ORLANDO, Fla. — The Broncos’ roster recalibration this offseason has touched several of the team’s most prominent players and featured several high-profile departures.
The following have had their contracts terminated, restructured, traded or at least seen their salaries converted to bonus for salary cap purposes: QB Russell Wilson (released), S Justin Simmons (released), WR Tim Patrick (restructured), WR Jerry Jeudy (traded), RT Mike McGlinchey (conversion), DL Zach Allen (conversion) and LG Ben Powers (conversion).
The total salary cap dollars moved around on those deals alone exceeds $150 million.
That makes the deals that didn’t get impacted interesting, too, a list led by LT Garett Bolles, WR Courtland Sutton and DT D.J. Jones.
Bolles and Jones are entering the final years of their contracts while Sutton is under contract through 2025. The only guaranteed money on the books for any of them is $2 million for Sutton this year which kicked in last week.
Bolles, who turns 32 later this spring, heads into the draft lead-up as Denver’s longest-tenured player and also carries the biggest cap number on the team at $20 million.
The 2017 first-round pick bounced back from a 2022 leg fracture and played every snap for the Broncos last year.
“I think he had a good season,” general manager George Paton said Monday. “I think he played well. Obviously, there’s always things you can improve on. But shoot, Garett, I think he’s 31 or 32 years old and he still moves like he’s 25. I thought he had a good year. Obviously, there are things he can improve on. He’s still learning some of the techniques of (Broncos offensive line coach Zach) Strief and those guys.
“I really thought he played well.”
Kickoff change. The NFL on Tuesday approved one of the more significant rule changes in recent years, overhauling how kickoffs work on a trial basis for 2025.
The new structure features opposing players line up down the field in a zone closer to the returner in an effort to take away high speed collisions and increase the number of return opportunities. The general structure was used in the XFL and the injury rate decreased substantially.
A touchback also brings the ball out to the 30-yard line rather than the 25.
Broncos coach Sean Payton didn’t have much to say about the rule Monday before it passed except that he supported it.
One reason: He’s got one of the best young kick returners in the game in Marvin Mims Jr., who earned All-Pro recognition as a rookie and now should have the ball in his hands more frequently in the return game.
“It’s a good reason to like it,” Payton said.
Survey says. The NFL Players Association’s now-annual player survey and report card is making an impact.
Look no further than the Broncos.
Denver CEO and controlling owner Greg Penner and team president Damani Leech on Monday here each noted its importance in helping to understand what players like about the Broncos organization and what improvements need to be made.
“We take it really seriously about how our players feel about coming into the building every day. Carrie (Walton Penner) mentioned it on the first day that we took ownership — We want to be the best team to play for, to work for and to cheer for. This is the ‘play for’ part.
“There are still a couple of things that we’ve got to do better.”
The survey, released four weeks ago, gave Broncos ownership high marks and noted that several of the areas that are lacking will be addressed when Denver opens its new training facility and team headquarters in 2026.
However, Penner noted other areas where Denver is taking action sooner.
“There are some things that came out of it like (the lack of) a family room at the stadium that we’re exploring now and seeing what we can do,” he said.
Overall, Denver moved up from No. 20 to No. 16 from the first rendition in 2023 to this year’s.
“No. 1, I think we’re really proud to see the improvements that we’ve made in terms of our facilities, the resources committed to our players, to really see that reflected in the survey results,” Leech said.
Added Penner, “With positive improvements over the prior year, it’s great to get that feedback. I don’t think it’s a perfect survey yet. This is the second year that they’ve done it and I think they’ll keep improving that.”
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