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David Bruton has started only eight games in seven seasons with the Denver Broncos. Yet, when you begin to look into safeties who could be potential free agent targets for the New York Giants, the 28-year-old Bruton's name keeps popping up. Bruton himself has reportedly said he has heard through the grapevine there is interest from the Giants.
So, let's see what we can learn about Bruton.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Bruton was a 2009 fourth-round pick. He has spent most of his time in Denver on special teams but played 482 defensive snaps for the Broncos in 2015. That is 57 percent of the 842 defensive snaps he has played in his career.
Here is a profile of Bruton from SB Nation's Mile High Report that was written prior to the 2015 season.
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Pro Football Focus ranks Bruton No. 8 on its list of free agent safeties:
What team is finally going to give Bruton a shot to start in the NFL? In a rotational role over the course of his career, he has put up a +9.1 coverage grade in 1,474 snaps over seven seasons. In the NFL, if you're not a high draft pick and you're not starting by the end of your rookie contract, usually it is impossible for you to shake the "backup" label. Bruton should certainly be given a chance to, though, next season.
Bruton is apparently hoping for a deal in the three-year, $15 million range on the open market. It will be interesting to see what Bruton's value is on the open market and if the Giants are indeed one of the teams interested in offering him an opportunity to prove he is more than a special teamer.