The Denver Broncos are about to be in the full swing of their offseason workouts and minicamps, which means every player on the 90-man roster is going to be under the microscope. There could be a variety of reasons for the Broncos to be motivated to be critical of some of the veterans on this team, especially financially. The $53 million in dead money from the Russell Wilson deal will continue to have ramifications on the roster throughout the offseason, even as the Broncos have over $11 million in cap space currently.
Now that the 2024 NFL Draft is over, the Broncos can get a clearer look at who will make up this roster in the coming months through rookie minicamp and the other OTAs through the middle of June.
Which players are already on the chopping block before OTAs even start?
1. Jarrett Stidham, QB
Even though the Denver Broncos have released Ben DiNucci, Jarrett Stidham remains on the chopping block heading into the Denver Broncos' offseason program.
Again, it's important to keep in mind the team's financial situation and the impact Russell Wilson's contract is still having on that. Stidham is only due to count $7 million against the salary cap this year, and could save the Broncos $5 million if cut or traded at any point this offseason.
With only $1 million in guaranteed salary, moving on from Stidham is something that could be palatable for the Broncos and allow them to move forward with Bo Nix and Zach Wilson. There are some in Broncos Country who have expressed concern over the idea of going into the 2024 season with Wilson as the backup instead of Stidham, but Wilson actually has a lot more overall experience as a starter.
Stidham has started just four NFL games compared to Wilson's 33. Even though Wilson has had his struggles in the NFL, he counts just $2.73 million against the cap. Do the Broncos want to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster?