Potential cap casualties who could help the Broncos in 2021

DMac inspires me. That’s right, our very own Darren McKee inspires me and has for years as a mentor, friend and guide through the radio business. However, yesterday on 104.3 The Fan during “The Drive,” he inspired me in a different way.

Towards the end of his show on Monday, DMac asked Tyler Polumbus about potential cap casualties he could see helping out the Denver Broncos. They talked about it for a bit and decided that more investigation must be done!

This is where I come in.

I’m neck deep in draft analysis right now, as I go through the 2021 NFL Draft and write up my scouting reports for 300-plus players. It’s good to take a little break from that world. And when I heard DMac say that, it inspired me to write this article.

Here are five potential cap casualties I think could help the Broncos. Enjoy…and thanks D!

***

Jimmy Garoppolo | QB | San Francisco 49ers

Yes, I know 49ers general manager John Lynch said that Garoppolo was their starter for 2021 and that they needed to find a better backup in case he misses more time due to injury. That sounds nice, but the reality is the 49ers could save $24 million against the cap by releasing the oft-injured veteran quarterback.

How Does He Help the Broncos: The Broncos are looking for a veteran quarterback to push Drew Lock – if they don’t trade for superstar Deshaun Watson. While others toss out names like Ryan Fitzpatrick or Andy Dalton, Garoppolo could be in that mix if released. Lock versus Garoppolo in training camp would be an interesting battle to watch and right now, I couldn’t predict who would come out on top. This is the way to get the best out of Lock and pushing him for the job with a guy like Garoppolo might make a lot of sense.

***

Giovani Bernard | RB | Cincinnati Bengals

I’ve always thought that Bernard could me more than what the Bengals have asked him to be – a change-of-pace back in this league. The former second-round pick has mostly been a backup to Joe Mixon during his career, so the “mileage” on him is low for a 29-year-old running back. The Bengals would save $4.1 million against the cap if they released Bernard.

How Does He Help the Broncos: Who knows if the team is going to keep 2020 lead back Melvin Gordon. They do want to keep restricted free agent Phillip Lindsay, but we don’t yet know what his tender will be and there’s still a chance another team signs him away. Bernard is a three-down back who can catch the ball out of the backfield which is just what offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur wants. I also believe that Bernard could have a “Justin Forsett-like” 1,000-yard rushing season late in his career if some team were to give him the chance.

***

Zach Ertz | TE | Philadelphia Eagles

He went to back-to-back-to-back Pro Bowls and then 2020 came around, where Ertz had a disastrous season. It was revealed just this week that Ertz had to undergo ankle surgery following the year, and that’s one of the reasons why he didn’t look like himself. The Eagles would save $4.7 million against the cap if Ertz was released, but it sounds like he’s more likely to be dealt away in a trade.

How Does He Help the Broncos: The Broncos are strangely in the tight end market. They’ve already looked at a couple of rookie tight ends, and they might entertain the idea of a veteran in that spot, as well. Noah Fant is a fine starter who still has not yet reached his potential in the pros, but behind him are a bunch of question marks. Perhaps a guy like Ertz would make sense for veteran depth and red-zone punch.

***

Preston Smith | Edge | Green Bay Packers

The “Smith Brothers” are a dangerous pass-rushing duo for the Packers, but Preston Smith’s game didn’t match up to the hype in 2020. After a 12.0-sack season in 2019, Smith only had 4.0 sacks and 11 quarterback pressures in 2020. His total tackles were down, as well, and he just didn’t seem quite like the player the team picked up from Washington a couple of years ago. A move to release Smith would save the Packers around $7.3 million against the cap.

How Does He Help the Broncos: Rushing the quarterback always helps. Smith could be rejuvenated by working in Vic Fangio’s defense. Smith is 270 pounds, so he’s not the lighter edge rusher of the past. He’s a new-school rusher who can win with guile, quickness and power. He is most certainly the type of player a team should take a chance on for the right price.

***

Anthony Barr | LB | Minnesota Vikings

Expect the Vikings-to-Broncos connection to be talked about and speculated about a lot as we enter the new league year. Broncos GM George Paton spent years with the Vikings and knows the players on that roster like the back of his hand. Barr is a fine player, but he carries a $15 million hit in 2021 and only played two games last year due to a pectoral injury. Even after getting rid of tight end Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings are still $5 million over the cap right now. It’s a painful move, but one teams must make at times, and it would free up quite a bit of much-needed cap space.

How Does He Help the Broncos: Barr is a three-down linebacker who doesn’t need to come off the field on passing downs. He is a team leader and was responsible for getting the plays to the huddle on defense. Barr does what Broncos linebackers struggle with – coverage – and that alone should be enough to get him on the team’s radar.

Related

Broncos No. 31 in the NFL in ESPN’s under-25 Power RankingsThere’s one thing standing between the Broncos and a Super BowlBroncos Country should be careful when wishing for more downfield passesBroncos’ Robinson ‘looks like a future starter,’ so, can they get him more reps?Rockies ride Goodman’s 31st homer to win over NationalsRockies don’t necessarily need to trade 2x All-Star Hunter Goodman