With NFL Free Agency approaching in just under a month, the Denver Broncos have a handful of players who are set to hit unrestricted free agency. Which players are trending towards not returning for 2025?
Denver Broncos NFL Free Agency Preview: Players trending toward not returning
March 12th is when the NFL Free Agency frenzy begins, and the Denver Broncos have a variety of different ways they can approach this offseason as they look to build off of their 10-win season going into 2025. With that said, there are three players that are trending towards not being brought back by the Broncos.
Javonte Williams return unlikely as Payton looks for his ‘Joker’
Javonte Williams was one of the most exciting draft picks from George Paton in 2021 and his rookie season was a prime example as to why. He ran through defenders at a high rate, winning various Angry Runs awards. According to Pro Football Reference, Williams broke 31 tackles and racked up 460 yards after contact en route to a 1000-yard all-purpose rookie campaign.
Things changed after his second season after he suffered a major knee injury, which was entirely out of his control. Despite working his way back through rehab to be ready for training camp in 2023, Williams still didn’t have the burst or looked like his old self coming off of the knee injury. He still managed to put together over 1000 all-purpose yards in his first season with Sean Payton.
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Going into 2024, Williams lost 10 pounds and looked more springy and explosive during training camp, but his on-field production didn’t get to where it used to be, and he finished 2024 with just 859 yards from scrimmage while finishing with a career-low 513 yards on 139 carries.
With free agency approaching, Williams won’t likely be a priority player the Broncos front office looks to bring back unless it’s a late-wave free agency return. However, Sean Payton said the team’s biggest need is a ‘Joker,’, which could be a tight end or running back that possesses elite receiving ability, and that isn’t necessarily Javonte’s game. With Jaleel McLaughlin, rookies Blake Watson, and Audric Estime on the roster, the signs don’t point to Williams coming back.
Even though his production dipped over the last two seasons, Williams has always been a hard worker who has put his head down and grinded through the outside noise, and despite the struggles in the rushing department, he was pivotal in pass-blocking situations this season for Bo Nix.
Cody Barton not part of Denver Broncos reset at linebacker?
After signing with the Broncos in free agency last year, Cody Barton is a name to keep an eye on as the new league year approaches. Barton took on more responsibility last season after Alex Singleton tore his ACL in Week 3 and ultimately finished the year as a starter. Before Singleton’s injury, he was very much part of a rotation with Justin Strnad and Kristian Welch early on in the season.
Singleton appears to be on track in his return from ACL surgery, and it’s possible the Broncos look at asking him to restructure his current deal. There has been some speculation that he could be a cap casualty, but that doesn’t seem like the path Payton and the Broncos will take.
As the Broncos navigate free agency needs, Payton highlighted inside linebacker as a position they would be looking to add to. That group will also have a brand new position coach after Payton moved on from Greg Manusky.
Barton’s veteran presence was big for the Broncos last season, but all signs point to Denver looking to upgrade the position in free agency or the NFL Draft instead of re-signing players first. With he and Justin Strnad hitting free agency, Barton will likely test the market but could return to Denver on a similar deal to last season if his market doesn’t formulate strongly enough.
Besides Singleton, Drew Sanders and Levelle Bailey are the only off-ball linebackers who are on the roster. Sanders converted back to the inside after initially moving to edge rusher in his rookie season.
Will Payton keep one or two backup QBs?
Last season, Payton kept three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster after Bo Nix won the starting job in training camp. Jarrett Stidham was his backup last season, while Zach Wilson served as the third QB with an emergency designation.
Stidham’s veteran experience was helpful for Nix and Denver’s QB room became close on the field and off the field, but as Payton navigates this team into 2025, whether or not he keeps two or three quarterbacks is a question that needs to be answered.
Both Stidham and Wilson are free agents and are expected to test the free agency market, but if Denver has to keep one of the two, Wilson seems like the more likely QB to stay and be the backup for Nix in 2025. Part of the reason this wasn’t the case last year was related to Stidham’s $5M price tag after he signed a two-year $10M deal in 2023’s offseason cycle to back up Russell Wilson.
Zach Wilson’s contract in 2024 was $1.05M as a base salary with a $1.6M roster bonus, which was cost-effective after Denver acquired him in a trade with the New York Jets. From an athleticism and skill standpoint, Wilson compares more to Bo Nix than Stidham does in that regard and could be the perfect fit behind Nix for Payton.
