Broncos Rumors

Broncos “Leaning Toward” Jarrett Stidham As QB1

Before the 2024 league year began, we heard that Jarrett Stidham had a good chance to open the season as the Broncos’ starting quarterback. Now, as the dust settles on the first wave of free agency, it appears that Stidham’s hold on the QB1 job has only gotten stronger.

In evaluating the QB signings and trades that have taken place around the league, Mike Klis of 9News.com says that the Broncos “seem to be leaning toward” having Stidham serve as the starter — at least at the beginning of the 2024 campaign — and using their No. 12 overall selection on a collegiate passer. After all, while Denver considered Sam Darnold, who ultimately signed with the Vikings, Sean Payton & Co. reportedly did not make a contract offer (per Klis, Darnold strongly preferred Minnesota anyway).

Likewise, Klis reports that the Broncos did their due diligence on former Patriots signal-caller Mac Jones, but they did not make a trade offer. New England ultimately dealt Jones to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. Klis also says that Denver was never in on high-priced free agent options like Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, and he adds that the club has not shown any interest in Ryan Tannehill. While there are still free agents (Tannehill) and trade candidates (Trey Lance, Zach Wilson) that the Broncos could pursue, none of them would necessarily unseat Stidham.

Notwithstanding Klis’ expectation that the Broncos’ will use their top draft choice on a quarterback, Troy Renck of the Denver Post believes the team could trade back, unless a player like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy should fall into that range, or unless Payton is particularly high on Oregon’s Bo Nix. Renck’s sources tell him that four quarterbacks will be selected within the top six picks of the draft, and it certainly seems to be a safe bet that the first three selections will be used on passers. The Bears (No. 1 overall) and Commanders (No. 2 overall) appear poised to draft QBs, and even if the Patriots (No. 3 overall) trade back, the team that trades with them may well use that pick on a quarterback. The price to leap up the draft board to select the third- or fourth-best QB prospect in the draft would be prohibitive for a team like the Broncos that is clearly in rebuild mode (to say nothing of the fact that the Vikings, who have the No. 11 overall pick, are better-positioned to make such a move).

Obviously, if the Broncos were to trade down as Renck suggests, that would solidify Stidham as the short-term starter while helping the team pick up additional capital to address other holes on a roster that has plenty of them. One way or another, as Albert Breer of SI.com wrote on the day free agency began, Denver is not going to force anything at the QB position, and Payton’s confidence in Stidham affords them the ability to be patient, even if “patience” is not one of Payton’s favorite words.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/24

Saturday’s lone minor move around the NFL:

Denver Broncos

Burton has seen time with six teams during his nine-year career. He joined the Broncos last offseason and appeared in all 17 games for Denver in 2023, receiving 10 offensive touches and remaining a core special teams contributor. As Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette notes, the 32-year-old will receive the veteran salary benefit ($1.21MM) on this deal. He will carry a cap hit of $1.15MM.

LB Cody Barton Signs With Broncos

The Broncos will have a new man to patrol the middle of their defense, as David Canter, president at Football GSE Worldwide, announces that his client Cody Barton has agreed to terms on a contract that will bring him to Denver. Barton will arrive and attempt to earn a starting job for his third team in as many seasons.

Barton was a third-round pick for the Seahawks in 2019. He didn’t get many chances to contribute over the course of his rookie deal, starting only five games in his first three seasons. During a contract year in Seattle, though, Barton exploded onto the scene. In eleven starts, Barton reached 136 total tackles while tallying two sacks and two interceptions, as well.

Barton’s efforts earned him a one-year, $3.5MM contract with the Commanders. In Washington, he would start 13 games, once again eclipsing the 100-tackle mark with 121 total. While he doesn’t grade out phenomenally, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he shows good marks in coverage and remains a reliable starter. Mike Klis of 9NEWS tells us that Barton’s contract with the Broncos will also be for one year and $3.5MM.

A Barton re-signing became unnecessary in Washington after the team signed Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu to start alongside Jamin Davis on the Commanders defense. In Denver, Barton will likely be stepping into the shoes of Josey Jewell, who agreed to a deal with the Panthers on Tuesday. Barton completes the linebacker shuffle as Jewell heads to Carolina, Luvu heads to Washington, and Barton goes to Denver. Barton should step in alongside Alex Singleton, who finished 2023 third in the NFL with 177 total tackles, solidifying the middle of the Broncos defense.

NFL Restructures: Mahomes, Chiefs, Allen, Bills, Broncos, Browns, Martin, Cowboys

Completing a Marquise Brown signing after franchise-tagging L’Jarius Sneed, the Chiefs were able to find room due to once again taking advantage of Patrick Mahomes‘ unique contract. Kansas City created $21.6MM in cap space by restructuring the three-time Super Bowl MVP’s contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Chiefs have gone to this well twice before, making the move in 2021 and 2023 to create cap room. The team reworked Mahomes’ deal in September 2023, following the QB market moving well beyond the Missouri-based superstar’s $45MM AAV, by moving guaranteed money around. But the extension still runs through 2031, giving the team room to maneuver here. Even with the Sneed tag on the books — ahead of a potential trade — the Chiefs hold more than $15MM in cap space as of Friday afternoon.

Here is the latest on the restructure front:

  • After the Bills made a few high-profile cuts last week, they restructured their centerpiece player’s deal this week. Buffalo created $16.7MM in cap space by restructuring Josh Allen‘s deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This merely moved Allen’s 2024 cap charge down to $30.4MM. No void years are on Allen’s $43MM-per-year extension, but monster cap numbers in 2026 and ’27 ($63.9MM, $56.9MM) will need to be addressed. Allen’s deal runs through 2028. The Bills also adjusted Dawson Knox‘s contract to create cap space, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
  • The Broncos may be preparing to take the bigger Russell Wilson dead money hit this year as opposed to in 2025. Though, the final number has not yet emerged. The team has created considerable cap space as of late, releasing Justin Simmons and trading Jerry Jeudy. The Broncos also restructured the contracts of 2023 UFA pickups Zach Allen and Ben Powers, per Yates, creating nearly $20MM in cap room.
  • The Cowboys reorganized Zack Martin‘s deal recently, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, who indicates the move created roughly $13MM in cap space. To end Martin’s holdout last year, Dallas provided considerable guarantees over the final two years of the All-Pro guard’s six-year deal. That contract now features four void years. If the Cowboys do not extend Martin before the 2025 league year, they would be staring at a $24.5MM dead money blow.
  • Jedrick Wills will check in here, even though he is not on a veteran contract. The Browns restructured their left tackle’s fifth-year option, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The move created more than $10MM in cap space. Cleveland tacked four void years onto Wills’ deal. If the team does not re-sign him before the 2025 league year, it incurs an $11.8MM dead money bill. The Browns also turned to Jerry Jeudy‘s fifth-year option, which the team recently acquired from the Broncos, to create more than $10MM in space, Yates adds. The team likely used the same void years-based structure with the wide receiver’s option.

Broncos Release Russell Wilson

MARCH 13: The Broncos have officially released Wilson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This paves the way for the quarterback to officially ink a contract with the Steelers.

Denver designated Wilson as a post-June 1 cut, meaning the team will take on dead cap hits of $53MM in 2024 and $32MM in 2025. According to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac, the team will absorb the pricier of the two hits this year. The $53MM hit represents the priciest dead cap hit in NFL history, topping the Falcons’ $40.5MM Matt Ryan number from 2022, and it will account for 20.5 percent of the team’s adjusted salary cap in 2024. Still, this was the expected move, as the Broncos’ decision to cut Wilson after the start of free agency made the designation possible.

MARCH 4: As expected, Russell Wilson‘s Broncos tenure will end after two seasons. The team announced on Monday that the former Super Bowl winner will be released after the start of the new league year.

Wilson has confirmed the move in a farewell message to Denver after a short-lived stint in the city. Acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Seahawks in 2022, he endured a highly underwhelming first campaign with the Broncos. Improvement was seen under Sean Payton this past year, but the 35-year-old’s fate appeared to be sealed when he was benched late in the campaign.

That decision (which came after the team’s playoff chances had essentially been extinguished) was driven in part by Denver’s attempts to have Wilson push back the vesting date for his 2025 injury guarantee. The nine-time Pro Bowler declined to do so, and no adjustments were ultimately made to his pact – a five-year, $245MM extension inked not long after arriving in the Mile High City. Given the other compensation already owed, though, the Broncos will be hit with a considerable cap crunch by moving on.

Denver would have incurred an $85MM dead cap charge be releasing Wilson right away. By waiting until after the start of free agency (March 13), the option of designating him a post-June 1 release will come into play. That route will not yield any cap savings and produce $35.4MM in dead money in 2024, but the financial outlook in 2025 and beyond will be much more positive from the team’s perspective (although the $85MM will remain on the team’s cap sheet until June 2). Denver owes Wilson $39MM this season, a portion of which will be offset once he signs with a new team.

Given the guaranteed compensation coming the way of the former Walton Payton Man of the Year winner, though, many have speculated he will sign for the league minimum with an interested team. The market Wilson will now generate will be a key offseason storyline and represent one of the major dominoes in the 2024 QB carousel. His play under Payton (26:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, 98.0 passer rating) was not sufficient for the parties to continue their relationship, but it could encourage QB-needy teams to at least take a flier on him.

Wilson made it clear in the wake of his benching that he intended to remain in Denver for 2024 and beyond, but he also acknowledged the strong possibility he would be let go. Now that the team’s decision is clear, he can turn his attention to the third chapter of his career. Following a decorated Seattle stint including a pair of Super Bowl appearances, Wilson will need to rebuild his value with his next opportunity.

For the Broncos, meanwhile, today’s news confirms the post-Peyton Manning situation under center has still not been resolved on a long-term basis. The Broncos’ Week 1 starter in 2024 will be their seventh different signal-caller to start a campaign in the nine years since Manning’s retirement. Payton has publicly endorsed Jarrett Stidham (who took over from Wilson), but a draft investment would come as no surprise.

Denver is among the teams which have been tapped as a potential trade-up candidate. The Broncos’ ability to stay within striking distance of the playoffs for much of the year left them 12th in the draft order as things stand. Several of the 2024 class’ top passers will be off the board by that point, so an aggressive (and, in terms of draft capital, costly) move will be required to get access to them. Failing that, a second-tier option at the QB spot such as J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix would be on the team’s radar, and Denver has done homework on that pair.

Regardless of the route taken, expectations will be on Payton to deliver the offensive turnaround his acquisition was in large part predicated on. The longtime Saints head coach brought considerable pedigree with him after a season away from the sidelines, but a disappointing result emerged in his first year. The second will involve a new face under center, just as Wilson will find himself in a different situation.

Broncos To Re-Sign Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Playing a bigger-than-expected role with the Broncos last season, Lil’Jordan Humphrey is part of the team’s changing 2024 receiver plan. Denver is bringing back the ex-Sean Payton New Orleans charge.

Humphrey will re-sign with the Broncos on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Broncos traded Jerry Jeudy to the Browns over the weekend and owe Courtland Sutton a roster bonus this coming weekend. As changes come about in a Denver receiving corps that had stayed mostly the same since 2020, Humphrey will attempt to carve out a role once again.

Down Tim Patrick for a second full season, Denver opted to use Humphrey as an eight-game starter. While this run did not lead to impressive stats (13 catches, 162 yards), Patrick played all 17 games and caught three TD passes. In addition to a Week 1 score, the 6-foot-4 pass catcher reeled off an impressive catch-and-run TD during Jarrett Stidham‘s first start four months later.

In five seasons, Humphrey has crossed 100 receiving yards only twice. He did play for Payton for three years in New Orleans, bringing system familiarity on a team that could be making a significant transition. Perennial trade candidates, Jeudy and Sutton were teammates for four seasons. Although the Broncos are bringing Patrick back, Sutton is due a $2MM salary guarantee on Sunday. The six-year veteran is attached to a nonguaranteed $13MM base salary for 2024. With the Broncos in cost-cutting mode, it is not beyond the realm of possibility they separate from Jeudy and Sutton this offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/24

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Broncos To Re-Sign TE Adam Trautman

Acquiring Adam Trautman during the draft last year, the Broncos needed to turn to the former Saint often due to Greg Dulcich‘s injury trouble. The Broncos are bringing back the trade acquisition.

Trautman is re-signing with the team on a two-year deal, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. While the Broncos feature some questions at tight end after Dulcich’s injury-plagued first two seasons, they will have Trautman back to help the transition to another new starting quarterback.

Sean Payton was quick to add his former TE to the Broncos roster, and the move ended up working out for Denver. Trautman had one of the most productive seasons of his career, finishing the season with 22 catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games (12 starts).

The tight end was mostly brought to Denver for his blocking ability, and he finished last season with one of the top run-blocking grades at his position. Trautman will likely be eyeing a similar role in 2024, especially if the Broncos end up limiting Dulcich’s snaps. The Broncos are also rostering Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins at the position.

LB Josey Jewell To Join Panthers

Seeing players on all three defensive levels depart since the legal tampering period began, the Panthers will add a scheme-familiar player for Ejiro Evero in the aftermath of those exits.

Josey Jewell is signing with the Panthers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. A six-year Bronco who worked as a starter for much of that tenure, Jewell played under Evero during the 2022 season. While the Broncos held discussions with Jewell about a third contract, Sean Payton‘s team will move on.

The Panthers are giving Jewell a three-year deal worth more than $22MM, according to the Denver Post’s Troy Renck. Of that total, more than $7MM is guaranteed. Jewell will be tied to a $22.5MM deal in total, with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adding $10MM is guaranteed.

The Broncos discussed terms with Jewell’s camp at the Combine, and the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson indicates the team did not give up on a re-signing until the end. But with the Broncos cutting costs, Jewell will join center Lloyd Cushenberry in leaving Colorado. This was the expectation in Denver, which has been much quieter on this year’s market compared to Payton’s first year running the show.

Denver used Jewell and Alex Singleton as its off-ball linebacker starters over the past two seasons; both were attached to veteran deals in 2023, with Jewell at $5.5MM. The AFC West team, in light of the Russell Wilson development, may be aiming to scale back. The Panthers, conversely, are building around a rookie quarterback. That will help Jewell secure more in guarantees compared to his 2022 Denver pact and a raise in AAV.

Jewell played well under Evero and Vance Joseph over the past two seasons, combining for 236 tackles and 5.5 sacks. The former fourth-round pick added four forced fumbles in that span, intercepting two passes and notching seven tackles for loss under Evero in 2022. Pro Football Focus graded Jewell 40th among LBs last season but 27th under Evero two years ago.

The Panthers moved on from Frankie Luvu, seeing him join Jeremy Chinn by committing to the Commanders. Shaq Thompson remains on the Panthers, but the veteran is coming off a season an injury cut short after two games. Plenty will be expected of Jewell, who will turn 30 before season’s end.

Broncos To Add DT Malcolm Roach

The Saints-Broncos pipeline remains active, as Sean Payton prepares for his second season in Denver. The longtime New Orleans HC will bring in one of his former defensive linemen.

Malcolm Roach is heading to Denver on a two-year deal worth up to $8MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Broncos have two eight-figure-per-year contracts on their defensive line, but the team has some depth questions behind the Zach AllenD.J. Jones duo. Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette notes Roach drew interest from the Rams, Cardinals, Bills and Bengals. Instead, he will continue playing under Payton.

Roach’s Saints role did not change much during his four-season Louisiana run. Starting five games in that time, Roach worked primarily as a rotational defensive lineman. Payton was in place when the Saints signed Roach as a UDFA; the Texas alum has only played for the Saints. Roach will join ex-college teammates Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke and Brandon Jones on Denver’s defense, with Payton also obviously being a familiar face.

Pro Football Focus viewed Roach as a lower-end D-tackle from 2020-22 but viewed him as an improved product last year, slotting the four-year veteran just outside the top 25 among interior D-linemen. Roach, 25, totaled a career-high 38 tackles (three for loss) last season while batting down three passes. Roach stands to help the Broncos in run defense, having logged those numbers last season despite missing five games. While skewed by a brutal start, the Broncos’ defense ranked 30th against the run last year.

Roach will join a Broncos team that saw 2022 starter Jonathan Harris hit free agency. Denver has Matt Henningsen still under contract, though 2022 fourth-rounder Eyioma Uwazurike‘s NFL future is in doubt after the gambling suspension he received last summer.