Why the Broncos Have Been Slow to Make Roster Cuts

The Denver Broncos are expected to make roster cuts but nothing has happened yet.

As of Friday, the Denver Broncos have yet to make any roster moves when it comes to their own players, from re-signing pending free agents to releasing players under contract.

Because the Broncos currently have $8.8 million in cap space, the team would need to release players in order to sign free agents. Some may wonder why the Broncos haven't been quicker to cut such players.

A possibility is that the Broncos hope to get players to renegotiate their current contracts. What this usually means is a player agreeing to take a reduced base salary for the coming year in exchange for turning that reduction into incentives that he may earn back. The incentives are then applied to the following year's cap.

In rare instances, a renegotiation actually means the player gets a raise in his base salary. Sometimes, when the player takes less money, he gets the remaining money fully guaranteed.

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However, if a team asks a player to take less money, that player may be hesitant, particularly if he believes he can find another team who is willing to pay him more money than his current team wants to pay.

I have suggested that the Broncos should renegotiate the deals for cornerback Ronald Darby and running back Chase Edmonds, which would allow the Broncos to gain some cap space. Recent rumors hint at that happening. 

Meanwhile, offensive guard Graham Glasgow is someone I suggested should be cut because he may not be willing to renegotiate his salary after doing so in 2022. The Broncos will have to make a decision about Glasgow by March 19 because he is due a $1M roster bonus that day. While not a lot of money, the Broncos want to avoid that commitment if they believe they need to replace him.

Darby, Edmonds, and Mike Purcell (another possible cut) have no roster bonuses due, so the Broncos may release them at any time before the start of the 2023 regular season. However, the Broncos would carry them at their full cap charge until they are released.

We'll likely find out soon what decisions the Broncos make about these and other players because the so-called "legal tampering" period begins on Monday, March 13. 

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