Early look at the Denver Broncos’ 2023 free agents
The Denver Broncos’ own free agents are something that the team will have to deal with soon. Who all on the roster is a free agent, though? Luckily, Denver does not have a ton of big name free agents to take care of. Actually, they really only have one in Dre’Mont Jones.
Jones is the team’s top priority when it comes to re-signing some of their own guys. There are some other players who have proven to be solid pieces that I’m sure the team would love to have back in 2023 and perhaps beyond.
With a projected $13 million in cap space, the Broncos will have to make a few moves to free up some money in order to not only re-sign who they want, but also look to the entire market for help.
Early look at Broncos’ 2023 free agents
Offensive free agents
Of note, the Broncos’ offensive free agents are Dalton Risner, Billy Turner, Cameron Fleming, Calvin Anderson, Andrew Beck, Latavius Murray, and Eric Saubert.
Honestly, I would not lose sleep if Denver did not offer extensions to a single one of their offensive free agents. Fortunately, none of their offensive free agents are viable starters, so that does help quite a bit.
Guys like Billy Turner, Calvin Anderson, and Cameron Fleming along the offensive line would be nice pieces to re-sign for depth purposes. I also think Latavius Murray could return, but he’s older than 30 and the current running back free agent market is massive, so Murray might not be in Denver in 2023.
Andrew Beck is a nice utility knife type player who I think has found a niche in Denver to make about five noteworthy plays a year. He’s cheap and seems to be good at what he’s asked to do.
Other than that, there really isn’t much to write home about on the offensive side. There will be a lot of changes on that side of the ball, and I do think the front office will say goodbye to a good bit of these players, as the Broncos’ offense wasn’t any good in 2022, and perhaps some of the formerly mentioned players contributed to that.
Verdict: Re-sign Billy Turner, Cameron Fleming, Andrew Beck
Early look at Broncos’ 2023 free agents
Defense
The team has more work to do on the defensive side of the ball with their free agents. The biggest name is Dre’Mont Jones, who is likely going to command a contract extension worth at least $15 million per season, and he deserves every single penny.
He’s been a force since his rookie year on the inside and can not only rush the passer, but can play well in the run game. Not re-signing Dre’Mont Jones gives the Broncos an even bigger hole along the defensive line than they had in 2022.
Other than Jones, other defensive free agents of note are DeShawn Williams, Alex Singleton, Jonas Griffith, Kareem Jackson, PJ Locke, Essang Bassey. While I think the defensive free agents for the Broncos are slightly more urgent than the offensive side of the ball, there aren’t a ton of big names here either.
DeShawn Williams has played fine this year, I guess, but he was a rotational piece during his entire tenure with Denver, so I’m not sure the 30 year old is a viable starter for them in 2023. The team’s rush defense hardly improved from 2021, so I think more improvements on the defensive line are needed.
Alex Singleton has had a fantastic year for Denver and has turned into a priority for them to bring back. He originally seemed to be a backup/special teams addition, but his starting role has grown in Denver. Singleton needs re-signed.
Other than that, bringing back Jonas Griffith would be smart, along with re-signing PJ Locke. Kareem Jackson is old, slow, and not good anymore, so there is no reason to continue to stretch out his welcome in Denver.
3 Broncos who have earned new contracts. light. More