Broncos free agency update: Signings, departures and needs

Free agency in the NFL is in full swing and the new league year is officially here. The Denver Broncos have been one of the busier teams in the league in the last couple of days.

Here is a recap of what the Broncos have done so far, which players won't be playing in Denver next season and what the team could still be looking for.

Signings

Jarrett Stidham, QB: The Broncos needed an upgrade at the No. 2 quarterback spot and decided to bring in Jarrett Stidham, who spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders. As a result, the Broncos chose not to offer a restricted free-agent tender to Brett Rypien, making him a free agent.

Ben Powers, OG: The Broncos started free agency by coming to terms with Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Powers, who will seemingly be the replacement for Dalton Risner.

Mike McGlinchey, OT: Arguably the team's biggest move thus far this offseason, McGlinchey, a former first-round pick, will hopefully be the guy who can hold down the right tackle position for years to come.

Samaje Perine, RB: The man who still holds the NCAA single-game rushing record, Perine will have a great chance to see an ample amount of playing time in Denver.

Michael Burton, FB: The Broncos will use a traditional fullback, as Sean Payton's teams have done in the past. Burton is one of his former players and has spent the past two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chris Manhertz, TE: The Broncos decided not to bring back any of their blocking tight ends from last season's roster, at least not yet, and will hand that job over to the veteran Manhertz.

Zach Allen, DE: A move that makes a lot of sense, the Broncos bring in Zach Allen and his big upside, reuniting him with Vance Joseph from their time in Arizona.

Tremon Smith, CB: A sixth-round pick in 2018, Smith has already played for five NFL teams. He plays cornerback but the area where he brings the most value is as a kick returner, where he has over 2,000 career kick return yards and one touchdown.

Alex Singleton, LB: So far, the only guy the Broncos have re-signed is last year's leading tackler. Singleton will look to build upon a career year with the team.

Departures

Dre'Mont Jones, DE: Easily the Broncos' biggest loss in free agency, but one that most knew was coming. Jones received a three-year, $51 million deal from the Seattle Seahawks.

DeShawn Williams, DL: After finding a home for himself in Denver, Williams has chosen to sign with the Carolina Panthers where he will be back with former Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. He was born in South Carolina and played at Clemson in college. His loss won't be looked at as a big one, but it will be.

Eric Saubert, TE: The Broncos have had Eric Saubert for the past two seasons, using him mostly as a blocker but the Miami Dolphins have chosen to bring him aboard as a free agent.

Andrew Beck, FB/TE: A guy who continues to make the Broncos' roster, Andrew Beck will be moving on as he has signed a deal with the Houston Texans.

Mike Boone, RB: The signing of Mike Boone in 2021 pretty much led to the departure of Phillip Lindsay. Boone was brought aboard for his special teams skills, but never did much of anything for the Broncos. He will also be playing for the Texans next season.

Calvin Anderson, OT: Anderson was one of those swing tackles who the Broncos seem to give a very extended look to. After three seasons with the team in which he started 12 games, Anderson will be moving on to join the New England Patriots.

Freddie Swain, WR: The Broncos signed Swain late last season as a player that was familiar with Russell Wilson from their time in Seattle. The Broncos released him on Tuesday and he was then claimed off waivers by the Dolphins, who had him before the Broncos grabbed him.

The Broncos also cut ties with wide receiver Victor Bolden, who got a second chance in the NFL after playing well for the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL last spring.

What do the Broncos still need?

According to Over the Cap, the Broncos are down to about $9.3 million in available cap space, so there won't be many more big moves, but the team still has some needs.

Running back

The team is either highly confident in how Javonte Williams will bounce back in 2023 or it feels the running back class is deep in the draft. It seems that Latavius Murray may not come back as many predicted he would and that the team will go with Perine as the primary backup.

Another affordable running back should be considered and if Murray is deemed to be too old, a guy like Devin Singletary, who is just 25, is still looking for a deal.

Center

It seemed that the center spot would be one of the first places the Broncos would look during free agency but the team either likes what it has in Lloyd Cushenberry or there could be some internal discussion about potentially moving Quinn Meinerz to that spot.

Ben Jones and Connor McGovern are still available, but both may be a bit too costly at this point.

Safety

This shouldn't be considered a major position of need because Caden Sterns should get more time on the field at some point and he and Justin Simmons make a solid combination.

But the team could use another player at that spot at the right price and it wouldn't be the worst idea to bring Kareem Jackson back on another one-year deal. Jackson will be 35 years old in April but he played in all 17 games for the team last year and made 94 tackles, his most in a season for the team.