Three players the Broncos can not let leave this spring

3) C Lloyd Cushenberry

In his fourth year as a Broncos starter, Lloyd Cushenberry is rounding into a star offensive lineman. Cushenberry is in his first year under Zach Strief and Sean Payton, and is in the middle of arguably the best run of his career. Since week six, the LSU product has not allowed a pressure. Overall on the year, Cushenberry has allowed zero sacks, committed one penalty, and seen 485 snaps of play on the field. Cushenberry is in the final year of his contract, but has proven to be the anchor of the Broncos' offensive line.

The offensive line in Denver was a massive issue in 2022. The Broncos have overturned their offensive line from where it ended in 2022. However, Cushenberry finished 2023 on the injured reserve. In his return to the Broncos lineup, he has been a massive reason for the Broncos' improvement on the line.

Cushenberry is set to hit the open market after this year, and the Broncos need to make sure that the LSU product does not leave the team. The franchise tag for an offensive lineman sat at around $16 million this past year, which feels to be a very reasonable number for the Broncos to keep Cushenberry on a one-year deal. Ultimately, the Broncos should reach a long-term extension with Cushenberry, locking in Russell Wilson's center for many more years.