The NFL’s free agency negotiating window will open on March 11. Two days later, the new league year (and the official start of free agency) will begin on March 13.
The Denver Broncos have several key players scheduled to become free agents this year, but the team won’t be able to re-sign all of them. The Broncos are currently about $14 million over the salary cap, so Denver will have to make some cap-saving moves to create more cap space.
We previously identified six in-house free agents the Broncos should re-sign once the team has some cap space to work with. Today, we’re taking a quick look at five players the team should let walk in free agency — not necessarily based solely on performance, but also with the salary cap in mind.
The biggest name on the list is center Lloyd Cushenberry, who is coming off a career year and is expected to draw interest from multiple teams.
1
CB K'Waun Williams
Williams is a skilled slot cornerback, but he missed three games due to injury in 2022 and all 17 games in 2023. Following the emergence of Ja’Quan McMillian, Denver has no reason to re-sign a 32-year-old Williams.
2
CB Fabian Moreau
Moreau was meant to be just a depth player in 2023 but he ended up starting 11 games due to injuries at cornerback and the struggles of Damarri Mathis in Vance Joseph’s defense. Moreau is not a long-term solution, though, and the Broncos should make it a priority to find a new CB2 this offseason.
3
DL Mike Purcell
Purcell served the Broncos well over the last five years, but he’s set to turn 33 in April and Denver is looking to revamp their defensive line. The Broncos can find younger, cheaper options this spring.
4
LB Josey Jewell
Jewell might be the first controversial name on this list, but he’s projected to get around $6.25 million on the open market and the Broncos might not want to commit that much cap space to an inside linebacker. Alex Singleton, Jonas Griffith and Drew Sanders are all under contract in 2024, which might prompt Denver to let Jewell walk.
5
C Lloyd Cushenberry
Cushenberry is projected to get a contract in the neighborhood of $14.28 million per season and it’s hard to imagine Denver making that work in 2024. Alex Forsyth was inactive for all 17 games last season, but GM George Paton has said the Broncos view Forsyth as a starter. That notion could be put to the test in 2024 if Denver lets Cushenberry walk in free agency.
