Broncos Must Take the Next Steps to Keep the Defensive Core Intact

The Denver Broncos got their extension done with Zach Allen days after doing the same with Courtland Sutton. The Broncos have completed two major extensions needed, so now they can focus on the two others. 

Nik Bonitto is another big extension to get done, but he seems to be waiting on other pass rushers to get signed around the league. This could draw out the negotiations for a few more weeks or even months, unless Bonitto and his camp decide to wait no longer. 

Given that Bonitto will likely take time, and Allen and Sutton are done, the Broncos should prioritize keeping their defensive line intact by securing extensions for John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach. Both players have proven their worth and value to the team, the defense, and the defensive line. 

Roach brings needed attitude to the defensive line and has become a vocal leader. He isn’t afraid to do the dirty work and has stepped up as a pass-rushing nose tackle when the Broncos have needed it. The work Roach does rotating with D.J. Jones has been invaluable to the success of the defense. 

Franklin-Myers is coming off a career year, which is what he's done in each season since entering the NFL. Each season is the best of his career.

When Franklin-Myers was traded to the Broncos, he also revised his contract, taking a pay cut to join the team. What he brought to the defense helped Denver get the year out of Bonitto that it did, and led the NFL in sacks as a team. 

Both players are extremely valuable to the Broncos' defensive success, and the continuity is worth keeping, just as it was with Bonitto's partner, Jonathon Cooper. You also have players taking less to keep the unit together, which Sutton admitted to doing as well, and based on Allen’s valuations, it's reasonable to assume he did the same. 

When players take less money to keep everyone, it helps ensure that continuity is maintained. The Broncos have the cap space to get those deals done, they have the right guy structuring those contracts, and they have the cash influx from the owners. 

Over the past 13 months, the Broncos have handed out six extensions, which speaks to the job GM George Paton is doing and the ownership wanting to keep its key pieces in town. Franklin-Myers and Roach are key pieces and should be prioritized similarly.  

The Broncos have the cap space to handle it next year and don’t have to worry about a big quarterback contract for four more years with Bo Nix still playing on his rookie contract. The Broncos can structure these deals around him and restructure them to add voided years, which could help circumvent the cap, as well as explore other ways to avoid it. 

So, worrying about the cap space is practically pointless beyond the year a team is in and the following year, despite not knowing what the salary cap will be beyond 2025. One can examine projections, but the salary-cap projections have fallen short over the past few years, and the cap is expected to jump to over $400 million in the next five to 10 years. 

The Takeaway

The Broncos can secure these deals, including Bonitto's, and still be well-positioned for next year to add new veteran talent in free agency. The Broncos have expertly structured contracts to work around the dead cap hits they have, and will no longer have to work around that. 

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The Broncos have the ability and resources to get it done, but they need to have the desire. The team should have that desire to keep its defensive core intact, but only time will tell if it happens.

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