Broncos 2024 Offseason Plan: 8 Burning Questions

The Denver Broncos have to answer these questions before taking steps forward in the offseason.

The Denver Broncos' first season under head coach Sean Payton was a mixed bag. The Broncos finished 8-9, struggled on defense to open the season, then improved defensively, only for the offense to slip. 

Losing three of the last four games didn't help matters.

The fact is that the Broncos had a flawed roster but, at times, benefitted from breaks going their way. While it was nice to be in the playoff hunt down the stretch, the Broncos still have much work ahead to become a true playoff contender.

While no changes are expected in the front office and the coaching staff, there will be some changes coming to the roster. Thus, it's time to ask some questions about what the plan for the roster will be going forward.

Here are the main questions the Broncos have to answer going into the offseason.

How Will Russell Wilson's Release be Handled?

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Though the likes of GM George Paton and Payton didn't indicate that Wilson will be gone during the season-ending presser, the reality is that he most likely won't be with the Broncos in 2024.

Wilson has $39M in fully guaranteed money for 2024 and has no incentive to take a pay cut there. His $37M base salary in 2025 doesn't become fully guaranteed unless he's on the roster on March 21. If he and his agent weren't willing to negotiate earlier this season, it's unlikely they'll be open to now.

While a trade can't be ruled out, it's not likely to happen, given his late-season benching and that he reportedly has a no-trade clause. Therefore, a cut before March 21 with a post-June 1 designation will likely happen.

The question is whether the Broncos will have to exercise his option bonus of $22M before cutting him or if it will be a straight cut. If the former, the Broncos would take a $37M dead money charge, but if the latter, that charge will increase.

Either way, the Broncos will have to deal with the pain for the coming season as far as the cap situation goes. The question is thus how they'll manage it.

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Which Other Players Will be Released?

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Regardless of Wilson's status, the Broncos are projected to be more than $20M above the cap for 2024. Thus, the possiblity of cutting players always existed.

The likes of Garett Bolles, Justin Simmons, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and D.J. Jones all have high cap numbers and no guaranteed money left. The Broncos could gain cap space by releasing any of them.

That doesn't mean these players are destined to be cut — there are other options available. But it wouldn't be surprising to see two of the above five released. Patrick and Jones may be the most likely candidates.

Who Will be Traded?

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Though the Broncos didn't complete any midseason trades, that doesn't rule out such trades happening now. There could still be some interest from other teams for players who the Broncos may not want to keep.

Bolles was rumored to have been the subject of trade talks last offseason. Now that he's healthy and playing well, teams might have more interest in acquiring him — but then again, the Broncos may decide to keep him.

Sutton and Jerry Jeudy also came up in trade rumors. One or the other could still be dealt. A trade would help with the Broncos' cap situation and allow them to acquire draft capital.

Which Pending Free Agents Will Broncos bring back, if Anyone?

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Broncos have 14 unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents. They will have to decide who is worth bringing back.

The most notable unrestricted free agents are Lloyd Cushenberry III, Josey Jewell, P.J. Locke, Adam Trautman, and Fabian Moreau. Locke is probably the top candidate to bring back, while Cushenberry and Jewell may depend on their asking price.

As for restricted free agents, Jonathan Harris, Jonas Griffith, and Quinn Bailey aren't worth tendering, though it's possible one or more could be retained on one-year deals, just as was done with Locke last offseason.

Will Broncos Extend Any Longtime Vets With a Year Left on Deal?

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If the Broncos decide to keep one or more of Bolles, Sutton, Simmons, and Jeudy, those players become candidates for extensions. An extension for any of the four would lower their cap numbers.

I've mentioned Bolles as an ideal candidate for an extension, given that offensive tackles tend to have long careers and that Bolles is coming off a good season. It remains to be seen what the Broncos think, though.

Jeudy would need to be extended if the Broncos keep him because his cap number needs to be lowered for cap space reasons. Simmons might get consideration, but the Broncos have to ask themselves how many years he has left as a top safety. 

As for Sutton, anything is possible, but he still has two years left on his deal and might be a candidate to restructure rather than extend.

Who Among 2021 Draft Class Members are Part of the Long-Term?

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Of the Broncos' 10 draft selections in 2021, six are still with the team. That includes the first five players the Broncos selected: Patrick Surtain II, Javonte Williams, Quinn Meinerz, Baron Browning, and Caden Sterns. The other is seventh-round pick Jonathon Cooper.

Everything indicates that Surtain will be with the Broncos for the long term, including Paton's most recent comments. Because he has the fifth-year option in his deal, the Broncos can take their time when it comes to an extension.

The others enter the final year of their deals, and while the Broncos don't have to hurry to extend them, they will need to determine how they fit with the long-term picture and, for those they want to extend, at what point to start negotiations.

How Active Will Broncos Be in Free Agency?

Paton indicated that the Broncos likely won't be active in the first wave of free agency. Given their spending spree last offseason, that's not surprising.

But then comes the second wave, in which teams can sometimes find value. What might the Broncos be looking for at that point? Who will still be available to help the team?

It's also worth asking whether the Broncos focus more on street free agents — as in, players who other teams release but could still offer something to the Broncos.

What are Broncos' Plans for NFL Draft?

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The Broncos currently have six total picks in the 2024 draft, with no second-round pick as a result of the trade to acquire the rights to Payton. However, as we've seen many times before, the number of picks a team enters the offseason with doesn't always correlate to the number of selections the team will make.

Along with trading players for additional draft picks, the Broncos could opt to trade down from the No. 12 overall pick if they don't find a player they covet and another team wants to move up. Denver could move around the board in later rounds, too.

Of course, a big question to ask is whether or not the Broncos plan to draft a quarterback. Taking one at some point would be ideal, given that Wilson isn't likely to be on the team and that it's not ideal to be left with Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci as the top options.

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