The Denver Broncos have one of the better rosters in the NFL as of now, but they also have a roster among the oldest in the league. The window to try and win a Super Bowl could not be more present, but just because the team is on the older side in 2026, doesn't mean the team can't still be in a window in 2027 and beyond.
One huge reason why this team has seemingly 'rebuilded' so quickly is that the front office has largely done a good job with player acquisition in the Sean Payton era, whether that comes from the NFL Draft, free agency, or trades.
And while we are still months away from these types of decisions needing to be made, there could be at least five notable Broncos who are parted with following the season. All salary cap figures we use will come from Over The Cap.
The Denver Broncos could have some notable cap casualties in the 2027 offseason
Courtland Sutton, WR
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton is entering his age-31 season with the Broncos and has a cap hit of $23.575 million this year. He doesn't have any guaranteed money on his deal after 2026. Whether the Broncos cut or trade Sutton next year with a post-June 1st designation, they would save $20 million on their cap figure and incur a dead cap charge of $6.075 million. With Pat Bryant having a similar "X" profile to Sutton and already showing flashes, this could be a logical 'passing of the torch,' as Sutton is older and has clearly lost a step.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
J.K. Dobbins does not have guaranteed money on his contract after 2026. Despite it being marketed as a two-year deal worth $20 million, it's, in reality, a one-year deal worth $8 million in guarantees. Dobbins has struggled with injuries for much of his career and only managed 10 games for the Broncos last year.
The team has two younger running backs in the room in RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman, who both could logically have more upside with Dobbins. And through three weeks, Dobbins has struggled. His yards per carry and success rate are both down through three weeks, and if the run game again struggles, Denver may again have to make some personnel moves in the room, and parting with Dobbins could be one of those moves.
The Broncos could also cut Dobbins before June 1st and save $8 million on theri 2027 cap figure with only $2 million in dead money.
DJ Jones, DT
DJ Jones will turn 32 years old this coming January and is another player on this list who does not have any guaranteed money after 2026. Jones is a quality run stopper but is a bit undersized for an interior defensive lineman and also doesn't offer much else outside of stopping the run. A post-June 1st release of Jones would save the Broncos $13 million with just $1.6 million in dead money, and even a pre-June 1st release would still save Denver $9.8 million. Jones has played relatively well for the Broncos in his tenure, but he's mostly a one-trick pony and is getting old.
Jonathon Cooper, EDGE
It's not currently clear when Jonathon Cooper will be eligible to play for the Broncos this year, but, contractually, the team could move on next offseason if they wanted. Releasing Cooper with a post-June 1st designation saves the team $13.5 million with $4.055 million in dead money, and while Cooper is clearly missed on defense, this could be a move if the team feels like Que Robinson is ready for a full-time starting role, as it's becoming increasingly obvious that third-year EDGE Jonah Elliss' ceiling might be as a rotational player.
Cooper had started all 17 games for the Broncos in the previous three seasons and was reliable in that regard, but there is a financial 'out' in 2027.
Alex Singleton, ILB
The Broncos gave Alex Singleton $11 million in fully guaranteed money, and he has another $3.5 million guaranteed on the books for 2027. Cutting Singleton next offseason would save the Broncos $4 million, but they'd have a dead cap charge of $5 million. Financially, it's doable but also does not make a ton of sense.
With that being said, you really have to wonder how the Broncos can justify keeping him on the roster with the play that he's provided. He's borderline unplayable at this point and has been a declining player ever since returning from his torn ACL back in 2024.
The Broncos clearly value Singleton for his leadership and ability to wear the green dot on defense, but do those qualities stand above the actual play? I guess we'll see, as the team's actions will show us how they really feel, but Singleton's play is inexcusable, and it's only going to get worse.
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