The Denver Broncos have agreed to sign Miami Dolphins safety Brandon Jones to a three-year deal, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Jones is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played 16 games and registered 48 tackles, a couple of interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and four passes defended.
The move comes shortly after the Broncos released Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons as a cost-cutting measure.
Jones, who played his collegiate football at the University of Texas, was selected by the Dolphins in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The soon-to-be-26-year-old appeared in every contest during his rookie year, finishing with 62 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Then, in his sophomore season, Jones participated in 15 games and racked up 79 tackles, five sacks, a pick, a forced fumble and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Jones was then limited to just seven games in 2022 due to injuries. During his time on the field that year, he recorded 49 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
While it will be difficult for Denver to fill Simmons’ shoes, Jones is a solid replacement and is about four-and-a-half year Simmons’ junior, so, at the very least, the Broncos are getting younger at the position.
Denver has entered the offseason with a moderate amount of cap room, so it should be able to plug up some key holes up and down the roster.
Of course, the biggest issue for the Broncos right now is the quarterback position, as they released Russell Wilson and now do not have an answer under center going into 2024.
We’ll see if Denver tries to address that problem through free agency, via trade or the draft.
For now, the Broncos have gotten started by working on their defense, and adding Jones is a nice start.
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