With the NFL free agency period commencing next week, rumblings surrounding some potential cuts and cap casualties have started to arise as a result. Among those teams needing to shuffle around their roster and finances are the Denver Broncos, who currently sit bottom five in the league for effective cap space (-$20 million).
Therefore, some Broncos players on the roster stick out that could ultimately lose their place on the team for Denver to pinch a few pennies. As new developments tell it, those adjustments could start on the offensive side of the ball.
According to reports from uStadium, the Broncos could ultimately decide to part ways with both wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy this offseason.
“Multiple sources tell us that Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton could be on their way out of Denver this offseason. Jeudy more likely to be traded.”
The rumors come after Denver finally decided to cut ties with quarterback Russell Wilson. Now, the Broncos may need to act on some money-saving efforts to help their financial books, which could start at the wide receiver position. The team could allow for $13.5 million in cap savings by releasing Sutton this summer, as well as saving another $12.9 million by trading away Jeudy.
Jeudy’s name was thrown around a bit in trade rumors during the deadline this past year, and those talks could creep back up once again if Denver’s truly in the market to split from their 2020 first-round pick. Last season, he played in 16 games while posting 54 receptions, 758 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.
Both players have spent their entire careers in the Mile High, with Sutton joining aboard in 2018, and Jeudy in 2020. However, with the financial implications and restrictions the team has to face as consequences of the Russell Wilson fiasco, the future of this pass-catching duo with Denver could be a bit unpredictable.
A loss of the team’s top two receiving options would likely take another massive hit to the team’s offensive arsenal, but with a free agency and draft still ahead of us, those issues could be mended in due time. Regardless, the Broncos need financial wiggle room, and it may inevitably happen by making tough decisions like these.
The NFL’s free agent negotiation window begins next week on Monday, March 11th, so expect to soon get some answers on what lies ahead for the state of the Broncos offense in 2024.