The Cleveland Browns cut Orpheus Roye the other day. And what position does he play? That would be defensive tackle.
Don’t even think about it, Broncos fans.
Actually, for all we know, maybe Mike Shanahan will play that card again. Maybe he’ll sign the best ex-Browns lineman available. With Shanahan, you never know.
What we do know is this: With free agency virtually upon us, the Broncos need help, and lots of it.
By now, we know that signing hordes of free agents is no way to build an NFL team. But let’s not kid ourselves. The Broncos, after back-to-back seasons without a playoff appearance, don’t have any choice.
The key to their future is the development of Jay Cutler and all those young defensive linemen, most notably Jarvis Moss, Marcus Thomas and Tim Crowder. But the Broncos don’t dare go into next season with a few more veteran hands on the D line.
Whether it turns out to be Shaun Rogers or Kevin Carter or Justin Smith or some other big name, the Broncos have to fortify their defensive line. And even then, it might not be enough to get them back to the postseason.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s daily sports commentaries on The Jimmy Page during the week at noon. And read his columns on Sundays at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
