What does Sean Payton want to do with the Broncos roster?

Yes, the Broncos will cut Russell Wilson, but does that necessarily mean that the team is going to rebuild? Could they re-tool instead and try to compete in 2024? Some people in Broncos Country might argue that the team should finally embrace a full-scale rebuilding.

I guess that may look like trading/cutting players like Justin Simmons, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Patrick Surtain, DJ Jones, Tim Patrick, and perhaps a few others. There isn't one clear, objective way to rebuild a roster, but I do see those who argue in favor of that. And with the Broncos set to incur $85 million in dead money from cutting Russell Wilson, perhaps a two-year rebuild is what the team needs.

The Denver Broncos do not have a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft thanks to them trading for Sean Payton. However, the Broncos do have their first and second-round picks in the 2025 and 2026 NFL Drafts.

With the Broncos clearly needing a franchise QB, and with them seemingly being right in the mix for one this year, it's not impossible to suggest that the team comes away with a rookie QB this year. And as we've seen with teams like the Houston Texans, immediately hitting on a rookie QB could bring quick success.

And perhaps Sean Payton thinks he can do that. Furthermore, while the Broncos cap situation is a bit tight, they do have multiple avenues to give themselves tons of breathing room. Maybe Sean Payton is eyeing a situation where the team clears significant cap space, makes smart signings in free agency, and banks on hitting on a rookie QB.

In that case, the alleged rebuild looks much quicker. And I think Sean Payton's age is a factor here as well. He's 60 years old, so there could be a scenario where he doesn't want to coach past a certain age. Maybe Sean Payton took this job knowing he'd coach for five more years before retiring.

You never really know. I think if Payton does not envision coaching for the long-term, that could also factor into how he wants to improve this roster. Right now, I think the Denver Broncos are in a position for a "tear it all down" rebuild and for a simple retooling, given that they can hit on a rookie QB.