The Broncos Offseason: How to Create Cap Space and Earn More Picks in the 2023 NFL Draft

No player is under more scrutiny than a quarterback on the field of NFL football, but the challenge facing the Broncos’ yet-to-be-decided next head coach is how to help Russell Wilson bounce back from his worst pro season. exceeds the

One of the biggest obstacles to Denver and head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s replacement, at least in the short term, could be a lack of offseason spending power. The Broncos’ vetted quarterback roster.

Denver has about $9.5 million in 2023 cap space, according to Over the Cap.Of his five teams looking for a new head coach, only the Panthers, expected for $8.5 million that’s all There is no room in the cap. and, athleticIn his latest “Pick Six” column, which ranks the league’s five openings, the Broncos have fewer premium selections in the upcoming NFL Draft than any other team looking for a head coach. says.

“The lack of draft capital is holding them back,” an unnamed executive told Sandoz.

Fortunately for the Broncos, there are 47 days from now until the start of the legal tampering window that signals the start of free agency, and the 2023 draft is still 92 days away. That means Denver still has time to consolidate its offseason position by making more avenues to address various roster issues.

“The new head coach we are hiring will have all the resources available and the full support of our ownership group to build a winning and championship tradition here,” said CEO Greg Penner at 12. said in the month.

But how could the Broncos do it?

Let’s start with the draft part. The Broncos’ allocation of picks in the next draft is why the potential pursuit of Sean Payton cannot be evaluated in isolation. If it had to give — if it had been acquired by the Bradley Chubb trade and was going to be No. 29 or lower — Denver didn’t pick until the third round and only got six. pick. That’s no big deal for a team that has some key holes in their roster to fill, especially along the offensive line, and the Saints believe he could claim multiple picks in 2023. There is a nature.

Imagine Payton is not your employer in Denver. Other candidates don’t cost to hire draft picks. Although slow, having a first-round pick would allow the Broncos to add a Day 1 starter in the position they needed, which the Broncos could do without Dalton Lisner, his four-year starter, for free. If allowed to leave at the agency, it could mean a guard replacing Dalton Listener. Denver has no right tackle deal, which could mean a new starting right tackle. It could mean a new safety if veteran Kareem Jackson doesn’t return to another one-year contract. I can’t.

Deeper

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The question from there: How keen are the Broncos to add more picks to the current seven-man draft, and what kind of deals can they make to achieve that end?

The most valuable trading asset the Broncos have is All-Pro cornerback Pat Thirteen II. In 2019, the Jaguars acquired two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick and traded a disgruntled Jaren Ramsey to the Rams. The Jets acquired two first-round picks and a third-round pick when they traded standout defensive back Jamal Adams (and a fourth-round pick) to the Seahawks in 2020. His third team option remaining on his rookie contract after he was the 9th overall pick in the 2021 Draft will likely be even stronger.

It’s not happening either. A player who can disrupt game plans with his ability to wall the entire field, Surtain is a cornerstone in a key position to build a defense. Despite his 5-12 record in 2022, the Broncos aren’t going into a full rebuild like they did when the Jaguars and Jets traded. A veteran who fills every corner of the roster. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Broncos signed Satain as soon as he qualified for a long-term contract extension next offseason.

After Surtain, Denver’s trading assets are rapidly declining in value and there are no clear contenders. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy sits at the top of the next tier. He’s entering his fourth year on a rookie deal and looking to finish his season of career — 67 catches, 972 yards and six touchdowns — the Broncos will finish his fifth season this offseason. I am making a decision to make about eye options. Judy could be traded for a first-round pick, but Denver will let go of an integral part of the offense after he emerges as the team’s clear top receiver and builds a solid chemistry with Wilson It’s hard to imagine… we can’t afford to retreat.

Other wide receivers may be more realistic. With Judy on the rise and Tim Patrick out of the field last season with an ACL injury, could the Broncos examine the market for Cortland Sutton? He caught 64 passes for 829 yards. Both are his second best records in his five-year career. He has three years left on the contract extension he signed near the end of the 2021 season. Sutton has his hits of $18.3 million, $17.3 million and $17.8 million caps in his next three seasons, but has a guaranteed amount left in his contract for 2023 and beyond. Since there is no, the team may gain future flexibility in the contract.

The Broncos won’t have a second-round pick in 2022 and won’t have a pick this year due to the Wilson trade. If they can add a second-rounder by trading Sutton, and perhaps another late-round pick, it might be worth considering given what else the Broncos have at the position. I can’t.

Denver, on the other hand, has dealt with wide receiver injuries on a regular basis, and since returning from an ACL injury sustained in 2020, Sutton has been Denver’s most consistently available receiver and has played the last two seasons. With Sutton gone and these injury problems continuing among the rest of the group, what’s left for Wilson and Denver’s offense? A likely scenario could be a low-return deal involving KJ Hamler, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal and has been plagued with injuries since his 2020 rookie year.

Denver will likely add a pick through trades made during the draft. This is what general manager George Payton has done in his first two years with the Broncos. But there isn’t much to be gained by moving a few spots up or down the board in a given round, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos aided by a new head coach. Roster, seriously consider pre-draft deals that bring back premium picks.

Deeper

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When it comes to increasing purchasing power in free agency, the possible avenues are clearer. The Broncos could create about $30 million cap his space by waiving offensive lineman Graham Glasgow, cornerback Ronald Darby, running back Chase Edmonds, and nose tackle Mike his Purcell. . All four are veterans entering the final season of their respective contracts with no bond remaining. Replacements for these players, if released, could be already on the roster (e.g. Damari Mathis ahead of the Derby) or could be acquired at low cost this off-season. The cumulative dead-money hit of these moves would be manageable for the Broncos, who enter the offseason with just $1.5 million in current dead money, according to Over the Cap.

Here’s a breakdown of the numbers when these players are fully released:

The Broncos can also create cap rooms through other means. To create more space by simply restructuring the contracts of veterans like left tackle Garrett Balls, safety Justin Simmons, defensive tackle DJ Jones and outside linebacker Randy Gregory. can be done. This method converts a base salary or roster bonus into a prorated signature bonus for the duration of the contract, potentially opening an additional $48 million in cap space for the Broncos for each over-the-cap. Going down the proverbial road has its drawbacks. Denver should watch Wilson’s post-2024 increase in cap numbers and the impact that will have on spending.

The bottom line is that the Broncos have an opportunity to flex their offseason muscles if they believe their roster needs a major overhaul. The advantage of having a rich ownership group (the Walton Penner Family Ownership Group is the richest group in the league) is that, in theory, the Broncos can build deals with bigger signing bonuses. It’s maintained a relatively sound budget sheet for all of Denver’s issues over the past seven seasons, and that’s not going to change as the 2023 offseason begins.

But for Denver to continue avoiding salary cap fangs, the high-priced quarterback must prove he’s the long-term answer with influence. will be Denver’s biggest offseason problem after the coach hired to help him is finally put in place.

(Photo by Courtland Sutton: Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)