Free Agent Profile: Danny Trevathan

To help fill out the inside linebacker position, the Denver Broncos could go back to a familiar face in Danny Trevathan. He left Denver for the Chicago Bears after helping the team win Super Bowl 50 and has had four very solid seasons there.

He was having a fairly good season before a gruesome injury in Week 10 knocked him out for the rest of the season.

What kind of contract could he get

When he left for free agency in 2016, he signed a 4-year, $28 million contract with the Bears, which in hindsight was a pretty reasonable deal that Denver probably should have made with him instead. He’ll turn 30 in March, so I would expect a shorter deal this time around and probably for a little least average per year.

Unless the Broncos want to go big for a dynamic playmaker like Cory Littleton, they might be better off either bringing back Trevathan for a few years or re-signing Todd Davis who has started for the Broncos over the last couple of seasons. Both will be within the same pay range.

Why the Broncos should sign him

He is a veteran leader who hasn’t seen his play drop off significantly despite his age. He could easily fill the role left behind by Davis if the Broncos were to lose him to free agency. With the cost not being that much different.

Trevathan has produced consistently over his career too averaging nearly 8 tackles per start throughout his career.

Why the Broncos shouldn’t sign him

His age should be a concern, but his injury history should also be taken into account. In his eight seasons in the NFL, he has only played in 10 or more games in five of those seasons. He has also only started all 16 games twice in his career.

Since leaving Denver, Trevathan has ended his season on injured reserve in 2016 (ruptured patellar tendon) and 2019 (arm), while also missing games in 2017 due a calf injury. He also missed most of 2014 with a dislocated patellar tendon.

Final word

Despite of the injury concerns, Danny Trevathan produces when healthy and that may very well outweigh the concerns over his ability to stay on the field. He’ll likely be a lower cost option for Denver as they look to build out their roster elsewhere in free agency.

What do you think Broncos Country?