Five starters that might be playing their final season with the Denver Broncos

No league faces more year-to-year turnover than the NFL, and the Broncos certainly don’t escape that reality.

Unlike baseball or basketball where the players hold massive amounts of power in free agency, organizations rule the roost in the NFL. With contracts only being partially guaranteed, if a team doesn’t want you anymore, you’re gone; it’s extremely easy to part ways with a player without enduring much penalty at all.

So, with that in mind, here are five starters who could be playing their final games in the Mile High City, for one reason or another.

Sylvester Williams

The Denver Broncos wanted to see more from Sylvester Williams and said as much when they declined his fifth-year option, which meant that he’d become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

If Sly proved himself, he’d likely earn much more money than that the fifth-year option would have paid him, but if fell flat or regressed, the Broncos would be able to move on from him a year early with a few extra million dollars in their pocket.

So far, it’s looking as if the latter is more likely.

Sly hasn’t been nearly as effective as he was last season, as evidenced by the team’s run defense, which is significantly worse than it’s been over the last few years. Pro Football Focus has given Sly a grade of 45.1 (out of 100), which makes him the 85th best interior defender in the NFL; that’s not great.

Unless he has an other-worldly finish to the season, there’s a solid chance John Elway lets Sly walk in the offseason.

Russell Okung

If there’s one thing Russell Okung has accomplished this season, it’s proving that no player should represent themselves in contract negotiations.

In an odd move, Okung decided to forego an agent and write up a contract himself. It turned out to be one of the oddest agreements in recent history, if not ever.

Essentially, Okung negotiated a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos for $5.2 million with a four-year team-option for an average cap hit of $11.95 million following the season.

While this year’s deal is a nice price for a middle-of-the-road left tackle, those final four years would pay Okung like a top-10 option in the league. And based on his performance this season, a top-10 tackle Okung is not.

In fact, PFF has Okung graded out as the 47th best tackle in the NFL.

The Broncos will need to upgrade their offensive line in the offseason, and losing Okung would make it even more difficult, but there’s no way the Broncos bring him back long term and that price, which means there’s a good chance he’s a free agent once again this summer.

DeMarcus Ware

Everybody loves DeMarcus Ware, and the Broncos would keep him around for a lifetime if they could, but with his contract coming to an end this offseason, it just doesn’t make much sense for Denver to re-sign him, especially if he’s looking for a long-term deal.

Ware remains a fantastic pass rusher, but he’s 34 years old and injury prone, neither of which are exactly qualities you’d be looking for when signing someone to a new contract.

Plus, the Broncos already have his heir(s) apparent in Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett.

This team is going to have plenty of holes to fill up over the Summer, and pass rush isn’t one of them. The salary used on Ware might be better used almost anywhere else.

Now, if Ware were willing to take a major discount to stay in Denver, I’m sure the Broncos would be happy to make it work.

Aqib Talib

If you had asked me before the season whether Aqib Talib would be a Bronco in 2017, I’d have said, No way. Now, I’m not so sure. Either way, it’s definitely in the cards.

Talib technically has three years left on his contract, but the Broncos could save $10 million by cutting him this offseason, and with Bradley Roby looking like the real deal, it would make sense.

The Broncos could use that extra $10 million to fortify their offensive line, replenish their front seven or even chase after a big-name quarterback. A team could do worse than Chris Harris and Roby as their top two cornerbacks.

Still, there’s no denying that Talib is one of best cornerbacks in the NFL, and with the way he’s playing, he’s worth every dollar the Broncos would be paying him. Not to mention, he’s a major part of the Broncos’ locker room and culture; without him, this team would not have the same energy.

Trevor Siemian

Before you jump down my throat, think about it …

The way I see it, next year Siemian will either be (a) the starting quarterback or (b) off the team. I’m not rooting one way or the other, but there’s no denying he’s in a unique situation.

While Siemian hasn’t blown the doors off the league, he’s shown his capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL. If he takes the Broncos into the playoffs and hopefully even further, he’ll be here next year, starting for the second consecutive season. If he falls short and the Broncos opt to bring in a more established veteran — say, a Tony Romo or Kirk Cousins — it would make sense for the Broncos to capitalize on Siemian’s value and move him elsewhere.

Now, you might say that he could serve as the Broncos’ backup, but if Denver is shelling out money for a quarterback in the offseason, there’s no reason for them to be carrying three quarterbacks on their roster, and there’s no reason for them to be parting ways with Paxton Lynch, who they likely still believe is their future franchise quarterback.