Two Broncos Make ESPN's Top 50 Free-Agents of 2023
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The Denver Broncos enter the 2023 offseason with $9.2 million in cap space. Luckily for Denver, the team can easily create more cap space by moving on from a few veterans with large 2023 salary-cap hits as well as approaching other veterans with restructures.
The Broncos are going to need cap space in order to be aggressive this offseason. With Denver not having a first or second-round selection in the 2023 draft, the team is a bit limited in its avenues to improve the roster this offseason via trade and the draft.
While the Broncos will likely be aggressive in upgrading their roster this offseason, they may also consider looking inward and allocating some funds to re-signing players. In a recent article by ESPN ranking the top 50 free agents this offseason, the Broncos had two impending free agents make the list, with interior defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones and left guard Dalton Risner being ranked the 16th and 45th best free agents this offseason, respectively.
Both drafted by Denver in 2019, Jones has been one of the best 10 interior pass rushers in football over the last couple of seasons. According to the article, Jones versatility and flexibility along the defensive front will be attractive to other teams as “Jones had 6.5 sacks and 28 quarterback pressures this season… playing 451 snaps at defensive tackle and 223 at end, with four of his sacks coming while lined at edge.”
Jones is not an elite run stuffer and is better in a defense that looks for more one-gapping and pressing angles than a two-gapping read-and-react defense, but he can get after the passer, and that is always in demand.
Jones could be on the Broncos’ radar for a potential franchise tag, a designation that could eat up around $19 million in cap space. The Broncos might consider the tag since letting him walk could result in no compensation in return (if Denver signs a player with an equivalent contract that Jones gets this offseason, the compensatory pick the Broncos would get would be canceled out).
Perhaps Jones is destined for a tag-and-trade? A lot will be determined based on the scheme the new coaching staff puts in place on the defensive side of the ball.
Also listed in the article by ESPN, Risner, the Broncos’ starting left guard over the entirety of his NFL career, just made the list. While drafted to play in Rich Scangarello’s outside zone blocking scheme, the article notes Risner would be best in a “gap run scheme as a close-quarters mauler with a strong and rugged play style.”
Noting Risner’s high ranking of run-block-win-rate this past season, ranking 10th among guards at 74.4%, Risner will certainly be starting somewhere next season.
Will the Broncos look to retain Risner? Given his remarks in his near end-of-season press conference where the veteran stated he would like to stay with the Broncos if they “value” him, perhaps he will be looking for a new home as Denver seems exceedingly likely for a massive overhaul across the offensive line.
If Jones and Risner walk this offseason, the entirety of the team's 2019 draft class will no longer be Broncos. With Noah Fant and Drew Lock a part of the trade package to acquire Russell Wilson last offseason, and Justin Hollins and Juwann Winfree long gone in Denver, having no players from the class reach a second contract in Denver would likely be a symptom of where this Broncos team currently resides in the NFL doldrums.
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