The Denver Broncos started their offseason with a bang by hiring Sean Payton. After just about everything went wrong for the Broncos in 2022, the team hopes Payton will come in and get the organization back to its winning ways. To acquire Payton, the Broncos had to send the New Orleans Saints a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick. In return, the Broncos got Payton as well as a 2024 third-round pick.
The Broncos have lost a decent chunk of their early-round draft picks, as a package was also assembled to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. Needless to say, Denver doesn't have too much early-round draft capital to work with for the next few seasons. The move to acquire such a big-name head coach like Payton will likely be the Broncos' “splashiest” move of the offseason, but that doesn't mean they won't make some other key moves. Let's discuss some predictions for the Broncos' 2023 offseason.
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4. The Broncos will fully revamp their offensive line
Much like the entirety of the Broncos' offense, the offensive line had an incredibly rough 2022 season. On top of failing to protect Russell Wilson and allowing him to get sacked a whopping 55 times, the offensive line suffered myriad injuries. Due to the injuries, the Broncos were forced to shuffle their offensive line week after week.
According to Pro Football Focus, only Cam Fleming, Quinn Meinerz, and Garett Bolles had above-average seasons. The sample size on Bolles was a bit small, however, considering he missed a majority of the season after breaking his leg in early October.
In an effort to clear cap space, the Broncos cut lineman Graham Glasgow, as well as two other veterans. The cuts cleared about $26.5 million in cap space, giving the Broncos a total of $33 million in available cap space. Expect the Broncos to use a decent chunk of this money to sign a good offensive lineman or two. Perhaps Mike McGlinchey or Kaleb McGary?
3. The Broncos will look into signing a veteran backup quarterback
Brett Rypien was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Broncos in 2019, and after bouncing back and forth between the practice squad and the active roster, he found a role as the backup quarterback.
Rypien is scheduled to be a restricted free agent. Unless the Broncos strike out on finding another veteran quarterback, Rypien most likely won't be signed back. There are a handful of other veteran quarterbacks who would be an upgrade over Rypien for the Broncos' backup quarterback position, including names like Case Keenum, Gardner Minshew, and Marcus Mariota.
2. Russell Wilson will have a much shorter leash under Sean Payton
The Broncos essentially rolled out the red carpet for Russell Wilson when he arrived in town. Wilson was granted the ability to have his own office at team headquarters, as well as his own personal coaches. Wilson was put on a higher pedestal than his teammates around him, and it obviously didn't sit well with some players and coaches.
Fast forward a year, and there is an entirely new coaching staff in the building. A coaching staff that will NOT be as lenient with Wilson. When asked about Wilson's personal office, Payton immediately shot that notion down and assured that it won't be happening while he is the head coach.
“That’s not gonna take place here” Coach Sean Payton on personal coaches being in the building. pic.twitter.com/AJM4wRuKPu
— Darren McKee (@DMacRadio) February 6, 2023
There have even been rumors swirling that Payton “doesn't even like Wilson” and that he essentially has one year to prove himself. Regardless, Wilson's leash will be a lot shorter in 2023.
1. The Broncos will lose the bidding war for Dre'Mont Jones
While speaking at the 2023 NFL Combine, Broncos GM George Paton expressed that the team is willing to let Dre'Mont Jones test the free agent market instead of using the franchise tag on him.
Jones's free agent market value is estimated to be around $19.7 million per year. While that isn't an insurmountable price tag for Denver, there is a pretty good chance they'll be outbid by a team with a bit more cap space. While losing Jones would definitely be a bummer, there are much more pressing issues (like the offensive line) that the Broncos need to focus on in free agency.
If the Denver Broncos lose the bidding war for Jones, they could find a cheaper alternative in free agency, or even draft a replacement.
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