Broncos re-thinking free agency strategy

Last offseason, the Denver Broncos hit the free-agent market hard.

Tight end Daniel Graham, running back Travis Henry and defensive linemen Sam Adams were the big catches. Simeon Rice was brought in at the start of the season. All were recognizable names, with plenty of Pro Bowls and Super Bowls among them.

Then the Broncos went 7-9, and near the end of the disappointing season reconsidered their approach. Building through the draft was in, spending top dollar on free agents was out.

“I think that’s the direction a lot of teams are going in,” Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said after the season. “Every team has had a significant number of whiffs in free agency and spent a lot of money on a guy that couldn’t play.”

Whether the Broncos stick to the draft-first approach will be seen starting Friday, when free agency begins. Denver has had its share of recent draft failures, especially in 2003 and 2004. Denver drafted 20 players those years and only one, linebacker D.J. Williams, is with the team. However, key players such as quarterback Jay Cutler, receiver Brandon Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler were acquired in recent drafts.

Among the Broncos’ main free agents last year, Adams and Rice were cut during the season.

Henry got injured and didn’t have a 100-yard game after September. Graham was the best of the group, having a good year as a blocker, but wasn’t used much as a receiver. He had 24 catches and two touchdowns.

After the season Bowlen said, “If we’re going to spend $3 million on a player, he better be able to play.” Rice got a one-year, $3 million contract last year and didn’t get a sack before he was cut.

“We’ve all been burned, all of us, with guys we got enamored with and turned out to be failures,” Bowlen said. “We’ve wasted a lot of money.”

Coach Mike Shanahan also seemed disheartened by free agency.

“Most people are protecting their players right now and it’s getting harder and harder to

get any quality free agents because you’re overpaying for guys that people don’t really want,” Shanahan said. “They have holes in them. You better do it through the draft, and maybe free agents and not overpay.”

This year 12 of the top potential free agents were designated franchise or transition players. An exclusive franchise player can’t negotiate with another team. If a nonexclusive franchise player signs an offer with another team, his original team can match the offer or receive two first-round picks as compensation. Teams can match any offer for a transition player but receive no compensation if he leaves.

Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said free agency has changed over the past few years because teams are locking up their own players, using the franchise or transition tags when necessary. That has depleted the market.

“If you’re looking to secure more talent in free agency, which we’re not a big part of anyway, it’s probably not good,” Colbert said.

One of the teams that set the trend of building through the draft is Indianapolis. Almost all of the Colts’ key players on their Super Bowl championship team two seasons ago were acquired in the draft and re-signed before they left in free agency.

NOTES

Restricted free agent safety Hamza Abdullah got a low tender offer from the Broncos, worth $927,000. A team would have to give Denver only a seventh-round pick if they sign Abdullah, who was originally drafted in the seventh round, to an offer sheet and Denver doesn’t match.

“I would definitely expect Hamza to be valued by other teams in the market for safeties and we will evaluate those opportunities as they come,” said C.J. LaBoy, his agent.

LaBoy said he looks forward to more talks with the Broncos on a long-term deal. Cornerbacks Domonique Foxworth and Karl Paymah also were given low tender offers, and Denver would get third-round picks if they leave in free agency.

Also, the Broncos hired Jedd Fisch, who had worked the previous four seasons with the Ravens, as their receivers coach. He replaces Jeremy Bates, who was promoted to passing game coordinator.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-4891 or frank.schwab@gazette.com. Check out our Broncos blog at gazettebroncos.blogspot.com