Broncos 2021 Free Agency Preview: Wide Receivers

When the NFL free agency kicks off on March 17, the Broncos figure to be very active. For one, they have a lot of holes to fill, so there are plenty of reasons to go shopping. In addition, Denver has a new general manager, as George Paton will want to put an immediate stamp on his new team.

Currently, the Broncos are $39 million under the 2021 salary cap, but that number could grow a ton, depending on what Paton decides to do with high-priced veterans. Von Miller, Jurrell Casey and Bryce Callahan are just some of the names who could be let go to free up space to sign new faces, with more than $60 million potentially available.

How should the Broncos put all of those dollars to use? In the weeks leading up to the start of free agency, we’ll offer a position-by-position breakdown of the best players projected to be on the open market, as well as analysis of who would be a realistic fit in Denver.

It continues today with a position where the Broncos are seemingly set – wide receiver. Denver has invested heavily in that spot, using multiple premium draft picks in recent years to add Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler. But they could always use some depth, as well as a veteran presence in the receivers room. If they decide to go that route, there are plenty of options available.

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Top Five Available

1. JuJu Smith-Schuster – In just his second season in the NFL, Smith-Schuster had 111 catches for 1,426 yards. That breakout campaign landed him a spot on the 2018 Pro Bowl roster, making the wide receiver an instant star. He hasn’t been the same player since, in part because the Steelers were without Ben Roethlisberger for most of 2019 and then employed a dink-and-dunk system in ’20. At just 24 years old, however, the best is still ahead for Smith-Schuster.

2. Allen Robinson – Despite all of the quarterback issues the Bears have had during his three seasons in Chicago, Robinson has still shined. The last two seasons, he’s posted 98 and 102 catches, respectively, chalking up 1,147 and 1,250 yards in the process. That’s big-time production. In the right situation, with a better system and a more consistent QB, Robinson could be one of the best wideouts in the league. He has that kind of talent.

3. Chris Godwin – Godwin is part of a talented receiving corps in Tampa Bay, where he played alongside Mike Evans and Antonio Brown. Throw in Rob Gronkowski and there weren’t enough passes to go around, which is why Godwin’s numbers dropped in 2020. But in ’19, he was one of the best receivers in the league, racking up 86 catches for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns. It’d be fascinating to see what the soon-to-be 25-year-old wideout could do if he was the No. 1 option.

4. Kenny Golladay – Injuries limited Golladay in 2020, as he only played in five games for the Lions. In the previous two seasons, however, he was spectacular, posting 1,000-yard seasons in both 2018 and ’19. And he did it in spectacular fashion, averaging 18.3 yards per reception and scoring 11 touchdowns two seasons ago. That shows that he’s one of the best big-play threats in the NFL. If he can bounce back to that level, he’d be a great addition to any roster.

5. Will Fuller – When he’s healthy, Fuller is one of the most-dynamic receivers in the league. He’s a big-play threat, able to score from anywhere on the field. But in his five seasons with the Texans, he’s missed 27 out of 80 games; that means roughly one-third of the time, he’s unable to go. But that’s his only negative. Last season, in just 11 games, Fuller had 53 catches for 879 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s a home-run hitter.

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Realistic Options for the Broncos

1. Curtis Samuel – The Panthers don’t get a lot of national attention, so the steady growth of this wideout has gone largely unnoticed. Last season, however, he posted career-highs in receptions (77) and yards (851). This continued the trend, as the former second-round pick out of Ohio State has gotten better and better each season, despite a revolving door of average-at-best quarterbacks in Carolina. At only 24, the best days are still ahead for this speedy wide receiver.

2. Marvin Jones – Last season, at the age of 30, Jones posted a career-high 76 receptions. He nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, finishing with 978, and scored nine touchdowns for the second-straight season. The key question is if he still possesses the big-play ability. In 2017, he led the NFL in average yards per receptions, netting a whopping 18.0 yards every time he hauled in a pass. That’s dipped below 13.0 the past two seasons, as age starts to creep up on the wideout.

3. A.J. Green – After making the Pro Bowl in each of his first seven seasons, the last three years have been forgettable for Green. He played only nine games in 2018, missed the entire ’19 season and then struggled to find his footing last season. He will turn 33 at the end of July, so there is reason to wonder if Green’s best days are behind him. But like Robinson, he’s been dealing with a less-than-ideal situation. Give him a veteran quarterback and he could rebound to the highlight-reel player he was early in his career.

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