The NFL’s free agency negotiating window will open on March 11. If the Denver Broncos do not give contract extensions to their in-house free agents before that date, other teams will be allowed to negotiate deals with Denver’s looming free agents.
The new league year and the official start of NFL free agency will kick off on March 13 and all signings can become official on that date.
The Broncos seem likely to lose center Lloyd Cushenberry. Denver has to clear salary cap space and Cushenberry is expected to get a big deal on the open market.
Broncos inside linebacker Josey Jewell is another in-house free agent to keep an eye on. Jewell had a $7.22 million salary cap hit last year and Denver might not be willing to commit that much cap space again in 2024.
While losing both Cushenberry and Jewell seems possible (maybe even probable), the team has a few other contributors who should be easier to re-sign. Here’s a quick list of six in-house free agents the Broncos should try to re-sign in March.
1
DB P.J. Locke
Locke played exceptionally well in 2023, so much so that he might be the early favorite to start over Caden Sterns in 2024 — if he’s back. Denver should be able to re-sign the 27-year-old safety without breaking the bank.
2
K Wil Lutz
It would be a shame to give up draft capital in a trade for Lutz and then let him walk in free agency after just one season. Lutz seems likely to return in 2024. His cap hit ($1.7 million) was manageable last year and the Broncos should be able to bring him back on a reasonable deal again.
3
TE Adam Trautman
Another player that coach Sean Payton acquired via trade with the Saints last offseason. Trautman ended up being Denver’s best tight end in 2023 but he’s never been a big numbers TE, so it shouldn’t cost much to bring him back.
4
FB Michael Burton
Burton quietly got the job done at fullback and on special teams last year while costing just over $1 million. There’s no reason to not run it back.
5
OL Quinn Bailey
Bailey is a restricted free agent so it shouldn’t too difficult to re-sign him. He’s a versatile backup guard/tackle who dressed for all 17 games last year and has two fill-in starts in his career. Bailey is a good depth option for the line and he won’t be expensive.
6
OT Cam Fleming
Fleming is another affordable, valuable depth option for the offensive line. He can play both right tackle and left tackle and has started 20 games for the Broncos over the last two seasons with a manageable cap hit ($2.5 million last year). He’s a proven veteran who provides good depth as a swing tackle.
