The Denver Broncos do not have a ton of cap space as of now, but with a few moves, they can save millions on their 2023 number. The team does not have a ton of draft capital nor do they have much cap space, but they have a clear path to fix one of those issues.
The team has the ability to create tens of millions of cap space with a few moves, and they’ll need to do this as the team is likely going to be very active in free agency. Not having first or second-round picks is huge, but the free agency class does have some solid players that could fill immediate needs for the Broncos.
There are some obvious candidates that likely won’t be with the team in 2023 due to their contract, performance, injuries, or a combination of those.
So, which four moves can the Broncos act on to save millions on their 2023 cap number?
Four moves to save millions on the Broncos 2023 cap
CUT Ronald Darby, save $9,647,059 on 2023 cap number
The first move is cutting Ronald Darby, which would save nearly $10 million on the team’s 2023 cap number. Darby played in five games this year before tearing his ACL, ending his 2022 season. In two seasons with the Broncos, Darby has played in just 16 games.
He has not been able to stay on the field, which has been an issue for him during his entire career. Damarri Mathis, the rookie cornerback out of Pittsburgh, played quite well this year and has likely shown enough to take over the CB2 duties opposite Patrick Surtain II in 2023 and beyond.
The team still has K’Waun Williams under contract, and there’s no harm in adding a cornerback at some point in free agency.