A.J. Bouye, cornerback: $13.2 million
The Broncos attempted to soften the blow of the eventual loss of Chris Harris last offseason by trading for A.J. Bouye, and that was a move that many fans liked. But Bouye did not have a good season in Denver.
He played in just seven games, hobbled by injuries before being suspended toward the end of the season. That suspension will carry over into next season. Bouye is not expected to be back with the team.
The Broncos can take the $13.2 million (which includes no dead money) and put that back into the salary cap to use for their own free agents or another player or players from other teams. Bouye may still have some good football left in him, but it didn’t work out for him in Denver and it makes plenty of sense to let him go.
Of course, that makes the cornerback position and even bigger need this offseason and as a result, the team should be looking to select a cornerback possibly in the first round of the draft.
Free-agent cornerbacks that should be considered include William Jackson, Mackensie Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie and Desmond King.