With the 2020 NFL season officially in the rearview mirror, free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft appear on the horizon. As teams approach the start of the new league year next month, they make extensive changes to rosters, coaching staff, and front-office executives. For the Denver Broncos, a new general manager in the form of George Paton looks to right the ship for the first time since Super Bowl 50. Returning predominantly the same coaching staff (with a few small changes), the team is looking for stability and consistency. The team is in dire need of a starting cornerback and further depth at the position. Unfortunately, there is little to base educated guesses on in terms of Paton’s approach to free agency and the draft. In addition to drafting a corner early in the draft, the team must also look into available 2021 free agent cornerbacks.
The Denver Broncos and 2021 Free Agent Cornerbacks
For some time, speculation suggested the Broncos will draft a cornerback in round one of the 2021 NFL Draft. Names like Caleb Farley, Jaycee Horn, and Patrick Surtain II crop up regularly in this regard. The team needs an injection of youthful exuberance at the position. Free agency, on the other hand, offers them a chance to introduce additional veteran influence. At the moment, highly-ranked nickelback Bryce Callahan is the only true veteran presence at cornerback. While his efforts on and off the field are revered, he is not enough to lead the position group on his own.
Depth Chart Changes
Recently, the Broncos released veteran cornerback A.J. Bouye. His lucrative contract far exceeded his on-field production or locker room influence. When combining his lack of on-field contributions, his lack of availability, and the impending six-game suspension for P.E.D.s, it is unsurprising he was released. With that said, his departure from the team leaves the cornerback position in dire straits. Behind Callahan and now second-year corner Michael Ojemudia, the names on the depth chart do not inspire any confidence.
In 2021, Callahan will likely serve as the number one corner again. Unsurprisingly, he will continue sliding inside to the nickelback spot in nickel and dime packages. Ojemudia lines up exclusively as an outside corner, where he can better use his frame to his advantage. As such, the team must acquire another outside cornerback to replace Callahan when he moves into the slot. All of the upcoming rookie cornerbacks, however, have notable question marks attached to their draft stock. Vic Fangio’s old-guard style of coaching and thinking will certainly lend to the notion he will acquire a veteran corner through free agency as well.
Free Agent Landscape
The 2021 free agent cornerbacks available offer a wide array of various schematic fits. Additionally, there are countless examples of well-known corners available this off-season, such as Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman, and Josh Norman. Simultaneously, less well-known names like Brian Poole, Desmond King, and Troy Hill offer an interesting alternative to the aforementioned established veterans. Even former first-round pick Xavier Rhodes offers an interesting alternative.
These corners will incur varying degrees of financial and longevity commitments. After freeing up nearly 12 million dollars in cap space by releasing the ineffectual A.J. Bouye, the team has a fair bit of room within the salary cap with which to work. Expecting more than one of these free agents to end up in Denver seems unreasonable. That said, it is likely one of these seven previously listed names will wind up a mile above sea level. Some Broncos fans will demand one of the younger free-agent options as opposed to the veterans in their 30s. Nonetheless, the experience and veteran savvy of the older corners cannot be understated.
Best 2021 Free Agent Cornerbacks and How They Might Fit
Vic Fangio’s scheme, as far as cornerbacks are concerned, looks for athletic zone defenders. He typically likes these zone-based corners to provide tackling efficiency, good ball skills, and good closing speed to capitalize on effective read-steps. Because of his bizarre commitment to ineffectual cushions at corner, the ideal free agent acquisition would need greater speed and hand-fighting skills than many of the available zone corners possess. Of the aforementioned seven names, the three who fit these parameters most are Richard Sherman, Brian Poole, and Troy Hill.
Brian Poole and Troy Hill
Poole and Hill offer polarizing fits in Denver’s scheme. While it is certainly true Poole and Hill played more man-to-man coverage for the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams, respectively, than they ever would for Denver, their athleticism, youth, and ball skills make them perfect fits for the defense. Unlike other man-based corners in free agency, like Patrick Peterson, these two young corners have the youth and versatility necessary to allow for further development in a zone-based scheme. Peterson learning to play a role in a brand new scheme that strays from his strengths is highly unlikely.
Over the last three seasons, Poole accrued six interceptions, 18 passes broken up, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, four sacks, ten tackles for loss, a safety, and 177 tackles. He allowed a 61.56 percent completion percentage throughout these three seasons. In the same span of time, Hill compiled seven interceptions, 23 passes broken up, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one sack, three tackles for loss, and 154 tackles. Hill allowed completions on 61.03 percent of passes his way in this stretch, the lowest of all three of these corners. Their numbers suggest these two are the best candidates for Denver to add in the 2021 off-season.
Richard Sherman
Sherman, on the other hand, has clearly lost a step as far as agility and closing speed are concerned. Even so, he remains one of the most effective press-zone cornerbacks in football. Unfortunately, Denver rarely utilizes press coverage despite the blatant benefits it would afford the defense. This is especially true as it pertains to the pass rush and turnover battle. Through his three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Sherman amassed four interceptions, 16 passes broken up, a forced fumble, a sack, six tackles for loss, and 116 tackles.
It is undeniably true Sherman earned the least impressive—by far—numbers of these three corners. Additionally, he allowed the highest completion percentage of all three of these corners over the same span: a whopping 64.23 percent. Despite these concerns, Sherman’s veteran savvy and experience in big games against big-name quarterbacks and offenses is too much to overlook. Easily the most zone-proficient and experienced corner available, Sherman is a serious candidate for Denver to look into this off-season.
The Last Word
Names like Desmond King and Patrick Peterson are certainly exciting to Broncos Country. Even so, it seems neither truly fit the Denver defense. Troy Hill is likely the top candidate of the available 2021 free agent cornerbacks. If he is not the top, he is undeniably nearing it. While many, if not most of these 2021 free agent cornerbacks offer intriguing possibilities to the defense, the team must narrow down their options. Paton must be concise in his off-season efforts to bolster the cornerback position.
If the team is even able or willing to—or interested in—shell out the kind of money necessary to acquire one of the three aforementioned corners, they must do so for a corner who can excel in the system. The corners must also reciprocate this interest and commitment, obviously. Unfortunately, this is not a given when accepting the state of the franchise over the last half-decade.
The team certainly must draft a cornerback in 2021. By pairing this rookie corner (and the developing Michael Ojemudia) with another veteran presence at the position, the team can take that next step in bringing Fangio’s vision of the defense to fruition. Whether it is one of the corners already listed or one previously unmentioned, it is highly unlikely the team does not sign one of the many 2021 free agent cornerbacks.
The Broncos cannot afford to miss again as they did on A.J. Bouye. Denver must hope George Paton can compensate for last year’s miss with effective off-season maneuvers in 2021.
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