NFL.com Reveals Broncos' Biggest Offseason Cut Candidates
The Denver Broncos won’t be big game hunting in free agency this off-season but rather searching the bargain bin to add to their bare pantry due to Russell Wilson’s contract. It’s unfortunate, but the reality is that Denver will have to dump some household names before they can begin to rebuild their roster.
NFL.com listed four Broncos, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, DJ Jones, and Justin Simmons, as cut candidates to free up money to give Denver more flexibility. Here is what NFL.com had to say about each possible cap casualty.
Courtland Sutton/Tim Patrick
“Denver is $24 million over the cap heading into 2024 and could be looking at a full re-tool, depending on what happens with the tenuous Russell Wilson situation. While Sutton did fully re-establish himself as a touchdown maker in 2023 (SEE: career-high 10 scores), he still hasn't reached 70 catches or 1,000 yards in a season since his 2019 sophomore campaign and doesn't feel worth his $17.4 million cap price. If the Broncos would prefer to keep (and possibly restructure) Sutton, they could instead part ways with Patrick, who seems like the team's WR3 at best and carries a $15.6 million cap hit of his own.”
DJ Jones
“Jones has been a decently consistent interior defender for Denver since signing with the team two years ago, but he might not be worth the $13 million cap hit he carries in 2024. His 56.2 defensive grade from PFF last year ranked 50th out of 66 interior defensive linemen with at least 500 snaps, and he simply isn't a difference-maker at the position -- more than justifying the nearly $10 million in cap space his release would clear.”
Justin Simmons
“As one of the NFL's top safeties, Simmons is much more likely to be extended, restructured or even traded, but he could be one of the more surprising cuts of the offseason if Denver can't figure out a deal, given their cap concerns and the Pro Bowler's $18.3 million cap hit.”
DJ Jones and Tim Patrick are the two most likely out of these four players to get cut. DJ Jones had a great showing in the first season as a Denver Bronco, stuffing the opposing team’s run game and disrupting the quarterback. However, last season, Jones disappeared entirely.
The defensive line lacked talent as a whole, and outside of Zach Allen, DJ was the veteran leader of that group, but he had little to no impact game to game outside of a few fumble recoveries. Releasing him frees up around 10 million dollars, making the move a no-brainer despite the lackluster talent behind him.
Tim Patrick has had the worst injury luck of anyone on the Broncos roster over the past couple of years. Patrick tore his ACL in his right knee during training camp in 2022 and then tore his left Achilles the following year almost to the day. Before his two devastating injuries, Tim was given a 3-year 30 million dollar extension after posting back-to-back 700 plus-yard receiving seasons with five and six touchdowns, respectfully.
Having sustained horrendous injuries to both his legs, Patrick has likely lost most of his explosion, and it’s hard to see him playing to the level he was in 2020-2021. If Tim won’t restructure his deal, he absolutely won’t be retained with his 15.6 million dollar cap hit.
There is a chance that Courtland Sutton will be cut to get Denver under the cap, but he would be a more valuable trade piece. Sutton had his best season since his 2019 Pro Bowl berth.
While he did not crack 1,000 yards, due in large part to Russell Wilson’s inconsistent play, he did, however, reach ten touchdowns. The Broncos could snag a 3rd-4th round pick in a trade. Cutting him would save 17.4 million dollars, so if Denver can’t find a trade partner, they could save some money dumping him, or they could even restructure his deal to keep him around for whatever new quarterback is under center.
Justin Simmons's 18.3 million dollar cap hit is rather large for a player in a non-premium position. He’s also thirty, and that’s where safeties tend to see a drop-off in production. Justin’s leadership in the secondary is valuable, especially with the youth in the group. He has played at a high level throughout his career, particularly in the takeaway department, with thirty interceptions and five forced fumbles.
Simmons could be traded to teams in win-now mode in need of a veteran in their secondary for around a 4th- 5th-round pick. Outright cutting him would save 18 million but leave their safety room quite bare with PJ Locke being a free agent while the rest are either injury-prone or unproven.
The Broncos will have to find ways to finesse the salary cap to try and build for the future. They may cut, restructure, or trade the four players above, but either way, roster turnover is inevitable in 2024.
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