After the 2019 season, the list of Broncos defenders set to become unrestricted free agents will include cornerback Chris Harris, defensive end Derek Wolfe, safety Justin Simmons, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, defensive end Adam Gotsis and safety Will Parks.
All six of those players are expected to have key roles in Denver’s defense this season and they will want to have big years to earn big contracts in 2020. Wolfe believes having that many players on contract years could be a good thing for the team’s defense.
“I think that we saw what happened in 2015 when all of those contracts were up, and we had the best defense in the league — the best defense to ever play in my opinion,” Wolfe said after practice on May 30.
“The things that we overcame that year I think we earned the spot to be the best defense to ever play the game. We had a lot of guys on their contract year. We had a lot of guys that they didn’t play selfish football. They did their job and it worked out for all of us.”
The list of defenders that became free agents after the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 included defensive lineman Malik Jackson, linebacker Danny Trevathan, edge defender Von Miller, linebacker Brandon Marshall and Wolfe. Those five players were key members of the team’s defense and they were all productive during the 2015 season.
Denver’s coaching staff will hope to get similar production from their defenders playing on contract years this fall.
