football know how Vic Fangio wants things run, those are the guys that you make a priority,” Stokley said.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
