Denver Post Broncos writer Parker Gabriel posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season and periodically during the offseason. Click here to submit a question.
In your estimation, which Broncos, if any, are the most vulnerable to being cut or traded from now until training camp?
– Ed Helinski, Auburn, New York
Hey Ed, good question. The starting point is you’re looking for players who have little to no guaranteed money on their contracts. Those are the easiest to move on from via cut or trade. Obviously, there’s likely to be more talk about Courtland Sutton and Garett Bolles over the coming weeks and months, though at the moment a trade of either seems unlikely.
Sutton’s not participating in the voluntary portion of offseason workouts and wants more guaranteed money on his contract — only $2 million of the two years and $26.5 million remaining on his deal is guaranteed — but it’s hard to see why the Broncos will be motivated to give it to him. Bolles is entering the final year of his contract and will turn 32 in a couple of weeks, though general manager George Paton said in March that Bolles, “still moves like he’s 25.”
Things change fast in the NFL, but as we sit here today, they look like a pair of veteran players at key positions who can help the Broncos this year and might help ease the transition to the NFL for a rookie quarterback like Bo Nix. At the same time, though, Denver’s actions so far suggest they’re not inclined to race to commit to either long-term.
The fact that they didn’t cut or trade either earlier in the offseason when they cut Justin Simmons and traded Jerry Jeudy makes it seem as though they’ll be here for 2024. You just never know when a good deal might come around.
Other than that, what you’re looking at is a bunch of veteran-ish types with low salaries who will have to beat out younger players. Just a sampling of those who don’t have any guaranteed money and might have to fight to make the roster: RBs Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine, P Riley Dixon, CB Tremon Smith and WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Now, will much of that happen before training camp starts? It depends some on if Denver makes any further free agency moves or likes a player who gets cut elsewhere around the league. Mostly, this is probably more training camp competition. But there’s always at least a little summer movement.
Hello from Finland!
So I was wondering, could there be a special connection between Bo Nix and Greg Dulcich with “Hoss Juke” — play? It’s said to be Nix’s favorite play and some dudes named Brady and Gronk made it special. Parker, are you excited to see how that play will turn out? Or would you rather see some other TE connecting with Nix? Are there some other plays you can’t wait to see? A Flea Flicker maybe?
– Jude, Lahti, Finland
Jude! Appreciate you writing in, as always. It’s a good thought and it’s the type of stuff the Broncos have the personnel to do if Greg Dulcich is healthy. Payton and the coaching staff downplayed Dulcich’s absence last year when he first got hurt, but watching training camp it was clear they had designs on him having a big role in the offense. And it makes sense, too. Tight ends have always produced under Payton and last year Denver ended up with about as little production as you could imagine from the position.
You know Payton and Nix — assuming he’s the one playing — are going to want a guy who can make plays up the seam. You’d think that’s Dulcich if he’s healthy or maybe Lucas Krull. One interesting element will be some of Denver’s bigger receivers like Tim Patrick and rookie Devaughn Vele. Payton’s already spoken highly of Vele’s ability in high-traffic areas and Patrick’s no stranger to it, either.
As for other plays, the one that jumps to mind is specific to this year: The kickoff. It’s going to be really interesting to see how teams handle it. The play is different for returners and coverage units, sure, but also for kickers. They’ll have to expand their repertoire to hit knuckleballs, line drives and all manner of other kicks. But you also have to carry the ball to at least the 20-yard line or it comes out to the 40 like a kick out of bounds. So it’ll be a fully reimagined part of the game and it’s going to be all trial and error through the preseason and early stages of the regular season.
It is early and there is a lot of time before the Broncos actually kick off for the first game. With that said, if you had a crystal ball, who would pick as the rookie of the year for the Broncos? Who would be the Broncos MVP? And most importantly, what is your educated wild guess on the wins and losses?
– Del, Lamar
Oh, man, Del, you’re right that it’s early. Way too early for actual, educated guesses on this stuff. Obviously, Nix is going to dominate the conversation in terms of rookies if he wins the starting job. But the other draft picks are in really interesting situations and, in a way, a bunch of them are similar. What do RB Audric Estime, WRs Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele, OLB Jonah Elliss and CB Kris Abrams-Draine have in common? You wouldn’t pop any of them into the starting lineup right now without having seen any competition, but you also wouldn’t be shocked if they made a move in training camp.
Elliss might actually have the cleanest route to a rotation spot since you’d like to use four OLBs anyway and he might just slide in naturally with Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto. Would you pick Abrams-Draine to start opposite Pat Surtain II today? It’d be guessing if you did. But would it be a total shock if he stacked up well against Riley Moss, Damarri Mathis and Levi Wallace once camp got rolling? Not really. Feels similar with Estime in the running back room and the rookies at receiver, too.
Did that distract you enough from the other questions? OK, Surtain MVP (duh) and check back later this week for a first-blush, totally serious, not-at-all-premature record prediction after the schedule gets released.
Hey Parker! Is there any chance the Broncos bring back Justin Simmons?
– Paul Michaelson, Livermore, CO
Hey Paul, appreciate you writing in. Never say never until Simmons signs elsewhere, but it seems very unlikely and has from the time he was released back in March. There wasn’t any talk of, “well maybe if.” The team put out a long goodbye statement. Now they’ve dished out No. 31 to Abrams-Draine.
And it’s not just that stuff, but they also signed Brandon Jones on the first day of free agency and brought P.J. Locke back. Those two plus Caden Sterns — he’ll have to prove he can stay on the field — are probably Denver’s trio. Then you’re hoping for a big Year 2 jump from JL Skinner. Delarrin Turner-Yell is working back from a major knee injury suffered right at the end of the season so he’s a question mark this year.
Now that we are at the time of year with new number assignments and changes, doesn’t it make sense to either retire the numbers 24 for Champ Bailey, 58 for Von Miller, and 88 for the late Demaryius Thomas, or put them back into circulation? It only becomes harder each year to have sufficient numbers available, which has been compounded since the league is now allowing certain defenders to wear eligible numbers from 1-19. What are your thoughts?
– A Referee, Greeley
Hey Ref, interesting question. I’m far from an expert on this type of thing. The Broncos only have three numbers formally retired — No. 7 for John Elway, No. 18 for Fran Tripucka and Peyton Manning and No. 44 for Floyd Little — but you’re right, there are others that haven’t been worn in quite some time.
Former Broncos VP of Communications Jim Saccomano in 2020 called No. 24 “unofficially retired” and that sounds about right. Hard to imagine somebody donning that number again without Bailey specifically giving the OK. Denver won’t be in a hurry to give out the others, either, I wouldn’t imagine.
The thing about numbers is they do get a little bit tight this time of year when there are 90 on the roster, but only 53 guys make the team at the end of the summer. There will be plenty of options.
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