Denver Broncos mock offseason: Projecting major moves

1. Restructure Russell Okung

The first big domino to fall for the Broncos this offseason will be Russell Okung. Will the team pick up his four-year option at $12 million per season? Will they try and restructure his contract? Will Okung simply have his option declined and become a free agent?

There are options here, but the ideal scenario for the Broncos would involve Okung sticking around at a cheaper price. Okung didn’t play well enough in 2016 to warrant a $12 million price tag per season, but he’s still relatively young and played through some injuries this past year.

With a full offseason of preparation and physical conditioning, it’s reasonable to think that Okung could get back to playing at a top 10 level for a left tackle. The other thing the Broncos don’t really have control of is the fact that the free agent market at left tackle isn’t really deep.

It could be a big financial risk, but they may be stuck between a rock and a hard place with Okung, and if they could come to terms on a smaller cap hit, it would be wise to keep him around.