ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In the initial wave of free agency, Denver Broncos general manager George Paton has indeed put his checkbook where his defense is. The team had so many needs on that part of the depth chart, though, that there is still plenty of work to be done.
The Broncos have agreed to terms with outside linebacker Randy Gregory (five years, $70 million) and defensive tackle D.J. Jones (three years, $30 million) as well as retained linebacker Josey Jewell (two years, $11 million) during the open negotiating period.
Including Jewell, the Broncos had eight players who started at least one game on defense last season become unrestricted free agents this offseason. That doesn’t include Von Miller, who left in a trade last November. It’s why at the scouting combine earlier this month, Paton had a full day planner even beyond his work to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson.
“We’re sitting down with a lot of people, meeting, to see about getting some of our own [free agents] back,” Paton said then. “But we know we have some work to do on defense.”
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Gregory and Jones are walk-in starters and Jewell had started 18 consecutive games until a torn pectoral muscle during a Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars ended his 2021 season. The prospect of Gregory rushing the passer alongside Bradley Chubb was enticing enough for the Broncos to put a $70 million contract on the table, despite Gregory never having more than six sacks in a season and having missed 54 games due to multiple suspensions for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Jones was a quiet signing, but almost as important as Gregory’s because of the position he plays. Jones figures to line up at nose tackle plenty in the Broncos’ 3-4 scheme and is coming off a 56-tackle season for the San Francisco…
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