3 Free Agents the Broncos Can Sign With New Cap Space Following Opt-Outs

The NFL opt-out deadline for 2020 has officially passed, and the Denver Broncos lost two players for the season: offensive lineman Ja'Wuan James and defensive lineman Kyle Peko.

Receiving relief against the salary cap for those opt-outs, Denver now has the fourth-most cap space in the NFL.

Official cap space post-opt outs (1-11):
1. CLE: $40,468,180
2. NE: $33,431,135
3. WAS: $30,634,658
4. DEN: $29,541,191
5. NYJ: $29,266,652
6. TEN: $25,199,921
7. MIA: $24,650,560
8. BUF: $24,288,558
9. PHI: $23,749,246
10. DET: $22,933,007
11. IND: $22,256,027
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 7, 2020

This space isn't permanent, as James and Peko will continue counting against the cap in 2021, but it does free up room for Denver to make some short-term additions (or pay for the first year of a long-term contract).

With that in mind, here are the top remaining free agents the Broncos should target with this new cap space.

3. Dre Kirkpatrick, Cornerback

Dre Kirkpatrick is one of the top remaining free agent cornerbacks. / Will Newton/Getty Images

Dre Kirkpatrick would be more of a consolation prize if the Broncos aren't able to land the corner who ranks higher on this list, but he could still prove to be a valuable addition. This is certainly a position of need for the Broncos, who didn't have a single cornerback rank better than 70th among 115 qualifying players at the position in Pro Football Focus' 2019 grades. A.J. Bouye could certainly bounce back, as he looked very good in 2018, but corner is a position where you can really never have too much depth.

2. Demar Dotson, Tackle

DeMar Dotson could be a perfect fit at right tackle for the Broncos. / Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

With James opting out, the Broncos could be stuck with the man who replaced him last year, Elijah Wilkinson. In his defense he was kind of thrown into the fire last year, but he certainly wasn't great, finishing with a middling 59.6 grade from PFF. He's also working his way back from a foot injury. That's not exactly who you want protecting franchise QB Drew Lock. The 34-year-old Demar Dotson is a proven vet, having started 106 games for the Tampa By Buccaneers over his career. He graded out well on PFF last season (71.0 overall), and he could prove to be a huge upgrade at the right tackle spot.

1. Logan Ryan, Cornerback

Logan Ryan is the best remaining free agent cornerback. / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Back to the cornerback position, Logan Ryan may be the most valuable free agent not named Jadeveon Clowney at this point. He has versatility to play outside or inside (57.4 percent of his 2019 snaps came in the slot, as well as 58.4 percent in 2018) and is very well-rounded. In 2019, Ryan gave up a modest 7.6 yards per target in coverage while also racking up 4 interceptions, 113 tackles and 4.5 sacks. The Broncos are especially thin at the slot corner spot with Chris Harris gone, and Ryan would do a lot to fill the void.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk free for up to $500!

Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.