The Denver Broncos have been wheeling and dealing this offseason, but they haven't been spending a lot of money. Denver parted ways with veteran QB Russell Wilson just two years after trading for him and handing him a massive contract extension. This one move set the tone for the rest of their offseason.

The massive dead cap hit the Broncos were left with forced them to have a conservative approach to free agency. Josh Reynolds signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Broncos and it was the richest deal the team handed out by far. Denver focused on filling holes in free agency, adding Adam Trautman, Matt Peart and Lil'Jordan Humphrey on offense while retaining Michael Burton. They also added some depth and rotational starters on defense with Malcolm Roach, Brandon Jones, and Cody Barton.

Denver's biggest additions came from the 2024 NFL Draft. The Broncos drafted QB Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick, installing him as their next starting quarterback of the future. They also added wide receiver Troy Franklin and running back Audric Estime to give Denver some solid young offensive players to build around.

Despite taking a conversative approach to the offseason (Russell Wilson not withstanding) the Broncos still made some risky moves. The expectations in Denver aren't too high in 2024, but these risks could still have negative consequences for the Broncos outside of simply losing games.

Let's explore two of the riskiest moves the Broncos made this offseason.

Did the Broncos part ways with Russell Wilson too soon?

We have to address the elephant in the room. The entire offseason got off to a bad start when the Broncos cut Russell Wilson.

Of course, there are some personal factors to consider here. From what we can tell, the Russell Wilson + Sean Payton marriage simply didn't work. Payton had more clout in the building and was able to force Wilson out, even with a huge dead cap hit.

It's important to recognize that context, but that doesn't make the decision any less risky. If anything, it's a bad process to end up at a bad decision.

I want to be clear — saying that cutting Russell Wilson was a mistake does not mean that nothing should have changed in Denver. The Broncos absolutely needed to bring in some competition for Russ. The Zach Wilson trade could have easily happened with Wilson still in the building.

Denver could have easily pursued Bo Nix in the draft while retaining Wilson as well. This would have given Nix time to develop on the bench without being forced to start Week 1, something that feels inevitable without Wilson.

Ultimately, this come down to what you lose and what you gain when you part ways with your franchise QB. Wilson did not live up to expectations in Denver, but it is hard to argue that he was so bad that he merited eating so much dead money.

Instead of paying Russ to play for the Steelers in 2024, Denver could have held onto him as a useful asset. Who knows, his value may have even increased throughout the 2024 season, enabling them to trade him away.

Bo Nix is not set up to succeed during his rookie year

These two moves are obviously connected.

Drafting Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick feels like a combination of bad luck in the draft (a historic volume of QBs going in the first round) and a reaction to cutting Wilson.

That doesn't mean that Bo Nix is a terrible prospect and that he'll never succeed in the NFL, but the process was not ideal. The Broncos did successfully remove Wilson and replace him in one offseason, but they will pay the price in 2024.

Without Wilson in the building, Nix will be thrust into action sooner rather than later. Even if the coaching staff is stubborn and starts Jarrett Stidham in Week 1, Broncos fans will be chanting for Nix in a hurry.

Once Nix actually starts playing in 2024, he will face a huge amount of pressure and scrutiny. The Broncos supporting cast on offense is okay, but not good. This could seriously amplify any rookie mistakes that Nix is prone to make and generally make him look bad during his first season.

Let's not count Bo Nix out just yet, after all he hasn't even taken a real snap in the NFL. However, forcing the Nix pick at 12th without a clear backup plan is the definition of a risky move.

Hopefully the Broncos are able to adequately evaluate Nix during his rookie season, despite the less-than-ideal situation.