Broncos release A.J. Bouye a year after acquiring him from Jaguars
ESPN's Jeff Legwold broke the news on Tuesday that the Denver Broncos have parted ways with A.J. Bouye.
Bouye had to sit out the last four games of the 2020-2021 NFL season due to a six-game suspension. A.J. violated the NFL's policy for the use of performance enhancing drugs.
Bouye will still have to sit out two games during the 2021-2022 NFL season to complete the six-game suspension.
By releasing A.J. Bouye, the Denver Broncos freed up $11.7 million in cap space.
Denver have three players that they need to make a decision on. Von Miller, Kareem Jackson and Drew Lock are all in the option years of their contracts.
Now that the Denver Broncos have released A.J. Bouye, what's next for the 29-year old cornerback?
Here are three teams that may be interested in signing Bouye for the 2021-2022 NFL season.
Team 1: A.J. Bouye returns to the Jacksonville Jaguars
A year ago, cornerback A.J. Bouye was traded to the Denver Broncos. At the time, the Jacksonville Jaguars unloaded both Bouye and Ramsey.
With the Jaguars needing help at the cornerback position, why not bring back someone who has played there before?
A.J. Bouye recorded the best season of his career when he was with the Jaguars.
During the 2017 NFL season, Bouye recorded six interceptions. He also recorded 56 combined tackles and 18 pass deflections for the Jaguars' defense.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have the opportunity to get the 29-year old cornerback at a discounted price.
Bouye doesn't have the upper hand during this free agency. He has to sit out two games at the beginning of the season.
Jacksonville will welcome him back with open arms if he does decide to return.
Team 2: A.J. Bouye returns to the Houston Texans
During the 2013 NFL off-season, the Houston Texans signed A.J. Bouye to a three-year, $1.41 million contract as an undrafted free-agent.
Bouye spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Houston Texans. He was a big contributor to their defense.
During the four years with Houston, A.J. Bouye recorded six interceptions, one touchdown, one fumble recovery and 140 combined tackles.
Fact of the matter is that the Houston Texans need help. Bringing back A.J. Bouye will help answer a lot of questions in their defensive secondary.
Team 3: A.J. Bouye signs with the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are one team that could benefit from A.J. Bouye being in their secondary.
The Cowboys defense stepped up towards the end of the 2020-2021 NFL season, but are still in need of a cornerback. Adding Bouye will give them a cornerback that has a lot of experience.
The two-game suspension will not impact the decision on whether the Cowboys sign or don't sign A.J. Bouye.
Bouye's impact that he will have on the field outweighs any negativity the cornerback brings with him.
The Cowboys could get a big boost from signing Bouye and will make a run at him during the free agency period.