The Denver Broncos have had a rather quiet offseason thus far, besides the obvious release of Russell Wilson. What is left for the team to accomplish? Depending on who you ask, the Broncos have had a great offseason. Or, the Broncos have had a terrible offseason.
I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. The team hasn't splurged in free agency and are clearly trying to be more financially wise, but there were quite a few free agents that the team definitely missed out on signing on the cheap. Well, with the bulk of free agency over, the next big event is the 2024 NFL Draft, where the Broncos will need to come away with a viable franchise QB prospect.
But overall, beyond the NFL Draft, there are still some other tough decisions left for this team to make. What are they?
3 difficult decisions remaining for Denver Broncos in 2024 offseason
1. Where is the path to acquire a franchise quarterback?
Before the offseason started, the Denver Broncos probably could have drafted JJ McCarthy with the 12th overall pick. For McCarthy specifically, he's seemed to have climbed up the NFL draft board, and now seems to be out of range for the Broncos. Furthermore, the Minnesota Vikings, who pick at 11th overall, recently acquired a second first-round pick, and this came from the Houston Texans.
With the Broncos being at a resource disadvantage for a potential trade up, they could explore trading down to land their franchise QB, and Oregon's Bo Nix seems to be someone they could trade down for. However, would the Denver Broncos want to risk trading down for Nix? Another team could easily draft him before the Broncos.
Or, do the Broncos stick with the 12th overall pick and draft Bo Nix there? Futthermore futhermore, would they be willing to take a different QB with the 12th overall pick, like Michael Penix Jr? This is a tough situation for the Broncos to soon face.
2. Do the Denver Broncos make more free agency moves to try and fill obvious roster holes?
The Broncos were quiet in free agency, but they did sign Malcolm Roach to improve the defensive line and Brandon Jones to fill a void at safety. They also re-signed some of their own players and are clearly putting a culture in place. The Broncos definitely got younger this offseason and are becoming more and more like a team that Sean Payton has his hands all over.
However, the team still has some glaring holes that could be improved in the free agent market, even if the bulk of the FA waves are done with. The defensive line still needs another body or two. The wide receiver room surely needs some help. The team could also pursue a free agent center. The cornerback group also needs some help as well.
And with the remaining free agents, the Denver Broncos could easily sign a few. However, will they resist? At this point, I think teams are now turning their focus to the 2024 NFL Draft to try and fill their remaining needs, but I'd be shocked if Payton and his front office coworkers weren't at least tempted to bring in another player or two.
The Denver Broncos did seem to be heavily connected to a plethora of free agent QBs, and you have to wonder if the team was monitoring the FA quarterback market, trying to not jump the gun and sign someone to perhaps replace Jarrett Stidham, which would have risked them overpaying. Financially, the team isn't in a terrible spot, but will have to deal with Russell Wilson's dead cap hit this year and next year.
3. How do the Denver Broncos behave in the NFL Draft with such little capital?
This one kind of relates to my first point, but I am thinking on more of a broader level here. Right now, the Broncos hold the following selections in the 2024 NFL Draft, and this list is thanks to Pro Football Network:
- Round 1, Pick 12
- Round 3, Pick 76
- Round 4, Pick 121 (from MIA)
- Round 5, Pick 136 (from CLE through CAR)
- Round 5, Pick 145 (from NYJ)
- Round 5, Pick 147
- Round 6, Pick 203 (from CLE through HOU)
- Round 6, Pick 207 (from SF)
Yes, three fifth-rounders and two-sixth rounders does help a little bit, but the team has just one pick in the top 50 and two picks in the top 100, which is very little. So, on a broader scale, how do the Denver Broncos overcome this lack of capital? There are a plethora of ways to do this, which makes it difficult.
The team can trade down from the 12th overall selection, likely netting a second-round pick and change, depending on how far down they trade and even before that, finding a team willing to move up. If they do this, they risk not being able to draft one of their targets.
They could also use some of their picks in the triple digits to move up, perhaps trying to move up into the second round using their 76th overall pick as a platform to do that. However, is Denver really in the business of trading away more draft capital?
There is no perfect solution, and I truly do not envy Sean Payton and George Paton.