Verdict needed — be the first to weigh in on this NFL move.
No fan grades yet. Your vote sets the Fan Verdict the rest of the crowd reacts to.
D+
A+
N/A
Fan VerdictCast your verdict on this move
Grade Denver Broncos sign Devon Key
Your grade joins the crowd-sourced Fan Verdict.
Quick Reaction
Sentiment Analysis
A+
Very Positive
NegativeMixedPositive
Denver retains a proven special teams contributor on an exclusive rights tender. Headlines emphasize Key's All-Pro special teams credentials and potential safety depth role. The ERFA tender signals confidence in Key as a complementary defensive back. Fans debated whether Key could push PJ Locke or serve as third safety. Broncos likely keep Key as reliable depth and elite coverage unit contributor.
📰5 news
Contract Value Index (CVI)
D+
Below Value
OverpayFair ValueGreat Value
Devon Key's one-year, $960K signing earns a D+ Contract Value Index (CVI)—a deal that reflects Denver's modest investment in depth rather than a bet on immediate impact. At just under $1M annual value, this is a replacement-level acquisition, the kind of low-stakes move teams make to fill roster spots during the offseason without meaningful cap consequence. The CVI penalty here isn't about the absolute dollar amount—it's that a one-year, near-minimum deal offers no upside optionality and signals the front office views Key as a camp body or depth piece rather than a core contributor or reclamation project with upside. With Denver holding the #1 seed and championship aspirations intact, every roster addition carries implicit performance pressure, and a sub-$1M signing suggests limited confidence that Key will move the needle in a win-now window. The value equation is straightforward: minimal commitment, minimal expectations, minimal ceiling—a pure short-term plug that won't strain the cap but also won't provide leverage or trade value if circumstances change.
Contract Details
- Length
- 1 year
- Total Value
- $960K
- AAV
- $960K
News & Buzz
Live Discussion
Auto-moderated fan forum with 5-minute speaker turns
Discussion
Loading discussion...
Explore the leaderboards
About this NFL transaction
The Denver Broncos signed Devon Key on April 30, 2026. FanVerdicts covers every reported NFL move — and asks fans to weigh in on each one. Cast your Fan Verdict on this move, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts brings its own read too — sentiment and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index D+, Sentiment A+.
Contract details below show the years, total value, average annual value, and guaranteed money behind the Contract Value Index read. That read does not change once written — it reflects market expectations at the moment of signing, recomputed only if the contract is restructured.
Want broader context? The NFL hub has the league-wide transaction feed and team rankings. The NFL transactions feed lists every reported move across the league, each one open for the crowd's verdict.