The Denver Broncos roster is going to get both younger and cheaper in future seasons. Which players could the team part ways with to accomplish that? A youth movement is exactly what the team has needed for years. The Broncos definitely took a step forward in 2023, improving from five wins in 2022 to eight in 2023. The team finished the 2023 NFL Season on a 7-4 stretch.
Had they not started 1-5, this would have been a double-digit win team, as crazy as that might sound. I think it's safe to say that Sean Payton and his coaching staff are the right people for the job. However, at the end of the day, it's the players who need to execute.
Regarding the players, which five might not finish their current deals with the team?
1. Russell Wilson, QB
The most obvious player is Russell Wilson, who could be released by the Denver Broncos this offseason. Wherever you look, you can surely find various reports and rumors that the Broncos and Wilson could agree to some type of revised deal to lessen his financial impact on the team and potentially keep him in Denver for 2024.
However, that solution might not come to fruition, so the Broncos could simply opt to cut the player absorbing a dead cap charge nearing $100 million across two seasons. Ideally, these conversations aren't happening, but Wilson has not lived up to his deal and is clearly not the QB he once was.
There is no indication right now what could happen with Wilson, but he could be released, not finishing his contract with the team.
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2. Justin Simmons, S
Justin Simmons has not made the playoffs in the NFL. He has been with the Denver Broncos since 2016, experiencing just one winning season. Simmons turns 31 during the 2024 NFL Season, is under contract for just one more season, and plays a position that isn't too valuable. However, Simmons is still the best safety in the NFL and just wrapped up another dominant season.
The best path forward for the Broncos and Simmons is to seek a fresh start. Denver doesn't have much business paying a safety as much as they are paying Simmons. A trade in 2024 would save the Broncos $14.5 million on their 2024 cap, and those are cap savings the team definitely needs. They could use that money to help in erasing their cap overage.
And there is quite a bit of safety talent in the free agent market this offseason, so that is something to note. The best situation here is for the Broncos to acquire a mid-round pick for Simmons instead of risking letting him leave in free agency in 2025.
But at the same time, would the Broncos really re-sign a safety who would turn 32 years old during the 2025 NFL Season? I don't think so.
3. DJ Jones, DT
Another dud of a free agent signing, DJ Jones is someone who I think gets cut this offseason. He signed a three-year deal with the Denver Broncos two offseasons ago and has just one more year left on his deal. Jones excels at stopping the run but doesn't really offer much as a pass-rushing threat on the inside.
He helped contribute to one of the worst run defenses in the NFL this year, and I am just not sure what the Broncos are paying him for at this point. With no guaranteed money left on his deal and cap savings of nearly $10 million in 2024, the Broncos would be fools to not cut Jones. The free agent defensive line market is pretty stacked, so Denver could easily fill the void left by Jones.
4. Garett Bolles, LT
Garett Bolles also has just one more year left on his deal and is also aging into his 30s. Bolles had another strong season in 2023 but is the oldest player on the Denver Broncos starting OL. Denver also has massive contracts with Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey. Furthermore, stud right guard Quinn Meinerz is eligible for an extension this offseason, and center Lloyd Cushenberry is a free agent.
The Broncos might be in a situation where someone ends up being the odd man out, and Bolles could be that guy. The team should be able to trade a top-12 left tackle. Doing so would save them $16 million on their 2024 cap. They'd have to eat $4 million in dead money, but that is not a big charge.
Garett Bolles has been the Broncos starting left tackle since 2017 and went from "Garett Holds" to being a beloved player by the team and fanbase.
5. Mike McGlinchey, RT
Oh boy, this signing has not worked out for the Denver Broncos thus far. Mike McGlinchey signed a five-year deal with the Denver Broncos last offseason and was quickly turning into a dud of a signing. I think McGlinchey finished the season pretty well, but his contract is nowhere near matching the level of production.
The five-year deal is a three-year deal, practically, so the Broncos could move on after the 2025 NFL Season. Doing so with the contract in its current state would save the team $17.5 million while forcing them to eat $3.5 million in dead money. Unless there is some sort of miraculous turnaround from McGlinchey in 2024, I think the Broncos are already preparing to replace him with a younger and cheaper option.
As a whole, though, the Denver Broncos offensive line was actually pretty good this past season. The OL had to deal with Russell Wilson taking a ton of sacks, something the QB has done his entire career. Many of the sacks that Wilson took were solely on him and not the OL. This unit is largely one of the best in the NFL and might take a step forward in 2024.
We'll see if the team is able to re-sign Lloyd Cushenberry. If not, the team might turn to 2023 NFL Draftee Alex Forsyth, the seventh-round pick from Oregon.