As the Denver Broncos coaching staff returns to the building this week with their player evaluation reports in hand, how might the team prepare for NFL Free Agency as it pertains to their own in-house players? Specifically, how might they navigate the offensive side of the ball with players who are on expiring deals?
How will Russell Wilson decision impact free agency moves?
One of the bigger questions surrounding the Broncos’ off-season will be how they maneuver around NFL Free Agency, but more importantly, how they navigate the future with or without Russell Wilson. The Broncos quarterback isn’t set to become a free agent, but his status with the team going forward remains in question.
Interestingly enough, Wilson tweeted out this past weekend that 2024 should be even better, which has some indications of a potential return with the Broncos specifically.
🔥The Double Spin “Toe Tap” by @SuttonCourtland in Buffalo & us finally beating KC were my favs! 🔥🔥🔥@NFL
Which were yours!?2023 was fun.
2024 about to be better!!! https://t.co/eTBFfIsZEq— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) January 14, 2024
A decision on Wilson’s future with the team will take place at some point before the new league year rolls around, but the door is still open for him to return.
“I think [Head Coach] Sean [Payton] commented on that,” general manager George Paton said last week. “This meeting is a deep dive into the entire roster. The door remains open with ‘Russ’ (QB Russell Wilson). I’ve had good conversations with Russ, and Sean has had good conversations. The door is open. We’ll get through the process, and we’ll visit with the coaching staff and scouting staff. We’ll visit with Russ and his people, and we’ll go from there.”
If he returns, it’s possible that Denver saves more money financially than parting ways with him, giving them more room to maneuver free agency. However, until a decision has been made, it’s hard to project what will take place. Personally, I don’t see an issue with Wilson staying and sticking around for two more seasons as the Broncos draft and develop a young player within Payton’s system for the time being. That is a possibility facing the Broncos.
List of Broncos free agents on offense
Heading into the new league year, which begins on March 13th, the Broncos have four unrestricted free agents on the offensive side of the ball.
Center Lloyd Cushenberry III:
When the Broncos drafted Cushenberry in the 2020 NFL Draft, there was a lot of excitement in the minds of Broncos Country. Unfortunately, Cushenberry’s first few years in the league saw a variety of ups and downs, but what’s notable is that he took positive steps forward each and every season. 2023 was Cushenberry’s best season as a pro, where he put on more muscle mass and still maintained some of the athleticism he entered the league with. He also benefitted from more consistent guard play this season next to Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz, but individually he became the best version of himself so far as a pro.
It’s unclear at this point if the Broncos are going to extend him, and George Paton’s comments last week in the end-of-the-year press conference seemed to give an indication that the organization views 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth very favorably.
[C] Alex [Forsyth]—we feel he’s a starter in this league at center,” Paton said. If the Broncos are preparing to move on from Wilson, Forsyth might be the most cost-effective option at center. However, if the Broncos believe that Cushenberry can be an intricate part of what they hope to achieve down the road offensively, he’s worth the gamble of extending. One of the bigger questions that need to be asked of Denver’s offensive line is whether or not their inconsistency in run-blocking and pass protection are personnel issues or if it’s an issue relative to their offensive scheme and structure itself.Cushenberry should return in 2024 because of his continued development, where the trend has been on an upward trend year after year.
Offensive tackle Cam Fleming:
Cam Fleming has been a serviceable backup for the Broncos offense over the course of the last few seasons and has provided them with relief at tackle and guard. Any time he’s been called upon to step into the starting lineup, he hasn’t been spectacular by any means, but he’s been a reliable option that hasn’t hurt them when he’s on the field.
The issue surrounding whether or not the Broncos will or should bring him back into the mix in 2024 is contingent upon how they feel about undrafted rookie free agent Alex Palczewski, who impressed and turned heads in training camp and preseason. Internally, the Broncos feel like Palczewski’s developmental trajectory can benefit the team as somebody who can be a development swing option for them on the offensive line. Fleming is also preparing for his 11th season which can be useful for bringing him back because of his experience, or it could be something that factors into the team moving on from him.
If Denver feels like Palczewski still needs some more development and isn’t ready to be a backup to a starter right now, it might be wise to bring Fleming back into the mix this upcoming season.
Fullback Michael Burton:
The addition of Michael Burton in 2023’s free agency period proved to be one of the more underrated moves that Sean Payton and George Paton made. The fullback position has seemingly found itself being phased out of the game for a majority of NFL teams, but some of the league’s most successful teams are still finding ways to use the position. As long as the run game is an important part of Payton’s offensive philosophy, the fullback position will be included.
Burton will likely command interest from some teams around the league, but he should return to the Broncos in 2024 because he has been a valuable asset in the blocking game, underrated out of the backfield as a receiver, but he’s a high effort player who has amplified Denver’s production on special teams as well.
The only question really surrounding Denver’s approach to the position is whether or not they believe Nate Adkins could play this role that Burton does after the undrafted rookie free agent made the 53-man roster during the preseason. Burton’s value, in my opinion, is worthy of Denver bringing him back in 2024.
Tight end Adam Trautman:
One thing has been very clear since Payton took over as the team’s head coach: he has trust in certain players he’s coached previously for a reason. While Trautman wasn’t a player who jumped off the charts from a receiving standpoint, he emerged a bit more toward the end of the season for Denver’s offense. He played 70% of the team’s offensive snaps this season and could be effective in the passing game if Denver’s route concepts were quick-hitting.
What was frustrating to see was the overall emphasis on using the tight end in the passing game this season. Perhaps Payton put too many eggs in the Greg Dulcich basket, but the offense struggled without a true pass-catching tight end. If Dulcich had been healthy in 2023, Trautman could have had more of an impactful role in the passing game if opposing defenses had been focused on Dulcich’s size and athleticism.
Instead, Dulich missed pretty much the entire season, and it forced Denver to rely a lot on being in heavy 12 or 13 personnel looks to try and get the run game going for the offense. At times, it worked out this season, but the Broncos overall operation offensively didn’t create a sustainable environment for the tight end position to succeed.
Trautman’s estimated market value, according to Spotrac, is listed at three-years $11.2M with an average annual value of $3.7M. This shouldn’t be an issue for the Broncos if Payton feels Trautman can have the impact he envisions him having. The Broncos head coach has repeatedly said that he knows what he’s getting with Trautman and has a lot of trust in him.
However, even if Denver re-signs Trautman, the team should still look at drafting a young athletic playmaker who can get involved unless that player is already on the roster, which could be Lucas Krull. There needs to be a contingency plan in place at the position, regardless of whether Dulcich is healthy or not.
