How Broncos' Cash Commitments at ILB Impacts 2023 Outlook
The Denver Broncos have made the majority of their offseason moves, some more recent as they fine-tune the roster before training camp begins.
We now have a better idea about how much the Broncos will commit in terms of money toward the roster going into 2023. We can also get a better idea about the money commitment in 2024, given who is currently under contract with the team.
In the coming weeks, I'll continue to review each positional group and look at the money that's currently being committed to the biggest names in 2023, what can be expected for 2024, and what changes could potentially happen, which then affects the money committed.
We'll continue this series with the inside linebackers, a positional group in which the Broncos are committing a fair amount of money, but that might change in the future.
Linebacker Roster for 2023
Current linebackers: Josey Jewell, Alex Singleton, Drew Sanders, Jonas Griffith, Seth Benson, Justin Strnad, Ray Wilborn
Largest cash commitments for 2023: Singleton received a $4M signing bonus in the three-year contract he received back in March. He's also due a $2M, fully guaranteed base salary. Jewell is due a $4.49M base salary and a $510K per-game roster bonus, but none of that money is guaranteed. The two combine for $11M in cash commitments at the position.
Largest cash commitments for 2024: Singleton is due a $5.49M base salary, of which $3M is fully guaranteed. He's also due a $510K per-game roster bonus. After that comes Sanders, who is due a $1.01M base salary.
What could change for 2023: It's possible the Broncos could release Jewell after training camp. Doing so would save the Broncos $4.88M in cap space and $5M in cash commitments. However, it's not a given that the Broncos will release him.
What could change for 2024: Jewell will be an unrestricted free agent unless the Broncos re-sign him. It's possible the Broncos could let him walk, particularly if Sanders impresses in 2023 and the team decides he should start in 2024.
The Broncos could always look at other veterans, but it wouldn't surprise if the team hopes for Sanders to prove he can be a starter by 2024. That would allow the Broncos to commit less cash to the linebacker position and have more cash available to commit elsewhere.
Bottom Line
It's likely the Broncos will move forward with Jewell and Singleton as the starters for 2023, but the third-rounder Sanders is likely to see a fair amount of playing time. Whoever makes it as the fourth linebacker (or the fifth, if the Broncos go that route) remains to be seen.
RELATED: How Broncos' Cash Commitments on D-Line Impacts 2023 Outlook
Next season could be different, though. If Sanders impresses as a rookie, the Broncos likely make him the starter alongside Singleton, let Jewell depart in free agency, and go from there. And it wouldn't surprise if the Broncos go with younger, cheaper players for depth.
This concludes the series as it pertains to defense. We have a major position to review on offense next: quarterback.
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