Broncos free-agency shopping list: Cornerback

This is a list without the top names.

You won’t see Dallas’ Byron Jones, Carolina’s James Bradberry or Kansas City’s Kendall Fuller here. Not after the Broncos and Jaguars agreed on the trade of A.J. Bouye this week, ensuring that the eight-year veteran will get a chance to show that his 2019 struggles were a result of being a poor scheme fit for a Jacksonville defense that emphasized more man coverage and did not play to his strengths.

Bouye is the CB1 for the Broncos in 2020, and while he may not have the overall resume of Chris Harris Jr., he is two years younger and there is an even-money shot that he will be a better scheme fit.

But the shopping cannot be done.

Not when the current No. 2 cornerback is Bryce Callahan, a slot cornerback who can play outside in base packages. When healthy, Callahan is one of the best slot cornerbacks in the league. His presence might have changed the outcome of at least two games the Broncos lost in the first half of the season.

But Denver needs more help. Even if Callahan is healthy, the depth is unproven. And if Callahan’s injury trend doesn’t change, they need at least one more veteran.

NAMES TO CONSIDER

LOGAN RYAN, TENNESSEE

Tackling is Vic Fangio’s “non-negotiable,” and Ryan excels at this, with a willingness to get involved in the running game as well as clean up plays downfield to limit the damage. This will be Ryan’s eighth season and his third contract. He doesn’t turn 30 until next February, but this represents a chance for one more big score — perhaps more than the $10 million average per year he got from the Titans on the three-year deal he just completed.

Ryan is right behind Jones, Bradberry and Chris Harris Jr. on the market, so while he won’t get elite money, he is likely to be out of the Broncos’ range considering what they will spend on Bouye.

JIMMY SMITH, BALTIMORE

If this were based on talent and performance alone, Smith would be in the CB1 class along with Jones, Bradberry and Fuller. The former Buff has never allowed more than three touchdown receptions in a season, and is one of the most sure tacklers at his position. But Smith has missed 20 games in the last four seasons due to injuries, and has only played more than 75 percent of the games in a season twice — most recently in 2015.

PRINCE AMUKAMARA, EX-CHICAGO

Already released by the Bears, Amukmara is there for the taking. He delivered mostly standout work for the Bears in 2017 and 2018 under Fangio, then Chicago’s defensive coordinator, and like Callahan, he brings schematic familiarity and steadiness. He turns 31 in June, but doesn’t have the injury history of Callahan, having missed just 11 games in the last five seasons — 24 fewer than Callahan in the same span.

Amukmara is a fan of Fangio, evidenced by what he said in March 2018 about the then-coordinator.

“I love the mastermind that Vic is,” Amukamara told Chicago-area media on a conference call two years ago. “He’s probably one of the most detailed defensive coordinators I’ve ever been a part of. It just feels like he calls the right play every down. That’s probably an exaggeration, but it’s very, very rare that he (doesn’t) put us in the best position to be successful.”

RONALD DARBY, PHILADELPHIA

Darby surrendered a career-high six touchdown catches last year — one more than he permitted in the previous three seasons combined. He’s an intriguing option for a team that utilizes more zone coverage, as he often found himself in trouble last year when he was left on his own in man-to-man coverage, a situation which led to two touchdowns he allowed to the Giants’ Darius Clayton in a single game.

MACKENSIE ALEXANDER, MINNESOTA

His best fit is as a slot cornerback, and with Callahan projected to handle that role in sub packages, the Broncos don’t represent an ideal landing spot for him.

TRAE WAYNES, MINNESOTA

He hasn’t played like a cornerback worthy of being the No. 11 pick in the 2015 draft, but he has been solid, although he surrendered five touchdown receptions last year. He has better raw speed than almost any cornerback in the NFL, evidenced by his 4.31-second 40-yard dash time at the 2015 Combine.

FAMILIAR NAMES, NOT NECESSARILY GOOD FITS

AQIB TALIB, MIAMI

The 2020 season would be his 13th in the NFL, but he was struggling even before his salary-dump trade to the Dolphins last season in which Miami surrendered only a seventh-round pick for Talib and a fifth-rounder. He never suited up for Miami. Injuries and age have caught up with Talib, who played in just 16 of a possible 35 games (including playoffs) since the Broncos traded him to the Rams. If no one signs Talib and his career ends, don’t be surprised if the Broncos eventually sign him to a ceremonial one-day contract. He should be a Ring of Famer and could be in the Hall of Fame discussion someday; only three players in NFL history have more pick-sixes than him.

BRADLEY ROBY, HOUSTON

The Broncos could have used Roby last year given the injuries that shredded their cornerback corps, and he fared better for the Texans than he did in Denver, cutting his touchdowns allowed down by over half from his frustrating 2018 season. Roby also dealt with a hamstring injury that cost him six games, but this was the first extended absence of his career.

IDEAL EXPENDITURE: $4-6 million per year

IDEAL TARGET: Amukamara

His familiarity with Fangio’s scheme, his intelligence, unflappable nature and relative affordability as he goes into his age-31 season makes him a perfect fit for what the Broncos need. He allows Callahan to work in the slot and ensures that the Broncos can continue developing their youth while being covered with experience at the top three spots. The Broncos can afford an expensive secondary because their offensive skill-position standouts are young and cost-controlled. Amukamara is just what the Broncos are looking for.