Five free agents who would be a good fit with Pat Shurmur
Jan 15, 2020, 6:36 AM
With Pat Shurmur taking over the Broncos offense in 2020, changing it significantly from Rich Scangarello’s scheme, it may help to add pieces familiar with Shurmur’s system. The transition will go faster and smoother if there are some players in Denver who are familiar with the new approach.
With that in mind, it was time to scour the list of potential free agents, looking for players who have a connection to the new offensive coordinator. Here are five (well, actually six) players who will be on the open market who’ve played for Shurmur previously that might fit with the Broncos.
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1. Danny Amendola
Shurmur loves three-receiver formations as much as any playcaller in the NFL, while the Broncos don’t have an experienced slot receiver currently on the roster. Enter Amendola, who began his career with Shurmur in St. Louis. While his best days are likely behind him, a common thread of this list, Amendola would help fill a need temporarily while the Broncos adjust their roster to becoming more receiver-heavy as Shurmur will likely require.
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2. Mike Remmers
Remmers played both right tackle and right guard for Shurmur with the Vikings and Giants. The versatile veteran could provide insurance behind Ja’Wuan James and Garett Bolles, or even start inside. Fun fact (for Broncos Country), Remmers was the Panthers’ tackle that Von Miller beat in Super Bowl 50 before strip-sacking Cam Newton. Try not to hold that against Remmers; Von was just unblockable that day.
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3. Case Keenum
Unlikely? Sure. But Keenum shouldn’t be upset with the Broncos; they paid him a lot of money. And for the Broncos, Keenum would provide familiarity with Shurmur’s system after having the best year of his career with the Vikings. Keenum could also serve as the right type of backup to Drew Lock, a veteran who can lend his experience while not being viewed as a threat.
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4. LeSean McCoy
Shurmur cut his NFL teeth working with McCoy in Philadelphia and has continued to feature pass-catching running backs in his offenses. Shady didn’t have a jaw-dropping season in Kansas City, but in limited action he still averaged 4.6 yards per carry while adding 28 receptions. McCoy could be a solid mentor for Phillip Lindsay, while giving Shurmur a pass-catching back very familiar with his system.
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5. Cody Latimer/Bennie Fowler
Done laughing yet? The pair of former Broncos receivers spent the last two seasons with Shurmur in New York, combining for 74 receptions. While that’s nothing to write home about, Latimer or Fowler could provide decent depth and knowledge of the scheme that figures to spend most of it’s time in three-wide sets.
