Broncos To Bring Back Kareem Jackson
Kareem Jackson isn’t going anywhere. A deal has been reached for the veteran safety to return to the Broncos, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s a one-year, $5MM contract, a source told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link).
This isn’t unexpected, as we heard that the door was open for a return not long after the team declined his option and made him a free agent. Jackson signed a three-year, $33MM deal in 2019, and the team saved about $7.1MM in cap space by declining the option on the final year. Now they’ve got their other starting safety spot figured out opposite Justin Simmons, who they just gave a huge extension to.
Jackson started all 16 games for Denver last year, and the long-time vet has now started 153 for his career. The Alabama product was a first-round pick of the Texans all the way back in 2010, and has never played in less than 12 games through 11 pro seasons. He’ll turn 33 in April, but was graded very solidly by Pro Football Focus last year and should still have something left in the tank.
New GM George Paton was aggressive in signing Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby to play corner, so the secondary is pretty well taken care of with fellow corner Bryce Callahan also returning. With Bradley Chubb and Von Miller returning at edge rusher and Vic Fangio coaching, this Denver defense has the chance to be one of the league’s best units.
Paton said just a few days ago about the safety spot “there’s free agency, there’s a lot of safeties on the market, including Kareem, and then we have the draft. There’s also the trade market. The good thing is we don’t play a game for a while. We have a lot of time.
Apparently he didn’t need too much time.
Broncos Cut Nick Vannett
The Broncos have released tight end Nick Vannett, as Mike Klis of KUSA tweets. The move will save the Broncos $2.68MM against the salary cap with $875K left in dead money. 
Vannett recorded 14 receptions for 95 yards with a touchdown across 15 games last year. He was deployed mainly as a blocking TE, as has been the case for most of his career. He was involved in the Seahawks’ passing offense for a time, however. In 2018, Vannett turned 43 targets into 29 catches for 269 yards.
Vannett will now look for work elsewhere as he enters his sixth NFL season. Meanwhile, the Broncos will look to replace his blocking via free agency or the draft. Currently, their tight end depth chart is headlined by Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam, who are used more as pass-catchers.
Von Miller Wants To Be Bronco For Life
Just a few days ago, it was unclear if LB Von Miller would be playing for a team other than the Broncos in 2021. After all, he missed all of last season due to an ankle injury, and the team was hoping he would agree to a pay cut. But Miller held his ground, and the Broncos ended up exercising an option that guarantees $7MM of Miller’s $18MM salary in 2021.
Still, Miller will be due for unrestricted free agency next year, and although he made the Pro Bowl in 2019, the eight sacks he posted that season were his lowest total since a suspension-shortened 2013 campaign. So while he will remain with the only team he has ever known this year, his future beyond that remains uncertain.
If the soon-to-be 32-year-old has it his way, though, he will be with the Broncos until the day he decides to retire. “I have totally bought into being a Coloradoan for life, let alone a Denver Bronco,” Miller recently said on Instagram (via Troy Renck of Denver 7). “I want to be here forever, through the thick, the thin, the Super Bowl seasons, the losing seasons. I want to be here forever.”
Per Renck, the Broncos were unified in their desire to retain Miller, and with Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed also in the fold, Denver could trot out a rather imposing pass rush in 2021. The club’s secondary should also be in good shape, as it has added Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller in recent days to bolster a group that already included Bryce Callahan — who can now return to his familiar nickel CB role — and the recently-extended Justin Simmons.
Renck also says that Denver could approach Miller about an extension that would lower his 2021 cap hit of $22.225MM. But given the uncertainty created by his age and recent injury, it’s unclear if the two sides would be able to come to terms on a multi-year pact at this point.
Broncos Open To Kareem Jackson Return
Kareem Jackson says the door to a Broncos return is “not entirely closed.” And, over the weekend, Broncos GM George Paton echoed those sentiments, as Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets.
“With Kareem, we had great conversations with his agent,” Paton said. “We tried to get something done but we couldn’t. We left the door open for Kareem to come back.”
When the two sides couldn’t agree on a restructured deal, the Broncos declined the veteran safety’s option to save $7.1MM in cap space. Jackson, 32, joined the Broncos on a three-year, $33MM deal back in 2019. He quickly became a favorite among teammates and the coaching staff for hard-hitting style. Over the last two years, he started in all 29 of his games for Denver, tallying 160 tackles, 14 passes defended, and three interceptions.
One way or another, the Broncos need to fill the safety spot alongside Justin Simmons. However, it’s likely that Jackson will explore his options before considering a lesser offer from the Broncos. Meanwhile, Paton says he won’t rush the process.
“It’s a priority,” Paton said of the position. “It definitely is but we have a long time. There’s free agency, there’s a lot of safeties on the market, including Kareem, and then we have the draft. There’s also the trade market. The good thing is we don’t play a game for a while. We have a lot of time.”
Broncos To Sign CB Kyle Fuller
Less than an hour after Kyle Fuller officially became a free agent, he has a deal in place. The Broncos will sign the recently released cornerback, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
This pact will reunite Fuller with former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Broncos, who were expected to be interested, will sign Fuller to a one-year deal worth $9.5MM. Fuller’s 2018 All-Pro season came in Fangio’s defense, and he will join ex-Bears teammate Bryce Callahan in Denver. On this quickly developing deal, Fuller will collect $9MM fully guaranteed, per Pelissero.
The Broncos freed up some cap space by extending Justin Simmons on Friday. They now have three veterans in place at corner, with Fuller and Ronald Darby joining Callahan. While the Broncos had assembled a top-tier corner crew in the mid-2010s, their No Fly Zone troops are all now either retired or elsewhere. The team lacked depth at this position over the past two seasons but will now boast extensive experience here.
Fuller, 29, struggled early in his Bears career. Chicago did not pick up his fifth-year option in 2017, but after Fuller’s breakthrough 2018 campaign (NFL-high seven interceptions), they gave him the transition tag and matched a Packers offer sheet for him. However, the Bears cut him after seven seasons this week. Fuller made immediate sense for the Broncos, with Fangio having coached him for four seasons. Fuller has made two Pro Bowls — in 2018 and ’19 — and helped the Bears to three straight top-10 DVOA defenses, though Pro Football Focus rated his 2020 work just outside the top 50 at his position.
While the Broncos have three veteran salaries at corner now, none of the cogs are earning more than $10MM per year. Darby is at $10MM annually, while Callahan is going into the third and final year of his $7MM-AAV pact. Callahan played well when available last season, ranking as a top-five corner in the view of Pro Football F0cus, but the standout slot defender has missed 22 games since signing with the Broncos in 2019.
This signing lessens the Broncos’ need at corner, where mock drafters frequently have connected them with their No. 9 overall pick. GM George Paton has (understandably) said quarterback will be in play with that selection.
Broncos, Justin Simmons Agree To Extension
The Broncos and Justin Simmons have agreed to terms on a long-term deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). It’ll be a four-year, $61MM deal with $35MM guaranteed, as Benjamin Allbright of KOA tweets. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) has also confirmed those figures.
The structure of the contract is pretty straightforward. Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Simmons will take home a $15MM signing bonus, and his $2MM 2021 salary and $14.1MM 2022 salary are guaranteed at signing. He is due a $14.4MM salary in 2023, $2.9MM of which is guaranteed for injury at signing. All $14.4MM will become fully guaranteed if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2022 league year.
Simmons was tagged for the second-straight time this year, giving the two sides until mid-July to hammer out a multi-year agreement. There’s been strong mutual interest throughout the process, so it’s not a surprise to hear that they’re on the cusp of a fresh pact.
“Justin is one of our core guys. Our goal is to sign him to a long-term deal,” new GM George Paton said recently, with Simmons echoing that sentiment.
Since Simmons received an $11.4MM tag last year, his 2021 price currently sits at $13.7MM — a 20% hike. There are five safeties averaging at least $14MM on their respective long-term contracts, establishing a clear floor for Simmons. The Broncos already have plenty invested at safety, with Kareem Jackson entering the final year of an $11MM-AAV pact, but Simmons is squarely in his prime at 27. He is also coming off his first Pro Bowl season — during which he intercepted a career-high five passes and played every defensive snap for a third straight year. Jackson will be 33 next season.
The sides were not able to complete an extension before the 2020 summer deadline, but Simmons has since proved that he deserves top-five safety money. It’s a tremendous outcome for Simmons, of course, but his shiny new deal also bodes well for other top safeties looking for new contracts. Seahawks star Jamal Adams, for example, can now shoot for the moon in his next round of negotiations.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/21
We’ll keep tabs on today’s “minor” moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Darius Clark
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: LS Patrick Scales
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Greg Senat
- Waived: T Drake Dorbeck
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DL Carlos Watkins
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: WR Mike Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: TE Blake Bell, RB Elijah McGuire
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: TE Johnny Mundt
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: DT Hassan Ridgeway
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Trent Sherfield
Broncos Expected To Pursue Kyle Fuller
Now a free agent, Kyle Fuller figures to have some options. One will be in Denver with his former defensive coordinator.
The Broncos are expected to make a “strong push” to sign the veteran cornerback, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Vic Fangio coached Fuller for four seasons as Chicago’s D-coordinator. New Denver GM George Paton was with the Vikings throughout Fuller’s Bears career.
It should not be ruled out, as the Raiders have shown this week, that the Bears could find a trade partner at the 11th hour. But the team likely discussed Fuller with other teams before cutting him. Fuller was due to make $13MM as part of his 2018 contract, which the Packers constructed after the Bears transition-tagged him.
While the Broncos made a key addition in Ronald Darby, they still have a need at cornerback. They also roster ex-Fuller teammate Bryce Callahan, who is going into his third season with the team. Callahan has shown the ability to play outside and in the slot, his strength, but he has battled significant injury issues that would prevent the Broncos from counting on him. Callahan missed all of the 2019 season and was limited to 10 games last season.
Denver entered free agency targeting more than one cornerback, and Mike Klis of 9News notes the team made an offer to Michael Davis early this week (Twitter link). The Chargers, however, re-signed Davis. Fuller, 28, certainly carries a higher profile. The Broncos not adding another will make corner a logical target at No. 9 overall.
The Bears drafted Fuller before Fangio’s 2015 arrival, taking him in the 2014 first round, but he still broke out during Fangio’s run. The Bears passed on Fuller’s fifth-year option in 2017, but he delivered a first-team All-Pro 2018 season in Fangio’s Chicago finale. Considering the Packers signed Fuller to the offer sheet three years ago, they may be back in the mix for him as well. Other teams figure to inquire too, but Fangio’s presence may be pivotal for the Broncos.
Latest On Broncos’ Quarterback Situation
Teams have been quick to add to their quarterback rooms this week. After the Patriots re-signed Cam Newton, the likes of Jameis Winston, Tyrod Taylor, Jacoby Brissett, Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Mitchell Trubisky are off the board.
The Broncos have long been connected to adding a veteran quarterback to compete with Drew Lock, but they have stood down thus far this week. However, GM George Paton confirmed the team’s plan remains to bring in a veteran this offseason.
“We like Drew Lock. We have a plan in place. There’s free agency, there’s a draft, there’s trades. There’s a lot of ways to acquire a QB,” Paton said, via 9News’ Mike Klis (on Twitter). “Fortunately, we have a QB here. We do want to bring in competition; we’re not going to force it.”
Some notable veterans who would make sense as Lock competition include Sam Darnold, Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew. While Jimmy Garoppolo has also been linked to trades, there would not be a Garoppolo-Lock competition were the Broncos to acquire the 49ers starter. The Jaguars have received calls on Minshew, and given how other teams have filled their QB needs, it would not be surprising if the Broncos were one of the teams to inquire. It would be interesting to see the Broncos bring in a sixth-round QB from the draft in which they used a second-round pick on Lock. A Darnold move would likely cost Denver a Day 2 pick, potentially requiring a package including a second-round choice and change.
As far as free agents go, some notable names remain. But most of the top UFAs are gone, as should be expected. The Lions shopped Chase Daniel before releasing him; he joins A.J. McCarron, Colt McCoy, Blaine Gabbert and Brian Hoyer as veteran UFAs. Though, each has been a backup for several seasons running. It is also not certain if a team will give Alex Smith the chance to continue his career.
Paton said the Broncos will consider a quarterback at No. 9 overall. The Broncos should be in position to land one of the draft’s top five passer prospects at No. 9, but it is possible four QBs go earlier. That scenario’s potential would put Paton to a decision. The Broncos have used first-round picks on QBs — Paxton Lynch, Tim Tebow and Jay Cutler this century — but have never taken one in the top 10.
Broncos Rescind Phillip Lindsay’s Tender
Change of plans. On Thursday, the Broncos announced that Phillip Lindsay’s tender has been rescinded. 
[RELATED: Broncos Add Mike Boone]
The running back was originally assigned the low restricted free agency tender, giving the Broncos one more year of club control at a rate of $2.133MM. However, the Broncos found another tailback in Vikings free agent Mike Boone, which meant that Lindsay was no longer needed.
The 26-year-old broke out with 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018 en route to a Pro Bowl nod. He followed that up with another strong season in 2019, compiling 1,207 yards from scrimmage and seven scores. However, the 26-year-old was pushed down in the pecking order last year by Melvin Gordon. Lindsay wound up with just 502 rushing yards and one touchdown in eleven games, plus seven grabs for 28 yards. Gordon, meanwhile, finished out with 986 yards and nine scores.
With Gordon, Boone, Royce Freeman, Levante Bellamy, Jeremy Cox, and Damarea Crockett all under contract, there was little sense in keeping Lindsay. His reps recognized this too, so they’ve mutually decided to tear up the tender.