Why the Broncos landed Will Parks at the perfect time

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Will Parks couldn’t stay away from Denver for even a full season.

After leaving the Denver Broncos in free agency to sign with his hometown Philadelphia Eagles earlier this year, Parks is returning to his home away from home in the Mile High City.

“Will’s a guy that we liked. He’s versatile. We like him as a player. We like him as a person,” Vic Fangio said on Thursday, a day after the team claimed him off waivers. “I think he’s excited to come back here.”

The timing couldn’t have been more impeccable for the Broncos to add their former sixth-round pick to the team. The same day Denver was awarded the versatile safety, they placed their versatile prized cornerback Bryce Callahan on the injured reserve with a foot injury.

“Will played the nickel position for us last year, played the dime, he can play safety,” Fangio stated, outlining Parks’ versatility. “One thing with losing Bryce, we’ve lost some versatility in our secondary because although Bryce had been playing corner the last few weeks exclusively, he can also play nickel, obviously. So, our nickel depth has gone down some, so we needed some versatility to bring back to replace Bryce. Coincidentally, Will got cut and he’s a guy we like as a player and a person and like I said, I think he’s excited to be back here.”

Last year, when Callahan was out for the year, Parks emerged and earned a sizeable role playing nickel and did an admirable job down the stretch. In fact, the 6-foot-1 safety played in over 70 percent of the defensive snaps under Fangio in Denver’s final five games of the 2019 season.

Of course, Parks isn’t an exact replacement for Callahan. Bryce is a cornerback, while Parks is a safety. But they’re both versatile defensive backs, which makes it so it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

In fact, Fangio may have an opportunity to see what the two of them look like on the field together before this year is over as the head coach said on Thursday there’s a chance Callahan plays the final two games of the season.

“If he’s ready to go in those last two games, he’ll be playing,” Fangio stated about Callahan. “I know he personally wants to finish the season playing. He obviously didn’t do that in ‘18 or ‘19 and I think it’s important to him to finish the season playing.”

Snatching Parks off waivers benefits the team beyond just on the field.

“I’m excited for him to be back,” fellow safety and 2016 draft pick Justin Simmons said with a smile on Thursday. “This is a guy I came in [the NFL] with and spent a lot of time with. Unfortunate what happened in Philly, but selfishly, I’m really happy he’s back here and having the opportunity to close out the season with us. He’s a great player, and more importantly and selfishly for me, he’s an even better friend. Having him around the past four years has been awesome.”

The reaction on social media of the Broncos bringing Parks back to Denver was comparable to John Elway landing an All-Pro. At 4-7 coming off a game in which the team lost by four touchdowns without a quarterback, claiming Parks was a much-needed boost to Broncos Country’s spirits—outside and inside the locker room.

“It’s a bonus,” Fangio said on signing a player like Parks that’s well-liked in the locker room. “Anytime you pick up a guy this time of year, usually it’s a guy with not much or if any history with the organization he’s coming into. Obviously, that’s not the case with Will. He left here last year because of an opportunity to go back home to Philly and it didn’t work out for him there and as many players find out, the grass isn’t always greener. I think he’s very happy to be coming back here.”

The four-year Bronco won’t be eligible to play on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs as he has to go through COVID-19 protocols. He will be eligible to play in the team’s final four games before becoming a free agent once again.

“We played the Raiders at home last year in the final game of the season. [Will and I] exchanged jerseys because it was a ‘you never know what’s going to happen’ moment,” Simmons said, explaining how at the end of last season he never knew if he would play with his friend again. “You could be here next year, you could not, on both of our ends. That was special.”

Simmons and Parks could suit up together once again on Dec. 13 against the Carolina Panthers.