Tag: Zach Allen

Broncos offseason roster: No. 99, DL Zach Allen

Zach Allen joined the Broncos this offseason after totaling 5.5 sacks with the Cardinals in 2022.

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Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series begins today with a look at fifth-year defensive lineman Zach Allen, No. 99. 

Before the Broncos: Allen (6-4, 281 pounds) played college football at Boston College and was picked by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

After beginning his career as a rotational lineman, Allen emerged as a full-time starter in 2021, totaling 48 tackles, 14 quarterback hits, four sacks, four pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, one interception and one defensive touchdown that year. 

Allen was healthy for 13 games last season, recording 47 tackles, 20 quarterback hits, eight pass breakups and 5.5 sacks. He played across from J.J. Watt in Arizona and will now wear his mentor’s old number in Denver.

Broncos tenure: Allen signed a three-year, $45.75 million contract with the Broncos during free agency. 

Chances to make the 53-man roster: Allen will be a lock to make the team this summer and he is expected to start at defensive end in the place of Dre’Mont Jones, who left during free agency this spring. 

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Broncos’ updated defensive line depth chart after the NFL draft

The Broncos could use another veteran defensive end to shore up their defensive line depth chart.

DE NT DE
Zach Allen D.J. Jones Matt Henningsen
Eyioma Uwazurike Mike Purcell Jonathan Harris
Elijah Garcia PJ Mustipher Jordan Jackson
Sione Asi Haggai Ndubuisi

After not selecting any defensive linemen in the NFL draft, the Denver Broncos’ defensive end depth chart has a few question marks as the team prepares for the start of organized team activities this month.

Dre’mont Jones left the club in free agency and the Broncos replaced him with Zach Allen, but Denver does not have an obvious replacement for DeShawn Williams, a 15-game starting last year who also left during free agency this spring.

Unless the Broncos are planning to have D.J. Jones play as a defensive end with Mike Purcell starting at nose tackle, the DE spot across from Allen could be a weak spot going into the 2023 season.

Right now, Henningsen seems to be the favorite for the job given that he played in all 17 games last season (Uwazurike was only active for eight games in 2022). Harris could also be a sleeper option to watch.

Denver might consider signing a veteran defensive lineman before training camp to shore up the team’s d-line depth this summer.

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Zach Allen named Cardinals’ biggest free agency loss

Pro Football Focus thinks Allen’s departure to the Denver Broncos is the Cardinals’ biggest loss.

Every NFL team has suffered losses in free agency. Some losses are more impactful than others. Sometimes they are able to replace them with other players.

For example, the Denver Broncos lost defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones to the Seattle Seahawks. They replaced him with former Cardinals defensive lineman Zach Allen.

Allen’s departure is the Cardinals’ biggest loss, according to PFF.

Amid J.J. Watt‘s retirement to boot, Arizona may have the worst defensive line in the NFL on paper heading into the 2023 campaign. New head coach Jonathan Gannon has his work cut out for him after coordinating a Philadelphia Eagles defense that recorded 70 regular-season sacks in 2022, the third most all time. 

They didn’t get there by relying on one or two marquee players, either. In fact, they became the first team in NFL history to have four different players record double-digit sacks in a year. Now in Arizona following Allen’s departure, Gannon is left with a current top pass rusher who may not rank in the top five on the Eagles roster, and that’s even after interior defender Javon Hargrave signed a massive deal in free agency with the San Francisco 49ers. Fortunately, Arizona has the No. 3 overall pick in the draft and could add a difference-maker on Day 1.

The Cardinals have not done much to replace Allen. Their one defensive line addition was former Tennessee Titan Kevin Strong.

In addition to Allen, the Cardinals also lost cornerback Byron Murphy, but they are a little better at cornerback on the roster than they are on the defensive line.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Broncos landed one of the NFL’s most underrated free agents

Touchdown Wire dubbed Zach Allen one of the NFL’s most underrated free agents this spring.

Zach Allen isn’t exactly a household name, but he was an important addition for the Denver Broncos this offseason.

Allen signed a three-year, $45.75 million contract with Denver and he’s now set to replace Dre’Mont Jones on the team’s defensive line. Before the NFL’s signing period started last week, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar dubbed Allen one of the most underrated free agents this offseason:

Allen was off to a relatively unremarkable start to his NFL career through his first two seasons. But then, J.J. Watt came to the Valley of the Sun in 2021 with a few ideas on how to be a multi-gap disruptor, and Allen was a willing disciple. The 6-foot-4, 281 Allen had his best season to date in 2022, with six sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and 14 quarterback hurries in 427 pass-rushing snaps. Allen’s sacks came everywhere from the edge to aligned over the guards to true nose-shade alignments — so, like his mentor, he’s developed into a guy who can harass quarterbacks from any place you’d like.

After learning under Watt in Arizona, Allen now lands in Denver aiming to live up to his big contract. Judging from Watt’s endorsement, it seems safe to say Allen was a great signing for the Broncos.

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Check out these highlights of new Broncos DL Zach Allen

Zach Allen should be a great addition to Denver’s defense.

The Denver Broncos signed defensive lineman Zach Allen to a three-year, $45.75 million contract earlier this week.

Allen is now poised to serve as one of the team’s starting defensive ends, replacing Dre’Mont Jones, who left in free agency to join the Seattle Seahawks. Allen spent the first four years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, and his numbers were similar to Jones’ last season.

In Denver, Allen will reunite with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who held that same position in Arizona from 2019-2022. Allen will be joining the Broncos with a strong endorsement from former teammate JJ Watt.

Here are highlights from Allen’s time in Arizona:

(If the video does not play here, you can watch it on YouTube).

Here’s footage of Allen mic’d up:

And his highlights from college:

Allen is one of the biggest splash signings the Broncos made during free agency this week. The 25-year-old defensive lineman will aim to help the team get back on track after six-straight losing seasons before his arrival.

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Broncos officially announce all 10 free agent signings

The Broncos have officially confirmed all 10 of their free-agent signings.

The formalities are complete.

The Denver Broncos have officially announced the arrivals of ten unrestricted free agents, and all ten players have officially signed their new contracts with the team.

The Broncos added OL Ben Powers, QB Jarrett Stidham, OT Mike McGlinchey, TE Chris Manhertz, DL Zach Allen, RB Samaje Perine, FB Mike Burton and CB/KR Tremon Smith. Denver also re-signed in-house free agents LB Alex Singleton and DB P.J. Locke.

The Broncos spent $235.1 million in the first round of free agency, and it seems that the team’s biggest splashes might be done. Denver could have a few more budget moves in store, though.

Here’s a quick recap of all the team’s 10 free agent signings so far.

Broncos officially announce 6 free agent signings

The Broncos have officially confirmed six of their free agent signings.

The NFL’s new league year started at 2:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday, marking the official start of free agency.

It felt a bit anticlimactic because most of the NFL’s biggest free agents already agreed to terms with teams on Monday and Tuesday. Those deals did not become official until Wednesday, but it was just a formality.

The Denver Broncos, for example, agreed to terms with six free agents on Monday and two more on Tuesday. Since the start of the new league year, the team has officially announced six of their signings so far, and the rest will be announced soon.

Denver has confirmed the signings of OL Ben Powers, QB Jarrett Stidham, OT Mike McGlinchey, TE Chris Manhertz, LB Alex Singleton and DL Zach Allen so far. Three more players — RB Samaje Perine, FB Michael Burton and CB/KR Tremon Smith — just have to dot the i’s and cross the t’s before their deals become official. 

The Broncos also brought back three of their exclusive rights free agents on one-year tenders: punter Corliss Waitman, offensive lineman Quinn Bailey and linebacker Jonas Griffith.

Here’s a quick recap of Denver’s free agent signings, including both the official and not-yet-quite-official contracts.

Broncos Wire podcast: Recapping the first wave of free agency

On this week’s Broncos Wire podcast, Ryan O’Leary and Jon Heath react to the team’s big moves in free agency and predict what happens next.

The Denver Broncos were busy during the first week of NFL free agency!

To recap the team’s big moves, I joined Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary on Twitter) on this week’s podcast to break it all down.

You can listen to Episode 75 below:

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Broncos Wire will check back in throughout the offseason with new podcast episodes to provide updates on the team’s free agency moves, NFL draft results and more.

If you enjoy the podcast, you can check out previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or on your podcast service of choice. Please consider giving the podcast a positive rating and review!

Our unedited notes for this week’s pod can be seen below. 

The offensive line is fixed! (Mostly) 
  • OG: Ben Powers (replacing Dalton Risner) 4 years, $52 million
  • RT: Mike McGlinchey (replacing revolving door) 5 years, $87.5 million
  • OL: Garett Bolles, Powers, [Center], Quinn Meinerz, McGlinchey
  • Denver signed two high-profile offensive linemen, a blocking tight end, a fullback and a running back. They’re going to pound the rock.
Defensive line: Dre’Mont Jones vs. Zach Allen
  • Denver signed Allen to a 3-year, $45.75M deal with $32.5M guaranteed. He’ll earn an average of $15.25M per season. 2023 cap hit: $7.25M.
  • Seattle signed Jones to a 3-year, $51.53M deal with $30M guaranteed. He’ll earn an average of $17.17M per season. 2023 cap hit: $10M.
  • Allen: 47 tackles, 20 QB hits, 8 PBUs and 5.5 sacks in 13 games in 2022.
  • Jones: 47 tackles, 10 QB hits, 0 PBUs and 6.5 sacks in 13 games in 2022.
  • Allen has spent his entire career playing under Vance Joseph.
Backup quarterback: Jarrett Stidham vs. Brett Rypien 
  • Denver declined Rypien’s one-year, $2.63 million RFA tender.
  • The Broncos then signed Stidham to a 2-year, $10 million deal.
  • Rypien: Undrafted, 2-1 as starter / 4 TDs with 8 INTs
  • Stidham: 4th-round pick, 0-2 as starter / 6 TDs with 7 INTs
Running back: Javonte Williams insurance secured 
  • Samaje Perine: 2 years, $7.5 million.
  • Good receiving back. Good blocking back. Filled in well when Joe Mixon was injured with the Bengals. Probably a good fit for Sean Payton.
  • Denver might still sign a budget back (Latavius Murray?) and I’d still like them to draft a young, cheap RB to add more depth.
Will the Broncos trade a WR? 
  • The team has gotten calls about Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler.
  • Jeudy probably has the most trade value. Teams made offers for him before the deadline last season. Patriots made contact before they signed JuJu. Denver wants “at least” a first for Jeudy.
  • Sutton tweeted last week “I just want to be where I’m wanted and appreciated.”
  • Denver was aggressive trying to sign Allen Lazard before he went to the Jets.
  • Seems like one (or maybe even both) of Sutton and Jeudy could be traded, but the Broncos have been firm in their price so far.
Nathaniel Hackett bait (seemingly) worked for the Jets 
  • Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday he wants to play for the Jets, it’s just a matter of New York and Green Bay figuring out compensation.
  • Rodgers also said Hackett is a big reason why he wants to play for the Jets.
  • Perhaps what the Broncos tried to do last year. Oh well. Rodgers turns 40 years old this season.
What’s next? 
  • Denver cut Ronald Darby and they could use another cornerback (they did sign a corner/returner Wednesday). The Eagles are set to cut Darius Slay, and he’ll be paid a lot by Philly this year. Maybe Denver could give him a one-year deal?
  • Depending on if they re-sign Kareem Jackson (and depending on how much they like Caden Sterns), Broncos might want to add a safety.
  • I’d re-sign P.J. Locke for depth.
  • C.J. Gardner-Johnson spent the first three years of his career in New Orleans playing under Payton. He has played both as a safety and as a slot cornerback. I’d love to add him and have his versatility in the secondary.
  • Denver could use more depth on the defensive line. If they can afford it, I’d like to re-sign DeShawn Williams. (Editor’s note: Williams agreed to terms with the Panthers while we were recording.)
  • The Broncos have to be close to being right up against the cap, but they could create a little more with trades and restructures are possible, too.
  • The rest can be patched up in draft (C, RB depth, WR depth, LB depth, P)

We are tracking all of the team’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

You can listen to every past episode below or at this link.

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JJ Watt gives Broncos strong endorsement for Zach Allen

JJ Watt praised new Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen for constantly working and studying. “[He] cares immensely,” Watt tweeted.

What kind of player are the Denver Broncos getting in defensive lineman Zach Allen?

Let’s ask former teammate JJ Watt!

“Love this for my guy!!” Watt tweeted earlier this week when Allen agreed to a three-year, $45.75 million contract with the Broncos. “Works his ass off, studies his ass off, cares immensely. Can’t wait to see what this next chapter holds. Well deserved.”

That’s a pretty strong endorsement from Watt, who was teammates with Allen with the Arizona Cardinals from 2021-2022. Watt and Allen played under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who now holds that same role in Denver.

Joseph has spoken well of Allen in the past, and he undoubtedly played a role in the Broncos signing the defensive lineman this week.

“Zach’s one of our guys that we count on playing good each week, and he’s done that for us,” Joseph said last October.

Playing across from Watt last season, Allen totaled 20 quarterback hits, 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, eight pass breakups and 5.5 sacks in 13 games. He will aim to bring similar production to the Broncos.

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Broncos free agency: Dre’Mont Jones vs. Zach Allen contract details

Dre’Mont Jones will earn about $17M per season. Zach Allen will earn $15.25M per season. Jones got a $20M signing bonus. Allen’s was $15M.

The Denver Broncos let defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones walk in free agency this week and they replaced him with Zach Allen, who will now reunite with defense coordinator Vance Joseph.

The Broncos gave Allen a three-year, $45.75 million contract that includes $32.5 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac.com. With a $2.5 million base salary and a $15 million signing bonus, Allen will have a salary cap hit of $7.25 million this season.

Dre’Mont Jones agreed to a three-year, $51.53 million contract that includes $30 million guaranteed. He will have a base salary of $3 million this year and a $20 million signing bonus, giving him a 2023 cap hit just north of $10 million.

Allen received $2.5 million more guaranteed, but Jones got $5 million more in a signing bonus. Jones will earn more per season on average (about $17 million) than Allen ($15.25 million).

Here are their salary cap hits for the next three years.

Zach Allen: $7.25M, $20.25M, $18.25M
Dre’Mont Jones: $10M, $18.17M, $23.17M

Allen ended up being slightly cheaper, and he had similar — and in some cases, better — production than Jones last season. He is also familiar with Joseph and the defensive scheme the Broncos will run this season.

Allen totaled 47 tackles, 20 quarterback hits, eight pass breakups and 5.5 sacks in 13 games last season. Jones recorded 47 tackles, 10 QB hits, no pass breakups and 6.5 sacks in 13 games last fall.

Allen in, Jones out. Time will tell if it was the right decision.

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