HEADLINES

Denver Broncos News & Rumors

CB Rumors: Flott, Giants, Sneed, Titans, Hill, Bengals, Barron, Broncos, Diggs, Packers

July 25th, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants used a first-round pick on Deonte Banks in 2023 but have not seen the Maryland product justify his draft slot yet. This led to the Paulson Adebo signing. While Adebo is entrenched as a first-stringer, Banks may not be merely set to slide from New York’s No. 1 cornerback to a sidekick role. Cor’Dale Flott‘s latest summer ascent continues, as The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the fourth-year defender received the first crack at the CB2 role during team drills. This appears a full-on competition. Flott had received minicamp work with the 1s, doing so after he impressed last summer en route to a slot-to-boundary shift.

Banks has started all 29 games he has played; being unable to hold off Flott would represent another setback for the former No. 24 overall pick. Flott would not have a path back to the starting slot role were he to lose this battle, as 2024 third-rounder Dru Phillips resides there now. This competition represents a big chance for the 2022 third-round pick, who is due for free agency in 2026.

Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:

Broncos, OLB Nik Bonitto Working Towards Extension

July 20th, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

PFR identified Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto as an extension candidate back in December, and three weeks later we saw reports that the team had interest. In May, it was reported that talks had begun with some anticipation of things heating up coming late last month. In the wake of his fellow 2022 NFL draftee George Karlaftis getting a four year, $88MM extension today, Bonitto gave reporters some insight on his own extension talks.

In an interview with Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, Bonitto responded to a question concerning the timing of when an extension may occur. “No time period,” Bonitto said. “I know these things can happen tomorrow or happen months from now. I kind of just keep it day by day and keep the focus on football.” 

Karlaftis’ new deal puts him at 10th in the NFL in terms of average annual value. He hasn’t been a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but he’s been the top sack-getter on a Super Bowl team for the past two years, topping out at 10.5 in 2023 and 24.5 for his career. Bonitto’s output has been a bit different.

Playing behind Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper, and Bradley Chubb in his rookie season, Bonitto became a bigger part of the pass rush once Chubb was traded to Miami midway through the season, though he was still coming off the bench. With only one start in 15 games, Bonitto only tallied 1.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and three quarterback hits as a rookie. In Year 2, Bonitto benefitted from an early-season absence from Browning. With four starts in 15 games, Bonitto delivered a much-improved eight-sack performance with 13 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits.

2024 was the breakout season for Bonitto, though. Another early-season injury to Browning opened the door for Bonitto to work as a full-time starter, and when all was said and done, Browning was traded to Arizona, while Bonitto started the remainder of the season. On a defense that finished seventh in yards allowed, third in points allowed, and led the NFL in sacks, Bonitto has the leading sack-getter, logging 13.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and 24 quarterback hits, not to mention two forced fumbles, four pass deflections, and a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown.

With Bonitto’s clear upwards progression season after season, the Broncos would do well to lock him down for Karlaftis-esque numbers before he adds another 5.5 sacks to his prior year total and costs himself out of Denver. And they may do just that. Some have speculated, though, that Bonitto’s extension may come in a similar fashion as did Cooper’s last year. Cooper signed his four-year, $60MM deal in November, showing that Denver had no objections to working towards big deals midseason.

Based on Bonitto’s quote, he’s seeing the same things we are. Like Karlaftis’ deal, Bonitto offers that an extension could “happen tomorrow.” Or like Cooper’s deal, an extension could “happen months from now.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/20/25

July 20th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor NFL moves to close out the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Olajiga, a London native, joins the roster as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. The 27-year-old spent the 2024 season on the Rams’ practice squad as an IPP athlete, as well, but didn’t find his way to the field.

Keenum, Johnson, and Molden all passed physicals today, permitting their respective teams to active them off of their injured lists.

Broncos Sign Second-Round RB R.J. Harvey, Complete Draft Class Deals

July 17th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday continues to see second-round rookies agree to deals around the league. Running back R.J. Harvey is among them.

Harvey and the Broncos have agreed to terms, Mike Klis of 9News reports. As the No. 60 pick in April’s draft, his four-year pact is worth a total of $7.36MM and includes a $1.99MM signing bonus. After missing the first day of training camp (for rookies), Harvey is now in the fold in time for the start of padded practices.

Guarantees were, like in all other cases in 2025, the sticking point between team and player. That draft slot saw a 53% guarantee in the past two years, as noted by Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. In addition to the signing bonus and salary in the first two years of the pact being guaranteed, per standard practice, Klis reports Denver locked in 47.7% of Harvey’s Year 3 earnings to finalize the agreement.

Now that Harvey is in the fold, he can turn his attention to training camp. Denver’s backfield will be a unit to watch closely as the pecking order gets determined. The UCF product topped 1,600 scrimmage yards in each of his final two college campaigns. Harvey totaled 42 touchdowns over that span, production which helped make him one of many high-profile RB prospects in this year’s class.

The Broncos were clear about their intent to draft a running back fairly early, and doing so puts Harvey in place to handle a notable role as a rookie. Free agent addition J.K. Dobbins is also in the mix after a long-running communication period with the team. Those two, along with returnees Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime, will spend training camp carving out their respective roles as the Broncos aim to improve their ground game.

With Harvey on the books, the Broncos’ entire 2025 draft class is now signed. Here is how that group looks:

Broncos Sign First-Round CB Jahdae Barron

July 15th, 2025 at 9:38pm CST by Ben Levine

While a long list of second-round picks remain unsigned, there were only two first-round selections who had yet to sign their rookie pacts. One of those unsigned first rounders is Shemar Stewart, whose standoff with the Bengals has been extensively covered. The other was Broncos defensive back Jahdae Barron, but the Texas product has reportedly put pen to paper.

Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports that the Broncos and Barron have agreed to terms on the player’s four-year rookie contract. The cornerback will earn more than $18MM on his rookie deal, and he’ll also get a $9.8MM signing bonus. The Broncos are set to open their rookie minicamp tomorrow.

Barron had a standout career with the Longhorns, but he took his performance to another level in 2024. He finished the season with 67 tackles and a conference-leading five interceptions, leading to him earning a number of accolades. This included a consensus All-American nod and the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back. That performance vaulted him up draft boards, and he was ultimately selected by the Broncos with the 20th-overall pick.

Following his selection, head coach Sean Payton said the rookie was “too unique to pass up,” and the Broncos fully intend to capitalize on the player’s versatility. Barron served in a variety of roles during his time at Texas. He primarily played nickel during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but he played more on the outside in 2024. He even garnered at least 140 snaps in the box in each of his final three seasons at the school.

With Patrick Surtain and Riley Moss slotted in on the outside in Denver, the rookie is expected to mostly play in the slot as a rookie. The Broncos are still rostering their 2024 slot CB in Ja’Quan McMillian, so the team could also use Barron as a Swiss Army Knife-type player in their secondary.

As mentioned, Stewart now has the distinction of being the only unsigned first-round pick from this year’s draft. Also as mentioned, there are still a number of second-round picks who haven’t signed their rookie contracts, including Broncos second-round running back RJ Harvey.

Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

July 13th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs and Trey Smith have just less than 48 hours to agree on a long-term extension; otherwise, the Pro Bowl guard will play on the franchise tag and negotiations will be tabled until 2026. That is 2025’s only tag situation as the July 15 deadline approaches.

Over the previous 10 offseasons, 77 players received the franchise tag. Many of those signed extensions before the midsummer deadline. Here are the players who did not and ended up playing the season for the tag price:

2015

Pierre-Paul’s infamous fireworks accident led to Giants rescinding $14.8MM tag, setting up revised agreement 

2016

2017

2018

Bell did not collect any money on his 2018 tag, being the 21st century’s lone franchise-tagged player to skip season

2019

Texans applied $15.9MM linebacker tag on Clowney, trading him to Seahawks in August 2019; edge rusher agreed to salary reduction upon being dealt

2020

Ravens, Judon agreed on compromise between defensive end, linebacker tag prices. Ngakoue agreed to salary reduction to facilitate trade from Jaguars. Vikings traded edge rusher to Ravens before 2020 deadline. Prescott received exclusive franchise tag from Cowboys.

2021

2022

2023

Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp

2024

Extension Candidate: Courtland Sutton

July 13th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Broncos have rebounded from their disastrous 2022 situation, some of the key players to help them climb out of that hole are entering contract years. Nik Bonitto is a traditional extension candidate, coming off a breakout season ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, while Zach Allen jumped a level ahead of his age-28 season. A significant raise will be necessary for the Broncos to keep the ascending interior D-lineman on a third contract.

Denver, however, has a homegrown player residing as a more interesting extension candidate. Courtland Sutton carries a few unusual markers along his journey to another extension case. Even though Bonitto and Allen qualify as higher-value players due to their ages, Sutton stands as a pivotal piece considering the Broncos’ plan on offense. The former John Elway draftee has waited patiently for a deal, reporting to both OTAs and minicamp after skipping some offseason work while pursuing a raise last year. But he looks to have seen the younger defenders leapfrog him in Denver’s extension queue.

Sutton is going into his age-30 season, and he carries an atypical resume for a No. 1 receiver. The 2018 second-round pick’s two 1,000-yard seasons are spaced five years apart. He helped build an initial extension candidacy by eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2019. That 1,112-yard season still stands as Sutton’s career high; it came with Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen and a rookie-year Drew Lock making starts. A 2020 ACL tear paused Sutton’s ascent, and Denver’s QB quagmire lowered the receiver’s ceiling for an extended stretch.

As the Broncos assembled a low-octane Teddy Bridgewater offense, Sutton and Jerry Jeudy became info-graphic fodder due to Aaron Rodgers‘ interest in being traded to Denver in 2021. The Packers held onto the reigning MVP that year and in 2022, leading the Broncos to their blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. That move brought a spectacular failure, as an overmatched Nathaniel Hackett grounded Denver’s offense to 32nd in 2022. Sean Payton elevated Wilson back to respectability in 2023, however, and that season effectively launched Sutton’s second extension campaign.

Wilson’s 26-touchdown pass, eight-interception season ended ugly, with a contract-based benching taking place. But Wilson-to-Sutton became the team’s most notable connection since the Peyton Manning days; the 6-foot-4 WR totaled 10 TD receptions, displaying a penchant for acrobatic grabs. Sutton then submitted a second 1,000-yard season, being a linchpin on a 2024 offense bereft of other reliable pass catchers. This helped Sutton post a 1,081-yard 2024 season, boosting Bo Nix to 29 TD passes — the second-most by a rookie QB in NFL history.

So much happened between the Rodgers rumors and Nix’s rookie season, though. Sutton signed a four-year, $60MM extension days after Tim Patrick‘s three-year, $30MM deal. While injuries dogged Patrick in the years that followed, Sutton remained a productive starter. Being an Elway-era draftee extended under George Paton, Sutton became a trade-rumor mainstay during Payton’s initial months on the job. The Broncos listened closely on Sutton and Jeudy during the 2023 offseason, aiming for a second-round pick for Sutton and a first for Jeudy. Nothing on that level emerged, but the Ravens came close to acquiring Sutton — before pivoting to Odell Beckham Jr.‘s $15MM guarantee.

Denver declined a Jeudy offer that included third- and fifth-round picks before the 2023 deadline, holding onto Sutton as well. That Jeudy decision became a mistake, as the team both sold low in March 2024 (fifth- and sixth-round picks) before seeing him post a Pro Bowl season in Cleveland. Jeudy’s departure solidified Sutton’s WR1 standing, to the point the Broncos declined a third-round pick from the 49ers during the summer 2024 Brandon Aiyuk saga. Sutton more than doubling any other Broncos pass catcher in yardage last season strengthened his extension case.

Missing out on Emeka Egbuka in the draft, the Broncos did not address the receiver position until Round 3 (Pat Bryant). The Illinois prospect’s 4.61-second 40-yard dash time docked his value, and while Marvin Mims has flashed, the Broncos have mostly deployed him as a gadget cog on offense. The team’s 2024 rookies (Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin) also appear role players, even if Vele’s skillset resembles Sutton’s (Vele is also set to turn 28 before year’s end, complicating the second-year player’s long-term NFL future).

Everything since the 2023 season has boosted Sutton’s stock, but finding a price may be proving tricky. The Broncos agreed to only an incentive package with Sutton last year, telling his camp 2025 would be the window for true extension talks. We are here now, and nothing has transpired since Sutton labeled the 2025 talks positive in April. Denver completed summer extensions with Patrick Surtain and Quinn Meinerz last year; Sutton drama could resurface if no deal emerges this summer.

It would surprise if the Broncos revisited trade talks in the event they could not come to terms with Sutton before Week 1. The SMU product remains valuable due to the dearth of proven WR help ahead of Nix’s second season.

Finding contractual comps does prove difficult. Mike Evans and Davante Adams signed similar deals — two years, $41MM (Evans) and 2/44 (Adams) — while Calvin Ridley‘s resume did not match Sutton’s ahead of a four-year, $92MM Titans deal. Ridley signed that contract months before his 30th birthday, though his standing as last year’s top WR free agent — after the Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. tags — boosted his value. Evans and Adams are much more accomplished players, both of whom also being more than two years older.

Jeudy signed a Browns-friendly extension (three years, $52.5MM), but it came after the Broncos’ QB struggles suppressed his stats. Sutton is in a similar boat, but after being tied to an AAV ($15MM) that sits 25th at the position — following market booms in 2022 and ’24 — it would surprise if the eighth-year vet settled for anything south of $20MM per year.

Pittman’s three-year, $70MM accord could be a comp for Sutton, as the Colts’ No. 1 target is just two years younger and agreed to that deal before another salary cap spike commenced. Jeudy fetched $41MM guaranteed at signing, Pittman $46MM. That is probably beyond where the Broncos will go regarding locked-in compensation, though Sutton residing in a gray area due to age, production and importance makes that number harder to peg as well.

A short-term extension seems the most likely outcome here. The sides’ price points will be interesting to learn. Sutton would command reasonable value as a 2026 free agent, but will he want to chance negotiating ahead of an age-31 season? Many variables have led to this point, as the next several weeks figure to determine where this years-long saga ends.

Garett Bolles Intends To Play Rest Of Career With Broncos

July 10th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Ben Levine

The ink is barely dry on Garett Bolles‘ new contract with the Broncos, but the offensive tackle is already anticipating his next deal. While speaking with reporters recently, Bolles said he hopes to sign one last contract with Denver before calling it a career.

“Well hopefully I can do one more. That’s my goal,” Bolles said (h/t Zack Kelberman of SI.com). “We can talk about that later. I’m just grateful to be here. This organization has given me everything. This state has given me everything. The fanbase, the love I have for all my teammates. … I have an amazing coaching staff that believe in me. That’s all it takes. Once you believe in me, I’ll run through a wall for you. I’m glad to be here. I don’t think too much about the future or anything like that. I just focus on the now and what that’s going to bring to me, and just get ready to protect [QB] Bo [Nix] as much as I can.”

While the lineman’s sentiment is nice, it may be a bit premature to be thinking about his fourth NFL contract. The former first-round pick just inked a four-year, $82MM deal back in December that should keep him in Denver through the 2028 season, although there’s an out in 2026 that could lead to that desired fourth contract. Bolles signed a four-year, $68MM extension following the conclusion of his rookie pact.

Bolles is currently placed seventh among left tackles in average annual value, a ranking that is well deserved. The Utah product has started all 116 of his regular-season appearances since entering the league. After being limited to five games in 2022 thanks to a broken leg, the veteran didn’t miss a single contest between 2023 and 2024. After Pro Football Focus graded him as the 19th-best tackle in 2023, Bolles improved to the 14th spot (among 81 qualifiers) in 2024.

Bolles is now the longest-tenured member of the Broncos, and he should continue to be a franchise stalwart playing in front of a franchise QB. While the lineman intends to keep climbing the franchise games-played leaderboard (he’s currently ranked 54th), he admitted that he’s not thinking much about his long tenure with the organization.

“I don’t know if it changes much. I just love everyone,” Bolles said. “Everyone asks me a bunch of questions all the time. I’m just there for everybody. I don’t want to call myself old. I still have more years to go, but I guess I’m old in age but not in football years. I have a young body that I can just continue to go.”

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 4:

  • No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

Broncos Likely To Use Marvin Mims As WR2

July 8th, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Courtland Sutton‘s extension talks certainly can include a point that the former John Elway draftee’s 1,081 receiving yards last season more than doubled the next-closest Broncos weapon. Although Denver was linked to Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka in Round 1, the team did not make a significant investment at the position this offseason.

As Sutton’s negotiations continue, a sizable gap still appears between he and the rest of the Broncos’ wideouts. One of the team’s holdovers, though, did make noticeable progress during last season’s second half. The stretch run Marvin Mims put together last season looks to have him positioned to be Sutton’s top sidekick in 2025, as the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel notes the former second-round pick is the Broncos’ most likely WR2.

[RELATED: Assessing DL Zach Allen’s Extension Case]

Mims did not see too much time at receiver as a rookie, playing 38% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps. Denver was believed to be eyeing an increased role for the Oklahoma product after trading Jerry Jeudy, but Mims actually ended up with a lower snap rate (27%) in his second season. The deep threat, though, made considerable progress during the season’s second half.

After sitting on just 15 receptions for 56 yards through nine games, Mims totaled 32 grabs and 447 yards during the final eight. This included a 93-yard score in a shootout win over the Browns and two crucial TDs to force overtime in a Week 17 loss to the Bengals. Mims, 23, has been more impactful as a return-game presence in earning back-to-back first-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner. But his elusiveness jumps out among the current Broncos’ receiving corps.

Sean Payton‘s first draft featured the Broncos lacking first- and second-round picks, thanks to the Russell Wilson trade, but the team traded back into Round 2 for Mims at No. 63. While the Broncos could certainly use Mims’ explosiveness in an offense that features some big-bodied contributors at the position, the dynamic returner has yet to command a starter-level usage rate through two seasons.

The Broncos used fourth- and seventh-round picks on Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele, respectively, last year and saw each log more offensive snaps than Mims’ 297. Franklin played 37% of Denver’s offensive snaps as a rookie, while Vele — his final-round status notwithstanding — trailed only Sutton in terms of WR usage by playing 54% of the team’s snaps on offense. Vele, who is already 27 despite going into his second season, impressed during OTAs. The Broncos also used a third-round pick on Illinois’ Pat Bryant, a 204-pound prospect who posted just a 4.61-second 40-yard time at the Combine. The presences of Vele, who goes 6-5 and 210 pounds, and Bryant along with the 6-4 Sutton leave room for Mims’ explosiveness in Denver’s offense.

Connections to Cooper Kupp and Stefon Diggs surfaced earlier this offseason for the Broncos, but no close ties to Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper emerged. It appears Denver will go with its in-house group; Payton pointed in this direction before free agency. Though, the Evan Engram addition will be important to how Bo Nix‘s second-year targets are dispersed. The Broncos still appear to be counting on Mims to build on his late-season form and be a regular offensive contributor for the first time in his career.

Load More Posts