Denver Broncos will prioritize their offensive line in 2023
The Denver Broncos’ biggest needs are along their offensive line, and I would expect the team to be heavy in fixing this unit this offseason. According to Spotrac, the Denver Broncos have around $12 million in available cap space this offseason. That ranks as the 14th most in the NFL.
What’s good is that the team does have quite a few avenues to create millions of dollars in additional space.
Right now, they seem to be trending up. The hiring of Sean Payton was a big move for them and the team already comes built-in with a solid defense. Payton’s main focus should be fixing the offense as a whole.
The weakest link of one of 2022’s worst offenses was the offensive line. Between injuries, bad play, and an overall lack of talent, the Broncos’ OL unit was abysmal in 2022. Couple that with Russell Wilson taking more sacks than a typical quarterback due to his style of play, and it’s easy to see why this unit needs attention.
Outside of right guard Quinn Meinerz, I think the Denver Broncos can make an argument to find new starters at the other four positions. Garett Bolles has regressed since his stellar 2020 season and missed most of the 2022 season with a leg break.
The Broncos might rather cut ties with Bolles, save over $10 million in their 2023 cap number, and perhaps look to the free agency market. Additionally, the team will not pick until the third round, when it’s unlikely that teams find day-one starters.
For that reason, I think we could see three starters, potentially four, signed in free agency. A couple of offseasons ago, the Kansas City Chiefs completely overhauled their offensive line.
Last offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals did the same thing.
Why can’t the Denver Broncos do it too?
There may also be some cap casualties along the OL that Denver might want to sniff around for. Perhaps someone like Tyron Smith or Shaq Mason could fit needs for the Broncos.
Other players along the OL that I would also expect Denver to show interest in would be Jawaan Taylor, Mike McGlinchey, Ethan Pocic, Connor McGovern, and Isaac Seumalo.