broncos_fan _from _uk Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 (edited) we are in the 9th level of football hell. We have a very overpriced aging QB, we're not good enough to make the playoffs but not bad enough to draft his replacement, because of the compensation paid for the QB (if you guys remember that offseason that was my gripe about trading for Rogers/Wilson. the compensation. It would/has leave our team devoid of talent) we haven't had the ability to acquire cheap core players for a few years. So we have not talent, no picks, and no cap room. Sweet. This will take some tough decisions. Let's dive in! Cuts: Russel Wilson, QB. I wish someone would trade for him but it wont happen. His next team will get him on a 2 year vet-minimum deal because the offset language means he gets paid the same regardless. This will be a post 6/1 cut. 2024 dead money: $35.4M 2025 dead money: $49.6M 2026 savings: $58.4M 2027 savings: $53.4M 2028 Savings: $54.4M DJ Jones, DT. I like the man, but his play has fallen off and he is simply not worth the $13M he is due next year in the last year of his contract. Savings: $10M Tim Patrick, WR. I really like Tim, but he has collected $30M the last two years to not play football. another player making too much ($16M) in the last year of his contract. Savings: $10M Chris Manhertz, TE. 32 year old back up making 3.275M? bye. Savings $2.1 Tremon Smith, CB. Should be cut for terrible play alone, somehow making $3.2M. Savings $2.5 Trades: Garett Bolles, LT. I appreciate everything Bolles has done. by the time we're ready to compete again he will be ready to retire. time to move his $20M. Trade him to a team who thinks they are a contender and LT is their top priority (preferably Cinci as KC is the other team that falls into this category). Cap saving: $16M. Compensation 2024 2nd (2.49) and 2025 3rd that turns into a 2nd if he makes the pro bowl. Jerry Jeudy, WR. Too many drops, not enough fight. due $13M next year in the last year of his contract and thinks he is worth more. trade him to the highest bidder. Savings: $13M. compensation. 2024 5th, 2025 3rd. Re-sign: PJ Locke, S. 3 years $6M Will Lutz, K. 3 years $4.5M Lil'Jordan Humpheries, WR. 3 years $4.5M At this point our Cap Space is: 2024: $31M 2025: $107M, 2026: $230M Free Agency: No big names. Target 2nd/3rd wave players and players that were surprisingly still available later on, on 1-2 year prove it deals to fill the holes. Jamis Winston or Gardner Minshew on a contract similar to Sitdhams: 2 years $14M Donovan Smith, LT. Sings a contract similar to what he signed to play with the chiefs this season. 1 year $2M Draft: (draft results to include trade were according to PFNs mock draft simulator) 1.12: Trade! Denver sends #12 to to Hou for #27, #55, #123 and 2025 2nd and 3rd. 1.27: Trade! Denver sends #27 to Buff for #30 and 2025 2nd 1.30Trade! Denver sends #30 and 2025 4th to Wash for #36 and #67 2.36 Sedrick Van Pram, OC, Georgia. My favorite college OC the last 3 years. has the potential to have a Creed Humphery like rookie impact. 2.49 Tyler Guyton, LT, Okla. Really nice technique watching this kid. Lacks elite athleticism but makes up for it with understanding of angles. 2.55 T'vondre Sweat, NT, Texas. A mammoth of a man 6'4 350 but very athletic. eats double and triple teams clogging the middle of the line and preventing the QB from stepping up into the pocket so that the edge rushers can thrive on 1on1s. 3.67 J.T. Tuimoloau, Edge, OSU. A freak athlete at 6'4 277 with great burst and pursuit. Hand fighting is just average, and lacks that elite bend that Von Miller made the NFL prototype. perfect fit as a 5T who stays in on nascar packages. 3.81 Johnny Wilson, WR FSU. Another freak athlete with production. 6'7(!!) 237, 36″ arms, a 35.5″ vertical, a 10’5″ broad jump, and a max speed over 21 MPH! A year after transferring from ASU was able to show out when Travis was healthy with 43 catches for 897 yards (>20ypc) and five touchdowns. Watching him reminds me of the best of Ashley Lelie. 4.120 Tommy Eichenberg, LB, OSU. Good-great at everything (except pass rushing where he gets caught in the trash way too much), elite at nothing. A more athletic Josey Jewell. 4.123 J. Michael Sturdivant, WR, UCLA. Our Jeudy replacement. one of the best route runners in the draft, this time with soft hands. should excel in the slot where he can cut and/or bust the seams deep. much like JJ lacks that dawg to fight for the ball or for the tough YAC. Will make the catch then go down. Which is why he is available in the 4th. 5.138 Blake Fisher, OT, ND. A solid tackle with a great frame and bend who has issues adjusting once the defender makes their counter move. can this be coached? 5.140 Joshua Gray, OT/OG, Ore St. Played LT for the cougars but a bit short/short armed to stay there in the NFL. Plays with great leverage and hands, has the sand in his pants to survive the bull rush. Is an even better run blocker than pass blocker. If here were 2 inches taller I think he would be a boarderline 1st round pick at OT. 6.191 Thomas Harper, DB. A bit of a NB/S hybrid who excels in zone and against the run. Should be a core STer and contributor in big nickel packages. Edited January 8 by broncos_fan _from _uk 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnAngryAmerican Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 If we can maneuver our way into that many picks, I'll be elated. I do like the idea of trading who can trade and cutting those who are too expensive. Nicely done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broncos67 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Very solid and I think the idea of trading down and amassing picks needs to be firmly on the table given the lack of picks we have. I think all of the players you suggested we should cut/move on from are realistic and likely. We can't afford to keep guys around for nostalgia. Frankly, I wouldn't be shocked to see more guys shown the door. One thing I think is probably worth considering off-season wise is the potential that Surtain gets dealt. I think it's unlikely, but definitely not impossible, particularly if a team ponies up significant draft capital to get him. That could come in the form of a trade up in the draft or a standalone. I don't want to lose a talent like Surtain, to be clear, but I also think we need to throw everything on the table. We're a few years from truly competing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomaxgrUK Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I know nothing about the prospects, so I really can't comment there. I would say all of the player departures make sense, as sad as it is. I just don't know if Sean's ego will allow for us to do what is needed and reboot. I sense he will cut/trade the bare minimum in order for us to continue to compete for wins with whomever he brings in at QB. In defense of Tremon Smith - he's not played any Defense this year. He's been an outstanding Special Teams player, but even still, that's a big cap hit for a ST ace on a team starved of money. Again, I get the principle of moving back to get a lot more picks. I agree with how many holes this team has, and getting rookies on cheap deals makes sense. But, again, I question whether Sean's ego will play ball with doing it when he can get a player at 12 that he thinks will help us compete next year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKRNA Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 "So we have no talent, no picks, and no cap room. Sweet. This will take some tough decisions. Let's dive in!" If anything you're sugarcoating our situation. I'm kinda like @lomaxgrUK in that I don't really know the prospects. That said, your "dreamseason" really puts a stark reality on our talent/financial situations. Seems like no matter what his solution, Sean's going to upset lots of fans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbrog24 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I would personally prefer to go this route as it gives us the highest chance to hit on 2 or 3 guys (draft is pretty much a crapshoot a lot of the time). IMO Paton's best draft WAS when he had the most "darts" with 6 of those guys still starting or playing a prominent role on our roster. However, what would you all think if Sean dictated that we put something together like, 2024 first and third, 2025 first, second, and Jeudy to Chi for Caleb? It would certainly be a bold move but would potentially set us up for a Houston-like turnaround if he works out. For me, I think it's just not worth the risk to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broncosfan_101 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I like Van Pran, too, but he’s a consensus 3rd rounder right now, and I’d be shocked if a guy with his athletic profile jumped up the board in shorts season. With that said, I’d expect Sweat to go in that range, so flipping those guys is probably realistic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
French Fan Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 12 hours ago, Dbrog24 said: I would personally prefer to go this route as it gives us the highest chance to hit on 2 or 3 guys (draft is pretty much a crapshoot a lot of the time). IMO Paton's best draft WAS when he had the most "darts" with 6 of those guys still starting or playing a prominent role on our roster. However, what would you all think if Sean dictated that we put something together like, 2024 first and third, 2025 first, second, and Jeudy to Chi for Caleb? It would certainly be a bold move but would potentially set us up for a Houston-like turnaround if he works out. For me, I think it's just not worth the risk to try. Replace Caleb by Drake Maye and Jeudy by Surtain. Chicago will want more but it is a first step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7DnBrnc53 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 21 hours ago, broncos_fan _from _uk said: we are in the 9th level of football hell. We have a very overpriced aging QB, we're not good enough to make the playoffs but not bad enough to draft his replacement, because of the compensation paid for the QB (if you guys remember that offseason that was my gripe about trading for Rogers/Wilson. the compensation. It would/has leave our team devoid of talent) we haven't had the ability to acquire cheap core players for a few years. So we have not talent, no picks, and no cap room. Sweet. This will take some tough decisions. Let's dive in! Have you guys heard of this channel. Interesting. They went after Cecil Lammey, and they aren't big Simmons fans: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbrog24 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 5 hours ago, French Fan said: Replace Caleb by Drake Maye and Jeudy by Surtain. Chicago will want more but it is a first step. Based on what exactly? My hypothetical was basically what they traded the 1st pick for last year. Surtain is equivalent of 2 first rounders so it wouldn't make sense in that trade. Also, Sean was vocal about Caleb not Maye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKRNA Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 23 hours ago, Dbrog24 said: I would personally prefer to go this route as it gives us the highest chance to hit on 2 or 3 guys (draft is pretty much a crapshoot a lot of the time). IMO Paton's best draft WAS when he had the most "darts" with 6 of those guys still starting or playing a prominent role on our roster. However, what would you all think if Sean dictated that we put something together like, 2024 first and third, 2025 first, second, and Jeudy to Chi for Caleb? It would certainly be a bold move but would potentially set us up for a Houston-like turnaround if he works out. For me, I think it's just not worth the risk to try. Didn't we just trade a bunch of high picks and ballplayers for just 1 guy? How's that working out? You're right, it's not worth the risk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncofan Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 (edited) On 1/8/2024 at 3:09 PM, Dbrog24 said: I would personally prefer to go this route as it gives us the highest chance to hit on 2 or 3 guys (draft is pretty much a crapshoot a lot of the time). IMO Paton's best draft WAS when he had the most "darts" with 6 of those guys still starting or playing a prominent role on our roster. However, what would you all think if Sean dictated that we put something together like, 2024 first and third, 2025 first, second, and Jeudy to Chi for Caleb? It would certainly be a bold move but would potentially set us up for a Houston-like turnaround if he works out. For me, I think it's just not worth the risk to try. Too light, CHI doesn't even return our call. The only way we don't pay with 3 firsts PLUS....is if we include Surtain. Jeudy only has 1 year left, and his value right now is a 3rd and 5th. That's not getting it done. Frankly, I'm sure other teams are considering making a similar offer, but who are ahead of us. The bigger issue IMO is that CHI probably won't pass up a 2nd top of the draft QB. They got away with it because CAR cratered to 1.1, but CHI basically passed on CJ Stroud. The outrage would be out of this world if they passed on a WIliams/Maye. And judging by the fact they fired OC Getsy and pretty much the entire O assistant staff, they're clearly looking to install a new OC to pair with a new QB. I'd be willing to trade up for Maye, but it's going to be super expensive. Again though, I'm not sure WAS is wiling to trade back. If we don't do that, I'm fine with trading back. One move I'd consider if we picked up extra assets - trade for Sam Howell. Nothing crazy, maybe a 4th. You get 2 more cheap years to see if he's the guy, and a 4th doesn't commit you to actually be stuck to him next offseason, if he doesn't show he can be the guy. At his stage, in his 3rd year, he'll either take the job by midseason, or he won't. I wouldn't do it if we had no additional capital, though. It's not like he's a sure thing. Edited January 10 by Broncofan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizmo78 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 I'm completely against any trade up. We've been so depleted of draft picks for way too long. We either stand pat and take someone we think can be a perennial pro bowler or we trade down and try and restock this barren roster. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broncos67 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 11 hours ago, grizmo78 said: I'm completely against any trade up. We've been so depleted of draft picks for way too long. We either stand pat and take someone we think can be a perennial pro bowler or we trade down and try and restock this barren roster. See I'm not against it, but if we do it, it's gotta be for #1 where you can take who you want and not a panic trade up for whoever is left. It sucks to not have picks, but if you're going to get a QBOTF, go for it. What keeps being unsaid is that even if we build from the inside and wait on QB, the team will end up needing a major trade up in order to land "the guy" anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKRNA Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 1 hour ago, broncos67 said: See I'm not against it, but if we do it, it's gotta be for #1 where you can take who you want and not a panic trade up for whoever is left. It sucks to not have picks, but if you're going to get a QBOTF, go for it. What keeps being unsaid is that even if we build from the inside and wait on QB, the team will end up needing a major trade up in order to land "the guy" anyway. See, that's what I don't agree with. History doesn't agree with it either. Mr. Irrelevant of 2022 is one of the best QB's in the league and two former #1's are available in FA. Last years MVP was the 10th pick in 2017 and this years probable MVP, Jaclson, was the 32nd pick in 2018. What each one of those guys has in common is they were drafted by very good, well coached teams. Hopefully we can be one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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