Broncos free agency winners, losers
A couple young players saw their stations improve, while others face new challenges
Denver has signed 12 players in the first 10 days of free agency, including nine newcomers and three defensive returners. There’s plenty of work still to be done this offseason, but with the heavy lifting in free agency likely mostly done, here’s a look at some winners and losers for the Broncos so far.
Winners
QB Russell Wilson
Final grades aren’t in just yet and Wilson could still lose a receiver if the Broncos decide to make a trade, but overall it’s hard not to think of him as perhaps the single biggest winner for Denver so far in free agency. General manager George Paton jumped right to the top of the market to sign Mike Mcglinchey and Ben Powers in an offensive line remodel. He got a fullback, an accomplished blocking tight end and a running back in Samaje Perine who should make thirddown life easier for the quarterback after the Broncos were historically bad on that down in 2022. Wilson says he wants pressure and expectations and also wants to be coached hard. Sean Payton will deliver the latter without a doubt, and several of the moves so far this offseason are designed to have less weight on the quarterback’s shoulders. Denver’s ILB bromance Starsky and Hutch or, uh, Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell are back for another season together. The pair developed a tight kinship in addition to being a dependable, playmaking duo in the middle of Denver’s defense. Now, they’re back together for 2023 at least after Singleton signed a threeyear deal worth up to $18 million. Given their 2022 production — 163 tackles for Singleton, 128 (seven for loss, two INTS) for Jewell — their combined $10.46 million cap number looks like good value for the Broncos.
DBS Damarri Mathis and Caden Sterns
It’s again worth pointing out that there’s still plenty of offseason ahead, but at this point the Broncos look poised to put a lot of faith in these two young defensive backs. Mathis grew nicely into the starting cornerback role opposite All-pro Pat Surtain II and the team jettisoned Ronald Darby, who was coming off an ACL tear and had a big cap number. They haven’t signed a safety yet, either, whether that might be Kareem Jackson or a veteran to fill his spot. That leaves Sterns, who showed promise early in the year but then went on seasonending injured reserve with a hip injury, as the current leader in the clubhouse to start next to Justin Simmons. DL Dre’mont Jones
The defensive lineman got a
big payday and set himself up well for the future in the process. It just didn’t happen with the Broncos. Seattle gave Jones, who spent his first four seasons in Denver, $30 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus. Life-changing money. Jones gets more than $23 million in the first year of his three-year deal. Even if he plays the length of the contract in Seattle, he can become a free agent again after his age-28 season. He did well getting a big chunk of cash up front and checking in at an average annual value of $17 million per season. The Broncos could have afforded him, as it turns out, but opted to instead give a similar deal (three years, $45.75 million, $15 million signing bonus, $32.5 million guaranteed) to Zach Allen.
Losers
ILB Jonas Griffith Griffith is still in a decent spot, but his pathway to a starting job doesn’t look as clean as it did last summer. That’s as much because of what Singleton did during the 2022 season as anything, but Griffith now is faced with coming back from a foot injury that cost him the final eight games of the season and trying to force his way back into the rotation under a new coaching staff. The good news? New faces — inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky, in particular — mean a clean slate for everybody. But Griffith’s got his work cut out for him in terms of getting back to a spot like 2022, when he played 50% or more of the Broncos’ defensive snaps in six of their first eight games.
Defensive line continuity This isn’t to say the Broncos can’t be stout up front, but they are certainly going to look different even with assistant coach Marcus Dixon back for a second season. Denver is losing two of its three starters in Jones and Deshawn Williams, who recently signed with Carolina. Allen slots in roughly to Jones’ position and then the other snaps will likely go to some combination of Mike Purcell, Matt Henningsen and Eyioma Uwazurike, among others. The Denver front office has confidence in the latter pair, who progressed nicely as their rookie seasons unfolded. But can they hold up as full-on rotational pieces over the course of a season? And help generate more pass rush?
OL Dalton Risner
The Wiggins native and 2019 second-round draft pick hit free agency for the first time in his career earlier this month and so far has not found a home. Risner, like all players, was hoping for a robust market when the legal tampering period began March 13, but instead has gone through the first two weeks without finding his next team. Most of the big money has been spent by clubs at this stage of the proceedings, so a oneyear, prove-it deal might be where Risner ends up. Denver went out and spent big money on Mcglinchey and Powers and at this point may or may not be in the market for another veteran guard. Free agency can be a wild ride and it doesn’t always end up being an easy one for players.
WR Montrell Washington
The fifth-round rookie return man and wide receiver showed flashes of explosiveness in his first season, but also struggled to catch the ball consistently and was benched for the team’s final two games. Maybe Payton sees him as a dangerous gadget player on offense, but certainly Washington is going to have to work to keep his return job. Denver signed cornerback Tremon Smith from Houston in part because of his return ability. Smith gives special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica a veteran presence. He’s returned kicks each of the past five seasons and has a handful of punt returns to his name. Given Smith’s presence and the options Denver has at receiver at present, Washington could well have a big fight on his hands to keep a roster spot this summer.
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