The Denver Broncos may have an extremely tough decision to make in the coming months, and it could force them to make an even tougher one after that.
I am not necessarily endorsing this move, but I'm going to flesh it out and the reasoning for why it may happen (or could happen).
No NFL team can pay everyone - the salary cap does prevent that, and not even the Philadelphia Eagles were able to pay all of their players this offseason. Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Mekhi Becton left in free agency to get paid by other teams.
However, there are teams out there who do put more of an emphasis on rewarding their in-house guys than other team. The Broncos are absolutely one of these clubs, as they have paid many of their own and have also not been afraid to make a bold move in free agency, either.
Well, the one issue Denver could begin to have is along their defensive line, as they have several players who could get an extension, but they may not have the cap space to reward everyone, and this could lead them to at least consider making a bold move...
Should the Broncos trade Zach Allen or Nik Bonitto?
Both Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto were the Broncos best pass rushers in the 2024 NFL Season. Allen led the NFL with 40 QB hits, and Bonitto ranked third in the league with 13.5 sacks. Both players are also entering the last year of their deals and could both easily command over $20 million per year on an extension.
However, with Denver having extended both DJ Jones and Jonathon Cooper and obviously having other priorities with their cap space, there is absolutely a scenario where the team is only able (or willing) to pay one of these players.
And if that does indeed become the case, Denver's best bet could be to trade one of them before the deadline in 2025 to at least get something back. If the Broncos have already decided that they want to let Nik Bonitto play out the last year of his deal and instead pay Zach Allen, Denver should absolutely field trade calls for the fourth-year player's services.
If they were able to get, let's say, a 2nd and 4th-round pick back for Bonitto instead of letting him walk in 2026, that would surely be a better situation than him just leaving for nothing.
Denver might not even be focused on this right now, but it is indeed a scenario that could happen.