All of a sudden, the Denver Broncos roster doesn't look too bad, but these three players who aren't talked about a lot could be on shaky ground in 2024. Besides some of the other players that will surely be in the spotlight this offseason and into the season, a few stick out as being under a ton of pressure, but we aren't exactly talking about them a ton.
Yes, Bo Nix is probably the top player that will get the most attention this offseason for the Denver Broncos. The wide receiver room is also going to have a lot of attention on it, but there are some players that we've hardly talked about who could be under a mountain of pressure either this offseason or into the regular season.
1. Damarri Mathis, CB
Damarri Mathis has kind of turned into an irrelevant and hardly talked about player within Broncos Country this offseason. After a very promising rookie year primarily playing in place of former CB Ronald Darby, Mathis regressed a ton in 2023 and was benched for Fabian Moreau. And with the emergence of slot CB Ja'Quan McMillian and some of what the Broncos did at safety, Mathis went to the back burner.
And then, the Broncos signed veteran CB Levi Wallace in free agency and also drafted CB Kris Abrams-Draine in the 2024 NFL Draft, along with having Riley Moss back for year two. Mathis went from starter in Week 1 of 2023 to someone who is potentially fighting for a roster spot in 2024. With the team not having given Moss a shot yet and having Wallace and KAD in the picture, Mathis' seat is on fire.
2. Ben Powers, G
Effectively replacing Dalton Risner, who is currently not on a team, Ben Powers had a solid 2023 season, but definitely did not play up to his contract number. Over The Cap gives each player a "valuation" which is essentially a dollar amount based on their production. Ben Powers' contract is worth $13 million per season, but his valuation for 2023 was just $5.4 million.
Powers is a fine guard. He's not elite, but he's good. However, he is not performing up to his contract, and according to OTC, the Denver Broncos can cut him in 2025 and save $12 million on their cap number while only having to eat about $5.5 million in dead money. With positive cap savings available in 2025, and with Quinn Meinerz needing a mega-extension, Ben Powers could be on his way out unless he has a stellar season.
3. Samaje Perine, RB
Samaje Perine, in 2023, proved to be an elite receiving back, especially in late-game situations. Week after week, the hard-running veteran RB was hauling in clutch late-game receptions. Perine was also quite strong as a runner in 2023 as well. There is a ton of reason to keep Samaje Perine on the roster in 2024, but the Denver Broncos did draft Notre Dame RB Audric Estime in the 2024 NFL Draft.
They also signed an undrafted free agent in Blake Watson. With cap savings of $3 million still available for Denver, they might want to opt to go younger in the RB room. It's hard to imagine Estime does not make the roster given he is a rookie draft pick and was one of the best RBs in the class. And it'd make no sense to cut ties with Jaleel McLaughlin, the emerging star who is the fastest player in the backfield and is someone who can catch passes as well.
Samaje Perine really has an uphill battle to make it out of the final roster cuts, but it's not really his fault.