The Denver Broncos' second free-agent signing, won't generate headlines, but it could help on special teams.
The Denver Broncos made their second signing of free agency, but it’s not one that’s going to get a lot of attention. According to Luca Evans of the Denver Post, the Broncos added former Cincinnati Bengals safety Tycen Anderson on a one-year deal.
This is a depth signing that comes with a bit of an ulterior motive. Anderson has played just a handful of snaps on defense during his three-year NFL career, according to Evans, but he did play in 83 percent of Cincinnati’s special team snaps so that’s been his stock in trade to date.
Anderson was drafted in the fifth round by the Bengals back in 2022, and he was also reliable, playing in every game for Cincinnati last year and in the 2024 season. He has a total of 42 tackles during his three-year career, with most of them coming on special teams.
This move also counters the recent departure of reserve safety P.J. Locke, who signed with the Dallas Cowboys. The Broncos still have promising reserve Devon Key under contract along with J.L. Skinner, so Anderson could compete for a role as a backup safety or simply continue his current career path as a special teams player.
Like many teams, the Broncos have been trying to find a player or two that stands out on special teams, but they haven’t had much luck with that, according to Evans. They signed receiver Trent Sheffield and safety Sam Franklin last year to try and fill those slots, but neither one worked out, with the Broncos waiving Franklin during final roster cuts and and cutting Sherfield in the middle of the season.
The Broncos have also seen Anderson against them in a couple of games, Evans added. The 26-year old safety played a total of 23 snaps on special teams in Denver’s Week 4 win against the Bengals last season, and Anderson racked up 20 snaps the year before in a 24-20 Broncos’ OT victory.
The trade for Miami Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle was the big news this week, but there’s more to come. The Broncos still have an unaddressed hole at move tight end that needs to be filled given the lack of production from Evan Engram this past season, and it’s likely that Denver will add another running back to the mix to compete with returnee J.K. Dobbins and provide some size to Denver’s running back mix.
Based on what we’ve seen to date, expect things to stay quiet for the moment, with another explosive move possibly to follow.