Free agency is the topic of conversation in Denver, with so many key players hitting the market, but the more-important question may be who will become a salary-cap casualty.
The easy answer is Peyton Manning, but the hope is that he’ll ride off into the sunset himself, allowing the Broncos to gain an additional $19 million in cap room without having to cut a first-ballot, Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
Ryan Clady also makes sense, as he’s missed the better part of the last three seasons with serious injuries, and the $10.1 million he’s expected to make in 2016 is far too high. But Clady has already stated he’d be willing to restructure his contract; that could be enough to keep him in Denver.
The other option, the tough option, is DeMarcus Ware, who played every bit like a Hall of Famer in the AFC Championship game and Super Bowl but is coming at the hefty price of $11.7 million in 2016. If the Broncos were to part ways with Ware, they’d save $10 million in cap space, enough to make a strong offer for Malik Jackson.
And according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN, cutting Ware is definitely in play:
Miller said he has “no doubt’’ Ware will return for his third season with the Broncos — Ware’s 12th overall — but Ware did miss five games with a back injury this past season with plenty of back/neck troubles previously in his career. His $11.67 million cap figure will likely be looked to for some adjustment. So, if he chooses to retire or does not want to re-work the deal at least somewhat, there is a chance he would not remain.
The most interesting thing about that statement, though, is the retirement part. For the last two weeks, all of the “ride off into the sunset” talk has been about Manning, but maybe it’s Ware who does the championship walk off.
