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A week’s worth of free agency is in the books for the Broncos.
They’ve added a trio of defenders in safety Brandon Jones, defensive tackle Malcolm Roach and inside linebacker Cody Barton. They’ve retained several more from Sean Payton’s first year in Denver.
They’ve explored several options at quarterback but haven’t come away with a transaction to show for it.
In the process, the Broncos cleared a significant amount of cap space and committed, officially, to using $53 million of it to pay down the first big chunk of former quarterback Russell Wilson’s $85 million in dead salary cap charges.
General manager George Paton predicted at the NFL combine last month that the Broncos would be “strategic” rather than aggressive and that word fits the bill so far. Denver has proceeded clearly set against overspending in an offseason that is shaping up to look like a re-set.
Here’s what we’ve learned and what questions remain.
Three things we learned
The identity of Vance Joseph’s defense is going to be different
By sheer numbers, the Broncos may not actually have much turnover on defense. By leadership, though, this group is going to look markedly different in 2024.
In and of themselves, the departures of safety Justin Simmons and Josey Jewell aren’t shocking, though seeing Simmons released in the days before free agency was a surprise. Taken together, that pair represented the central nervous system of Denver’s defense for years, a guiding force across several head coaches and coordinators.
Jewell relayed the defensive calls from Joseph on the sideline. Then Simmons served as the quarterback from the back end, ensuring the secondary communicated coverage with the linebackers, corners and nickel Ja’Quan McMillian.
Now the two communication hubs — and two of Denver’s defensive leaders — are gone. It won’t be entirely new, of course. Alex Singleton called the defense when Jewell was out. P.J. Locke has played a lot. ILB Jonas Griffith and S Caden Sterns have been around and are hoping to stay healthy.
“I feel good about the young core on defense, and we will just continue to add depth,” Paton said at the combine before the team signed Jones and Roach in free agency and got Locke back on a two-year deal.
Still, if a football defense is something like a baseball defense — you want to be strong up the middle at every level — then Denver is doing the rough equivalent of replacing its shortstop and center fielder.
This is now a group led by cornerback Pat Surtain II, defensive lineman Zach Allen and others like outside linebacker Baron Browning and Singleton. Familiar names, but also a new look and feel in the locker room.
The shakeup may have been anticipated, but it’s still massive
Aside from releasing Simmons rather than trading him or finding a way to extend his deal and lower his cap hit, none of the Broncos’ moves went down as stunners.
All the same, it is worth taking a step back and considering what’s happened this month.
Draw up a list of the most notable Broncos from the 2023 team. How far down the list do you get before you’ve added Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy and Simmons? Five or six, maybe? Jewell’s not far down the list from them, either.
Consider that seismic change and then think back to the middle of the season when Payton summarized his regular conversations with Paton in the lead-up to the trade deadline.
“We’ve got a good handle on this current roster and our vision for the roster a year from now,” Payton said then.
Denver could have worked on several veteran contracts before the 2023 season or during — it now infamously did try to do so with Wilson — but proceeded in a way that allowed the team to make whichever decision it wanted on a host of its most expensive players.
The first wave of moves on that front played out over the last 10 days. The string of goodbyes and thank-yous on social media is a good reminder that, while sentimentality exists in the NFL, it gets blocked out when making roster decisions.
The enduring trio
Despite the churn, left tackle Garett Bolles and receivers Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton endure. They’re now the longest-tenured trio of Broncos.
Patrick reworked his deal to stay for 2024, while the contracts for Sutton and Bolles remain unchanged. Sutton is due a $2 million roster bonus Sunday.
It’s quite possible that 2024 could be the last hurrah for any one or all of them, but overall the Broncos like Patrick’s leadership and the way Sutton responded in a 10-touchdown season under Payton in 2023. Bolles played steadily in 2023.
Denver cleared enough salary cap space in other ways that it can comfortably move forward with all three on the roster for 2024. The Broncos don’t have to look to trade Sutton or Bolles — they have not been in recent weeks, sources have indicated — though the possibility of moving either can’t be entirely ruled out if the right deal comes along.
Perhaps the draft will change the equation, either for Denver or another team. Bolles and Patrick are entering the final year of their contracts and the Broncos aren’t meaningfully committed to Sutton in terms of guaranteed money, either.
For now, this is the group that looks like 2024-and-then-we’ll-see.
Three questions that remain unanswered
The big one
The Broncos have been knee-deep in quarterback evaluation — free agency, trade market and next month’s draft — but have made no moves thus far.
Perhaps the most logical candidates from each of the first two categories were Sam Darnold and Sam Howell, respectively. Darnold got a one-year, $10 million deal from Minnesota, more than double what Baker Mayfield got last year as a former top draft pick trying to engineer a career resurgence. Washington got the equivalent of a late third-round draft pick from Seattle in exchange for Howell. Those are pretty strong prices and, in each case, the Broncos were clearly not willing to match or exceed.
The Broncos started the offseason looking for a player to add to their current mix of Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci in addition to a potential rookie. That they haven’t found that player so far might be just fine by them, but when you don’t have your answer at the game’s most important position, every move (or non-move) gets extra scrutiny.
Just how ready is Sean Payton to let the kids play?
Many of the Broncos’ moves this offseason signal a team getting younger and cheaper. Lloyd Cushenberry’s gone on a four-year, $50 million deal to Tennessee? Either second-year man Alex Forsyth or third-year Luke Wattenberg to replace him. Jeudy traded? In steps Marvin Mims, Jr. Denver views corner Riley Moss as a starting-caliber player but he only saw 23 defensive snaps as a rookie. Safety JL Skinner? One defensive snap
The players who got the most run as rookies were Mims (384 snaps or 35.4%) and linebacker Drew Sanders (23.8%).
The fact that the Broncos had a lack of immediate impact from its 2023 draft class may not come as a big shock since they didn’t pick until the last selection of the second round, but the Year 1 to Year 2 jump for this group — plus college free agents like Jaleel McLaughlin, Nate Adkins and several offensive linemen — is going to be critical. And where Denver was reluctant to put Sanders, Moss and Mims into big roles right away as rookies, the coaching staff may not have the same luxury with its 2024 draft class.
You’ve got $67 million in dead salary cap so far. You’ve cleared some big contracts off the books by release and trade. Roll with the kids. Let them play, make mistakes and learn. A Los Angeles Rams team in a similar situation (except at quarterback) took that route in 2023 and ended up making a surprise run toward the playoffs after looking like a mess during a 3-6 start.
What’s the best use of remaining cap space?
The Broncos have somewhere between $22.6 million in cap space to work with before Barton’s deal is official, according to OvertheCap data. Their current slate of draft picks projects to take up about $4 million more, though that will change slightly depending on how much the team moves around in the draft.
So for estimate’s sake let’s say Denver has $16 million to work with now. They’ll sign more players, though big, splashy contracts at this point would be a surprise.
Here’s one path forward: Stuff most of the rest in your pocket and don’t even think about it until 2025. The NFL allows teams to roll cap space over. Denver had been at about $10 million in rollover until having less than $1 million this year.
Get back on that track. Take $10 million and treat it as if you’re actually paying down $63 million of Wilson’s dead cap rather than $53 million. If you surprise and you’re in contention mid-season, go ahead and deploy some of that flexibility for the here and now.
Otherwise, save as much of it as you can and spend it next year on mega-extensions for Pat Surtain II and Quinn Meinerz. Prepare for bigger cap hits from 2023 free-agent additions like Mike McGlinchey, Ben Powers and Zach Allen. After converting all of their salaries to bonuses for 2024, their combined cap charges this year are a paltry $21.65 million. Currently for 2025, the trio combines to charge $61.03 million.
Denver only has 27 players currently under contract for 2025 (28 once Surtain’s fifth-year option is exercised between now and May 2). Play this year right with the remaining cap space, and the team could have ample room to work, a curbed Wilson dead cap figure to clear his money entirely off the books and perhaps, finally, a full draft class to work with on top of the cap flexibility.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/17/broncos-free-agency-questions-sean-payton/
The truth is loose: The Broncos are colts, an increasingly younger team tasked with cobbling together a foundation for the future. They are cheaper, shrewder investments, their signings requiring Google searches for correct spellings of names.
Brandon Jones, Cody Barton, Malcolm Roach, Wil Lutz, Michael Burton, Adam Trautman and Lil’ Jordan Humphrey. The guaranteed money? Roughly $26 million. The Broncos guaranteed left guard Ben Powers $28.5 million a few hours into league business last year.
This is what rebuilding looks like.
Nearly a week into free agency, Denver has not added a single big name, attempting to improve on the margins with two starters, a kicker and multiple role players.
It sounds like a Ted Danson movie: Three Men and a Maybe.
Not one of the new players is a quarterback. When it became obvious the Broncos were not going to sign Sam Darnold — he landed a $10 million deal from the Vikings — and had no interest in bringing back Drew Lock or bringing in Jameis Winston, Broncos Country was not particularly happy with this new reality.
It is jarring. The new buzzwords are “monitoring and methodical,” which sounds like a nurse talking to a patient at urgent care. The Broncos are not sick, but they need to take their medicine for this ugly rash of ineptitude.
No quarterback addition defines exactly what the Broncos are doing, not saying. They are exercising restraint. It feels like a straitjacket to expectations, suffocating and confining. This is where the Broncos are, attempting to improve and compete, while not sacrificing long-term success for instant gratification.
Even Washington’s Sam Howell was deemed too expensive. Not Thurston. Sam.
I advocated taking a flier on Howell, believing finding a capable young quarterback is akin to throwing darts. The more tosses at the carnival for $1 the better. Sure, Howell’s darts might have been intercepted, but he is younger than Bo Nix. And he would have benefited from the structure of Sean Payton’s offense.
But even I must concede he was not worth two draft picks. I thought he could be acquired for a sixth-rounder, matching the compensation for Mac Jones and Justin Fields, who was shipped to the Steelers on Saturday. That now only applies to the Jets’ Zach Wilson. As much as I would love for Wilson to come to Denver and explain how Nathaniel Hackett taught him how to hate the forward pass, I will pass.
The Broncos can bring in Ryan Tannehill or another vagabond if they choose, but at this point it makes sense to stick with Jarrett Stidham. He is the quintessential quarterback for a rebuild. His ceiling could very well be his floor.
Once you decide that a facelift, not Botox, is the plan, who cares? It can be liberating, except for season ticket-holders who have reached out, understandably grousing that a 7.9 percent price increase accompanied this strategy.
I get it. My response? If the Broncos continued doing what they were doing — overspending in free agency, overreaching in trades — it would create anger and apathy. Critics who are calling on Denver to spend for the sake of spending, assume it will make the Broncos better. That is an assumption rooted in the past when the AFC was wide open and tolerant of miscreants and upstarts without franchise quarterbacks.
Payton has repeatedly used the example of the Detroit Lions as a blueprint for how to execute a U-turn. They brought in coach Dan Campbell and bought into building around a core of draft picks. The progression of the young talent accelerated their revival as they were coached well and received opportunities without resistance.
The Broncos’ embrace of building blocks as the reigning direction is welcome. But it only works if Payton views this as a transition to sustainable success, not a brief flirtation that leads to desperation in the draft.
Which brings me to the inquiry that provides a running theme for my inbox: To QB or not QB? That is the question.
Does the Broncos’ inactivity mean they will select a quarterback in the first round? Sitting at the 12th spot is tricky. Talking to sources I trust, there is a belief four quarterbacks will go in the top six, meaning the Broncos would likely have to trade up with Arizona to the fourth spot. They cannot offer more than the Vikings in the 2024 draft, not after Minnesota acquired another first-rounder this week.
I am not convinced a team can love the fourth quarterback (likely Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy) enough to sacrifice three first-rounders and a third-rounder. That’s the price the 49ers paid to move from 12th overall to third to take Trey Lance, a subsequent bust.
It runs against Payton’s nature to stay patient. Unless he wants Nix, there is a strong argument to move back, take an edge rusher, offensive tackle or cornerback and pick up a second-round selection.
I know it feels like the Broncos are dragging the bottom of the ocean in free agency. And it will feel deflating if they don’t land a first-round quarterback.
But my advice is simple: Don’t relent to the tyranny of the clock. This is how this process works.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/16/broncos-quarterback-free-agency-rebuilding/
Jimmy Garappolo? Meh. Carson Wentz? Nah. Ryan Tannehill? Why?
I mean, hear the Grading The Week crew out here, Broncos Country, but … what if Jarrett Stidham is your “bridge” quarterback? What if he always was?
The guy’s a bridge to nowhere, granted — unless there’s a rookie with upside on the other side of that gorge.
With the biggest names in NFL free agency off the board, the tea leaves are kind of lining up, aren’t they? Sure, the Broncos could still theoretically trade for a young QB1 — Zach Wilson with the Jets, Justin Fields with the Bears pop immediately to mind — who didn’t turn the engine over often enough for their original franchise.
But that doesn’t feel as likely, now. And here’s why: What it doesn’t cost the law firm of Sean Payton & George Paton in cap dollars, it costs them in draft picks. And given how few of them they have on hand already, it smells as if the only way the Broncos part with those picks is to use them to make a bonkers push for the QB1 they really, really, really, really want.
And if that quarterback is still there at pick No. 12, so be it. Start trading back to pick up more cost-controlled talent to fill out a roster with more holes than the back nine at Spyglass Hill.
Sam Howell stans — C
This much feels clear: Stidham is either the stopgap of choice to buffer things until a young, star QB1 enters the picture this spring, or, and bear with us as we adjust our GTW tinfoil hat, he’s a walking Tankathon. He’s the Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky of the 2020s, a false hope who makes a lost season truly smelly while also securing the best crack at the top one or two QB1s available in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sink for Shedeur is on, baby!
Now as fun as that would be for Buffs fans, there’s one problem with that last scenario: It doesn’t fit Payton’s M.O. At all.
For one thing, his record drafting and developing QBs was notoriously spotty in New Orleans. Granted, when you have Drew Brees holding down the fort, the cavalry is blissfully irrelevant.
A little veteran insurance couldn’t hurt, though, even if the Broncos’ next stab at a franchise QB has been targeted as coming from this draft class or the next. Sam Darnold could have worked, but zoomed out of their price range when Minnesota swooped in with a $10 million contract. Sam Howell in Washington was a more intriguing twist on the Fields-Zach Wilson approach, but the Broncos presumably didn’t feel he was worth the draft capital — he cost Seattle a third- and fifth-rounder in a trade that saw the Commanders send back picks in rounds four and six — to close the deal.
Or they’ve already got “their guy” pegged, and the Darnold/Howell stuff was just a smokescreen, a zig while the real action zags.
Team GTW will take a little naked speculation over six months of Jimmy G any dang day of the week.
Val’s return — A-minus
Three games back. Five points. Three goals. Two power-play goals. Two game-winners. The Avs’ postseason train was always going as far and as fast as winger Valeri Nichushkin can power it. So far, so good. Just save some of that mojo for April and May, big guy. This lil’ engine’s gonna need it.
https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/16/jarrett-stidham-is-broncos-bridge-qb-to-nowhere/
From MVP to VP?: Robert F. Kennedy wants New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers as his running mate on an independent presidential ticket, according to The New York Times. The Jets turned their franchise upside down for Rodgers and made him the quasi-general manager. He rubberstamped the hiring of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who makes passing a kidney stone look easier than passing the football, and the additions of receivers Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and tackle Billy Turner. They all stunk. And that’s being polite.
How long before Rodgers recommends Joe Rogan as surgeon general to RFK Jr.?
After playing four snaps and teasing a medical miracle comeback from Achilles surgery, Rodgers explained in January that “anything in this (Jets) building that we’re doing that has nothing to do with winning needs to be assessed. The (bleep) that has nothing to do with winning has to get out of the building.”
Does that include Rodgers? Since he said that he has been engulfed in multiple controversies involving late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, COVID-19 and conspiracy theories. Knowing Rodgers, he believes he could purse a political office and lead the Jets simultaneously because of his brilliance.
All I can say is this. Russell Wilson represents the worst trade in Broncos history. And I’d take Let’s Ride over Let’s Run (for office) every day of the week.
Speaking of quarterbacks, the Falcons look like a contender after signing Kirk Cousins. The big winner? Atlanta-area Kohls.
Buffs in bracket: No longer is the CU Buffs men’s hoops team on the NCAA bubble. They are firmly in after beating Utah on Friday. The Buffs found a path in when they stopped taking the Family Truckster on road trips. …
Nod to Nique: There a number of reasons CSU’s men will go dancing, but don’t discount Nique Clifford, who has been more versatile than a pair of khakis for the Rams. …
Texas two-step: Talked to Air Force star safety Trey Taylor this week and asked him how he became a great pass defender at the Academy where they run more than Forrest Gump. “Texas high school football,” said Taylor, who was a prep teammate of Broncos receiver Marvin Mims Jr. …
Houston no longer has a problem: The Texans have become a destination location, and I won’t be surprised if they reach the AFC Championship Game after adding edge rusher Danielle Hunter. …
QB thoughts: It took less time for Kevin Costner to build his Field of Dreams than it has for the Bears to trade Justin Fields. He is staring at a backup role this season. … That 2021 class remains a vivid reminder of the inexact science of finding a franchise quarterback. … And no member of the 2022 class is starting, including Kenny Pickett, who was shipped to the Eagles on Friday. …
My two-week views on leaving TV to return to The Denver Post: I might not wear makeup again unless I go as KISS bassist Gene Simmons for Halloween.
Mail time
The questions this week centered on the Broncos’ pursuit of a bridge quarterback. There were several and the selected inquiries captured the sentiment of those loyal readers who reached out:
Why would we have wanted Sam Howell? He is just over 6 feet tall, has very small hands, and threw as many interceptions as touchdowns.
— Greg Berman, via X/Twitter
I am really struggling to figure out why everyone wants to trade for a QB? We have Jarrett Stidham and we can draft a rookie?
— Stew Wands, via X/Twitter
Do you think a Zach Wilson trade is more in the Sam Howell or Mac Jones direction?
— Patrick Dawson, via X/Twitter
Based on my emails and social media responses, Broncos’ fans feel ill about the bridge quarterback search. The Vikings paid Sam Darnold $10 million. Denver had interest but not at that price. Drew Lock was never coming back. Jameis Winston wasn’t an option.
As for Howell, I pushed for him because finding a good, young quarterback remains difficult, so why not take a flier on someone younger than Bo Nix? I understand his picks and sacks bring back memories of Russell Wilson, but could he bounce back with guardrails provided by coach Sean Payton? I believe so. I only liked him for a fifth- or sixth-round pick. Washington landed third- and fifth-rounders by sending Seattle fourth- and sixth-round selections. That made no sense for the rebuilding Broncos.
So, who’s left? Well, it’s time to shop off the clearance rack. Zach Wilson, 24, falls into Howell category as potential reclamation project for one season. And he should only net a fifth- or sixth-rounder given how the Jets have made it clear they have no use for him. Is that worth a pull of the slot machine arm? I don’t think so. Rather just go with Jarrett Stidham. But I will say this, if the Broncos acquire him, they must demand he wear No. 3 so fans can get some return of investment on those Wilson jerseys.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/16/jets-aaron-rodgers-mvp-vice-president-renck/
The Broncos have signed inside linebacker Cody Barton, his agent, David Canter, announced Friday. A source told The Denver Post that it’s a one-year deal.
Barton, a third-round pick in 2019, spent the 2023 season in Washington, where he totaled 121 tackles and an interception in 13 games. He had seven games where he recorded at least 10 tackles.
Before playing for the Commanders, he spent four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, playing in 65 games (16 starts). He carved himself a bigger role in Seattle’s defense in 2022 when he started in 11 games, totaling a career-best 136 tackles and two sacks.
Barton played four seasons at Utah. He was named an All-Pac-12 honorable mention as a senior after posting a team-best 117 tackles (11 ½ for loss) and four sacks.
With Josey Jewell signing a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, Barton should provide depth at inside linebacker and could possibly start alongside Alex Singleton. Jonas Griffith is set to return from a season-ending torn ACL, while rookie Drew Sanders is expected to transition to outside linebacker.
Barton is the third outside free agent to sign with Denver, joining safety Brandon Jones and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/15/broncos-sign-cody-barton-nfl-free-agency/
One word to describe the first week of NFL free agency: chaos.
The Falcons found their quarterback. The Dolphins watched multiple key players leave. Derrick Henry moved to Baltimore, where he and quarterback Lamar Jackson might have the most unstoppable zone reads in football. And former Giants running back Tiki Barber sounded off on Saquon Barkley joining the Eagles.
“You’re dead to me,” will be my go-to phrase whenever someone rejects my trade request in fantasy football in the fall.
There are still more moves to be made, but let’s take a look at some of the winners and losers from a busy first week:
Winners
Kirk Cousins: People can criticize the veteran quarterback for his lack of playoff success. But when it comes to securing big-time contracts, Cousins might be a Hall of Famer. The former Vikings star signed a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed with Atlanta despite being 35 and coming off a season-ending torn Achilles. Before joining the Falcons, Cousins earned $231.6 million while playing for Washington and Minnesota, according to Spotrac.
Cousins will be the best quarterback to wear a Falcons uniform since Matt Ryan. He should work well with wide receiver Drake London, tight Kyle Pitts and running back Bijan Robinson. But man, it’s hard to not think about how he’s been able to get the Brink’s trucks constantly rolling to his house.
Offensive guards: A handful of guards around the league received the bag. Former Dolphins guard Robert Hunt signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Carolina Panthers. Two-time Pro Bowler Landon Dickerson inked a four-year, $84 million extension with the Eagles. And the Rams signed Jonah Jackson to a three-year, $51 million contract.
As guards signed deals left and right, Quinn Meinrez had to be smiling. The Broncos’ starting right guard will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 and could be in line for a big payday if his performance in 2023 carries over into 2024.
Washington Commanders: Under new ownership, the Commanders were active. They signed a handful of veterans, including running back Austin Ekeler, defensive end Dorance Armstrong, linebacker Frankie Luvu and tight end Zach Ertz. On Thursday, Washington improved its draft capital by trading quarterback Sam Howell, a fourth-round pick (No. 102) and a sixth (No. 179) to the Seattle Seahawks for a third (No. 78) and fifth (No. 152). The Commanders currently have six draft picks inside the top 100 while adding quality veterans to the roster. Washington seems to be trending in the right direction with new head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters.
Houston Texans: The Texans lost running back Devin Singletary, defensive end Jonathan Greenard and linebacker Blake Cashman. But they responded by trading for former Bengals running back Joe Mixon and signing edge rusher Danielle Hunter to a two-year, $49 million deal. Pairing Hunter with Will Anderson Jr. gives Houston one of the best pass-rush duos in the NFL. Hunter totaled 16½ sacks for the Vikings in 2023, while Anderson had the third-best pass-rush win rate (26%) in the league, according to ESPN.
Mixon is an upgrade from Singletary, and Houston only had to give up a seventh-round pick before giving him a three-year, $27 million deal. The Texans also added linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and re-signed tight Dalton Schultz and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn. It appears Houston is in win-now mode with young quarterback C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans.
Losers
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys’ nonchalant approach to the first week of free agency has been questionable. They re-signed long snapper Trent Sieg and nose tackle Neville Gallimore, but their only major addition thus far has been signing linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Dallas doesn’t have an answer for the running back position after Tony Pollard joined the Titans and Henry, a potential free-agent target, signed with the Ravens. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s $59.45 million cap hit in 2024 has complicated things. The Cowboys could create short-term cap relief by giving Prescott an extension. However, the team reportedly hasn’t had talks with Prescott.
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers finally did it. They traded star edge rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants for a 2024 second-round draft choice (No. 39) and 2025 fifth-round selection. Both teams also agreed to swap fifth-rounders this year.
But Carolina could’ve gotten so much more if they would’ve traded Burns in 2022.
According to ESPN, the Los Angeles Rams were willing to send two first-round picks and a second-rounder for Burns, but the Panthers decided to hold on to him. Quarterback Bryce Young should benefit from the additions of Hunt and wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Still, the fact that Carolina traded Burns for nickels on the dollar puts them in the loser category.
New Orleans Saints: The Saints were pretty much at a standstill due to their cap situation. They brought back safety Tyrann Mathieu, who lacks the speed and explosiveness from his prime years, and 35-year-old linebacker Demario Davis. The addition of former Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. was solid. Beyond that, New Orleans’ moves keep it in the same position it was last season. That’s not good when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Falcons have improved.
Broncos quarterback situation: When free agency started, the Broncos were expected to go after a veteran quarterback to compete with Jarrett Stidham, who started the final two games of the regular season. Instead, Denver watched quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett sign elsewhere.
What’s left in the free agent market is injury-prone quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Tannehill, Tyler Huntley, MVP candidate-turned-journeyman Carson Wentz and Josh Dobbs. Denver might be pressured to take a quarterback in the draft. However, the Vikings further complicated that plan when they acquired the No. 23 pick from Houston on Friday morning. With Minnesota in possession of two first-round picks, it has enough ammo to trade up and draft a quarterback like J.J. McCarthy or Drake Maye.
Perhaps, the best move for Denver is to roll with Stidham and pray it’s in a position to draft Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders in 2025. I can already see the “Tank for Shedeur” tweets flooding my timeline on X in October.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/15/nfl-free-agency-winners-losers-2024/
The Broncos are not in the position to spend big in free agency, and their moves thus far indicate that.
Denver brought back safety P.J. Locke, tight end Adam Trautman, kicker Wil Lutz, fullback Michael Burton and wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey on team-friendly deals. The Broncos also added safety Brandon Jones and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach to address areas of need.
With the first week of free agency nearing an end, here are some players Denver could still target.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo — recently released by the Raiders after they signed Gardner Minshew — is injury-prone and got benched after throwing nine interceptions in seven games (six starts). But the quarterback market is shrinking, and at least he would give Jarrett Stidham some competition.
C Mason Cole
It wouldn’t hurt to add another center after the Broncos watched Lloyd Cushenberry sign with the Tennessee Titans. Cole has been durable, starting in 34 games over the past two seasons before getting released by the Steelers last month.
CB Steven Nelson
Nelson and Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. were one of the best cornerback tandems in the league last season. Nelson, 31, totaled 63 tackles, four interceptions and 12 passes defended. He also allowed one touchdown on 70 targets in 17 games.
DE Jadeveon Clowney
Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler, played one year in Baltimore, and delivered. The 30-year-old pass rusher recorded 43 tackles and 9 ½ sacks — tied for a career best. Denver needs to add more juice to the pass rush, and Clowney could do so while being impactful against the run.
WR Tyler Boyd
Unless the Broncos released or traded Courtland Sutton, wide receiver isn’t a major need over positions like inside linebacker or cornerback. But if Denver wanted to add another wideout in the room, it could target Boyd, a second-round pick in 2016. Boyd spent eight seasons in Cincinnati, totaling 6,000 receiving yards and 31 touchdown catches while recording 1,000-plus yards in a season twice. In 2022, Boyd caught 67 passes for 667 yards and two touchdowns.
ILB Devin White
The Broncos could use some help at inside linebacker after Josey Jewell joined the Carolina Panthers on a three-year deal. White has registered at least 100 tackles in three of his five seasons with Tampa Bay and was named a Pro Bowler in 2021. However, he is coming off his least productive year as a pro, totaling a career-low 83 tackles and nine quarterback hits in 14 games (13 starts).
DT Quinton Jefferson
Jefferson — who is looking for his fifth team in five seasons — could be another rotational player on Denver’s defensive line. The 30-year-old could be beneficial in the pass rush, as he had a career-high six sacks for the Jets in 2023 and has logged 16 in the last three years.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/14/broncos-free-agent-targets/
The Broncos have spent some of the past few days clearing cap space and now they’re using some of it on their former quarterback.
Denver officially processed the release of quarterback Russell Wilson on Wednesday, the first day of the 2024 league year, and declined to pick up an option in the process. That decision means that Wilson will count $53 million against Denver’s salary cap in 2024 and $32 million in 2025. The “dead cap” charges would have totaled $85 million regardless, but the Broncos could have opted to account for $35.4 million this year and $49.6 million in 2025.
Though the math can be a little confusing, the bottom line is this: The Broncos are eating the larger chunk of Wilson’s record dead cap charge sooner rather than later. It will set Sean Payton’s team up with more flexibility in 2025 while saddling it with an additional $17.6 million in dead cap charge this year.
After general manager George Paton said last month he expected Denver to be “strategic” rather than aggressive in free agency, the Broncos hinted at their approach in recent days by restructuring the contracts of defensive lineman Zach Allen and left guard Ben Powers and clearing an extra $20 million in cap space for 2024 in the process.
Denver didn’t really need that space for free agents, per se, but it helps create the flexibility to consider adding more players while also accounting for the bigger chunk of Wilson’s cap charge.
The $85 million total is more than twice the previous largest dead cap charge for a single player in NFL history. The Broncos already had about $14.1 million in dead cap charges on their books after the release of players like safety Justin Simmons, outside linebackers Randy Gregory and Frank Clark, kicker Brandon McManus and wide receiver Montrell Washington. Adding Wilson’s 2024 total will put the Broncos’ number at about $67 million.
Though Wilson’s charge is unprecedented, the team total is not. In fact, Tampa Bay, Green Bay and the Los Angeles Rams all made the playoffs in 2023 with similarly large dead totals on their salary cap. That’s part of the reason the Broncos made it clear last week when they announced Wilson’s impending release that they will not use it as an excuse in their quest to remain competitive in 2024 and 2025.
Most services, including OvertheCap, accounted for Wilson’s $35.4 million cap number for 2024 in their calculations of space. Given that he’ll now count an extra $17.6 million against the cap and the team has a few minor deals being processed, the Broncos likely currently have about $20 million to $22 million in cap space.
Wilson announced he’s signing with Pittsburgh after his release is processed. There he will make the veteran minimum of $1.21 million and the remaining $37.79 million will be paid by the Broncos.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/13/russell-wilson-broncos-dead-cap/
It’s been an eventful March in Broncos Country.
Russell Wilson is gone. Jerry Jeudy is gone. Josey Jewell is gone. Justin Simmons is gone. Denver’s in full rebuild mode. So how does that affect its draft outlook?
Here’s a look at who national draftniks are thinking will land in Denver.
USA Today | Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz | Updated March 12
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
“Given that riding things out with Jarrett Stidham seems like a highly questionable move for Sean Payton in Year 2, a quarterback has to be in play either here or the second round. In this case, however, the Broncos stick to the value equation and provide their future starting passer with a significant weapon in Bowers, who should quickly establish himself as a major threat after the catch,” Middlehurst-Schwartz writes. Read the full mock draft.
CBS Sports | Kyle Stackpole | Updated March 4
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
“I trust Sean Payton to make the right move at QB following the inevitable release of Russell Wilson. But with the pass-catching situation potentially in flux — do the Broncos try and trade Jerry Jeudy and/or Courtland Sutton — Denver gets a top-10 talent for whomever ends up under center,” Stackpole writes. Read the full mock draft.
The Denver Post | Ryan McFadden | Updated March 4
Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
“There are so many directions the Broncos can go with their first-round pick. Ultimately, Denver will land its left tackle of the future. Broncos head coach Sean Payton emphasized last year the importance of offensive linemen to a team’s development. At 6-foot-6, 312 pounds, Fashanu has the prototypical size for an offensive lineman. He can fit into any scheme and could be an immediate starter,” McFadden writes. Read the full Broncos seven-round mock draft.
Pro Football Focus | Gordon McGuinness | Updated March 4
Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
“I can see the case for this being a quarterback, but I just don’t love any of the remaining prospects enough to pass on one of the few remaining elite talents in this draft.
“Medicals will be key for Latu, but he racked up 62 total pressures — including 26 combined sacks and hits — from 304 pass-rushing snaps last season,” McGuinness writes. Read the full mock draft.
Los Angeles Times | Sam Farmer | Updated March 4
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
“So long, Russell Wilson. Sean Payton goes against type and takes a quarterback he can mold from the start,” Farmer writes. Read the full mock draft.
Fox Sports | David Helman and Carmen Vitali | Updated March 13
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
“I won’t be surprised if Denver needs to trade up to pull this off, but I don’t expect Sean Payton to be patient about solving his quarterback issue. McCarthy’s physical ability will get him drafted early, and I don’t trust that Payton can resist the urge to find his next project,” Helman writes. Read the full mock draft.
ESPN | Mel Kiper Jr. | Updated Feb. 28
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
“I’m following my co-workers and slotting in a quarterback to the Broncos. Why? This might be their only chance to add a high-ceiling signal-caller prospect this offseason — and not mortgage their future to do it. They’re almost certainly going to cut Russell Wilson, leaving a void on the depth chart. They don’t have the cap space to try to add a veteran. Moving up from No. 12 might require a future first-rounder that would hamper them down the road. So why not take a shot on McCarthy?
“Look, this would be a reach by my rankings, but I could see why a team in the top 15 would talk itself into McCarthy. He has an intriguing skill set as a passer. He will test extremely well during combine workouts and impress coaches and front office execs in interviews. He wasn’t asked to carry the Wolverines with his arm the past two seasons, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t do it. Sure, McCarthy needs some refinement, but Sean Payton could get the best out of him in Denver,” Kiper writes. Read the full mock draft.
ESPN | Field Yates | Updated Feb. 14
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
“My expectation is Russell Wilson will not be a Bronco in 2024, and the reality of the situation is that Denver has no easy way to get out of the contract without absorbing massive salary cap implications. Combine that with a shallow free agent quarterback class and we’re staring at the real possibility of Denver needing to draft a quarterback to be the starter (or develop Jarrett Stidham into that role).
While this slot is ahead of where McCarthy ranks on my board, this is a story as old as time: Quarterbacks almost always wind up going higher than expected in the draft. And Denver has just six total picks, the next of which comes in the third round, which limits its options. McCarthy is an accuracy merchant with very good mobility. Scouts believe he offers more as a thrower than we saw during his last season at Michigan, when the Wolverines leaned heavily on a dominant defense and run game,” Yates writes. Read the full mock draft.
NFL.com | Lance Zierlein | Updated March 4
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
Broncos acquire: Bears’ 2024 first-round pick (No. 9) and perhaps more?
Bears acquire: Broncos’ 2024 first-round pick (No. 12) and more.
“The Broncos dive head-first back into the quarterback market by moving up a few spots and grabbing a young signal-caller with plenty of upside for Sean Payton to mold,” Zierlein writes. Read the full mock draft.
The Athletic | Diante Lee | Updated March 11
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
“Denver is in an uncomfortable position, having released several vets to clean up its cap sheet and pivot its roster. So, if there aren’t any options to trade down, it would be wise to take the best premium position talent available. Mitchell has the speed, length and ball skills to be a top-flight CB in his own right, and playing across from Patrick Surtain II could set him up to thrive,” Lee writes. Read the full mock draft.
CBS Sports | Ryan Wilson | Updated March 4
Byron Murphy II, DL, Texas
“Denver would love a QB — and for our purposes here, we can assume it landed Cousins if it’s not trading up — but it lands the twitchiest interior defensive lineman in the class,” Wilson writes. Read the full mock draft.
NFL.com | Charles Davis | Updated March 6
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
“This might be a surprise to some at No. 12, but it’s not a surprise that Broncos HC Sean Payton could be interested in a passer whose accuracy in his last two college seasons was reminiscent of Drew Brees,” Davis writes. Read the full mock draft.
USA Today | Nate Davis | Updated March 4
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
“Time was, it was unusual to see five or six quarterbacks in Round 1 of a given draft. But time was, it was unusual for a team to trade a boatload of picks for a veteran quarterback, grant him a $240-plus million extension, then give up on him two years later. But it seems that’s where Denver currently is, coach Sean Payton signaling at the combine that Russell Wilson could be out the door soon. Nix appears to have significantly more upside than journeyman placeholder Jarrett Stidham, not to mention the accuracy — nearly 75% in two seasons with the Ducks — Payton values, plus a nose for the goal line (38 rushing TDs in five college seasons). And with an FBS-record 61 starts under his belt, rookie passers don’t come much more plug-and-play than Nix would,” Davis writes. Read the full mock draft.
Sports Illustrated | Luke Easterling | Updated March 13
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Broncos acquire: Cowboys’ 2024 first-round pick (No. 24) and more
Cowboys acquire: Broncos’ 2024 first-round pick (No. 12)
“After trading back and recouping some much-needed draft capital (man, that Russell Wilson trade was rough), the Broncos are still able to land their quarterback of the future. Nix may not have the upside of the top-tier passers in this year’s class, but his combination of experience, accuracy and efficiency will check the most important boxes for Sean Payton,” Easterling writes. See the full mock draft.
The Sporting News | Vinnie Iyer | Updated March 4
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
“The Broncos should be on the radar for McCarthy, but if he’s gone and they can find a way to move on from Russell Wilson at QB, they should be happy going for the strong-arm, accurate Nix to be a well-rounded successor in Joe Lombardi’s offense. Both Nix and McCarthy shined at the combine to stay neck-and-neck in the quest to be the fourth QB drafted,” Iyer writes. Read the full mock draft.
CBS Sports | Chris Trapasso | Updated March 13
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
“Instead of hoping to wheel and deal to get back into the first round later, Sean Payton simply picks his quarterback of the future here to be a point-guard type in Denver,” Trapasso writes. Read the full mock draft.
247Sports | Brad Crawford | Updated March 11
Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
No write-up available. See the full mock draft.
CBS Sports | Tom Fornelli | Updated March 11
Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
“I swear I didn’t go into my mock intending to go this long without a defensive player going off the board, but it’s not entirely without question. I don’t think there’s any question that this draft class strength is on the offensive side. Still, Dallas Turner is an excellent prospect who the Broncos would be happy to have,” Fornelli writes. Read the full mock draft.
ESPN | Jordan Reid | Updated March 5
Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State
“The Broncos have holes throughout the roster, and if the top four quarterbacks are already off the board, the next-best option has to be adding an edge rusher. Verse brings something different than what’s currently on the Denver roster, too. At 6-4 and 254 pounds, he has a sturdy NFL-ready frame, and his heavy hands and pass-rush traits were evident down the stretch of last season, as he had 6.5 sacks over his final five games. Verse can consistently win with speed or power and even can intertwine both in his pass-rush moves,” Reid writes. Read the full mock draft.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/13/broncos-2024-nfl-mock-draft-tracker-5/
The 2024 NFL league year started officially Wednesday. The Broncos kicked things off by agreeing to reunite with yet another member of their 2023 team.
The latest is wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who agreed to a one-year contract, his agents Jimmy and Ryan Gould confirmed to The Post.
Humphrey will make the league minimum $1.125 million on a non-guaranteed deal, a source said.
Humphrey didn’t make Denver’s 53-man roster at the end of training camp last year, but ended up appearing in all 17 games for Denver.
He started off on the practice squad and went back and forth between there and the active over the course of the season.
The bottom line, however, is that he was active every game and caught 13 passes for 162 and 3 TDs.
He turned in one of the highlight plays of the season when he hauled in a crossing route from Jarrett Stidham in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers and rumbled 54 yards for a touchdown through several defenders.
Now that the NFL calendar has officially turned to 2024, the Broncos also formally completed their trade of receiver Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland in exchange for a pair of 2024 draft picks — a fifth-rounder and a sixth-rounder. The numbers on those picks each changed by one when the league this week corrected its compensation pick tally for other teams. Denver received Nos. 136 (the first pick of the fifth round) and 203 from the Browns.
“I had heard that the Browns were interested in me even two years ago,” Jeudy told Cleveland’s team website. “To hear that, and then be here now is exciting. It’s surreal. I feel like I am wanted, and the team has really made me feel welcomed. The Browns already had a great receiving corps with guys like Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore and I think I will fit in with them. Amari is actually a guy I’ve been modeling my game after since I was young and we became friends while I was at Bama.
“I am excited to see what the future holds.”
The present group of wide receivers after the most recent pair of moves in Denver: Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Marvin Mims Jr., Brandon Johnson, Jalen Virgil, Michael Bandy and Humphrey.
Humphrey’s return is also the latest in a run of deals Denver has made with players from its 2023 team.
They’ve also re-signed tight end Adam Trautman (two-year deal), fullback Michael Burton (one year), kicker Wil Lutz (two years), safety P.J. Locke (two years) and offensive lineman Quinn Bailey (one year) in the past week.
That group combines to represent a solid number of snaps from a year ago and likely multiple starters in 2024 — Lutz being a shoo-in as long as he’s healthy and Locke in strong position as well. Still, the Broncos are also saying goodbye to the highest-profile of their free agents after both center Lloyd Cushenberry and inside linebacker Josey Jewell landed lucrative multi-year deals in Tennessee and Carolina, respectively. Safety Justin Simmons, who was released last week, is still available as a free agent.
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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/13/broncos-free-agency-liljordan-humphrey/