The Denver Broncos have a number of questions coming into free agency in 2014 and if Knowshon Moreno and Eric Decker leave, names like Rashad Jennings, Ben Tate, Kenny Britt, Brandon LaFell, Jared Allen, Michael Bennett and Darren McFadden could be potential targets for the team to sign as replacements.
The Broncos have some big decisions to make involving Decker and Moreno, as both players were integral to the offense with Peyton Manning, but their price tags might get too high for the team to bring them back. Decker is going to be looking for number one receiver money on the market and Moreno will be looking for top dollar as well after rushing for over 1,000 yards and going for double digit touchdowns for the first time in his career. The Broncos might try the Miami Heat formula, where they bring in a new set of players that are willing to play for less for the chance to win and to play alongside Peyton Manning and names like Sidney Rice and Julian Edelman could be in that mix.
Names like Rashad Jennings, Ben Tate, Kenny Britt, Brandon LaFell, Jared Allen, Michael Bennett and Golden Tate should get looks as well and now that the Broncos have released Champ Bailey, they will have more money to work with. According to ESPN.com, the Broncos have opted to ditch Bailey and that frees up $10 million against salary cap, adding to the $18.673 million worth of space the team had coming into the offseason.
Bailey played for the Broncos since back in 2004 when he was traded for Clinton Portis and he has been one of the best defensive backs in the NFL during that time. Bailey is 36 years old and the financial strain of his contract was just too much for the Broncos not to make a move and now they have $10 million more in cap space to work with. Bailey hits the market with 52 picks in his career after being a top 10 pick years ago and while he is up there in age, he still has some play left in the tank and could be a nice option for a number of teams needing secondary help.
Offense will be a primary focus because of Moreno and Decker, but the defensive front will also be a priority and it comes after Von Miller was suspended and injured last season. Allen and Bennett are two of the top ends on the market and they could be in the mix for Denver, as they would like to shore up their defensive line after the whole Elvis Dumervil snafu last year. Allen is old, but he is very consistent and had 23.5 sacks in last two seasons, while Bennett was a force for the Seahawks in their Super Bowl run.
On offense, Tate, McFadden or Jennings could be options to replace Moreno if their asking price is not too high and this comes after Tate and Jennings led their respective teams in rushing while stepping in for the starters. Moreno had a great year after being in the dog house, but if he asks for too much money he likely will be gone.
