Examining How Much Broncos are Spending on Offense in 2022

Is this the right balance of salary-cap utilization?

There is a lot of excitement about the Denver Broncos offense in 2022, primarily because of the presence of Russell Wilson.

What's interesting about the Broncos is that, even with the acquisition of Wilson, they aren't spending a lot of money this year on offensive talent.

Over the Cap examined every NFL team in terms of how much cash they are spending on offensive players, and in particular, how much they're spending on the quarterback compared to other offensive positions.

The Broncos are spending $122.9M on offense this season, just above the league average of $121.1M. They rank 18th overall among NFL teams.

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our FREE newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

OTC's Jason Fitzgerald charted the teams based on their quarterback versus non-quarterback spending on offense. The Broncos are a team that Fitzgerald describes as having an expensive QB, but spending less elsewhere.

Wilson is due $24 million this season in the form of a $5M roster bonus and a $19M base salary, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the Broncos' spending on offense.

As for the rest of the offense, several players are still on their draft-pick contracts, which are often cheap, and others are on one-year, low-cost deals. The Broncos haven't committed a lot of cash to these positions.

However, in some cases, it may not last, particularly if certain players play at a high level in the next season or two. Let's look at each positional group to see how much longer the Broncos will enjoy the benefits of lower-cost players.

Running Back

USA TODAY Sports

The Broncos are spending less at the position this year because Melvin Gordon came back on a one-year deal for $2.5M, teammate Javonte Williams is still on his draft pick contract and Mike Boone is due a $1.25M base salary.

Williams is in the second year of his contract, so the Broncos will continue to get him at a reasonable cost. The question is how the Broncos fill the depth chart in 2023 and beyond because Gordon and Boone will be unrestricted free agents.

How much the Broncos continue to spend at this position depends on whether they prefer to add a veteran or draft a player. It won't be until 2024 when the Broncos will have to determine if they want to extend Williams.

Wide Receiver

USA TODAY Sports

The Broncos are benefitting from Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick taking below-market deals. Still, the Broncos are committing plenty of cash to both players.

Patrick, of course, will miss the 2022 season, but the Broncos will benefit from the likes of Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, and others playing on cheap rookie deals this season.

In 2023, though, things will get interesting. Hamler and Jeudy will enter the final year of their contracts. Although Jeudy has a fifth-year option, it would represent a significant increase. If either player proves worthy of an extension, that will mean one less receiver on a cheap deal.

Of course, that could be countered if the Broncos decide to move on from Patrick or Sutton down the road. But, for now, the Broncos are benefitting from not paying the current market price for receivers.

Tight End

USA TODAY Sports

Here's another position in which the Broncos are benefitting from players on cheaper deals, whether they are one-year, low-cost deals or players on draft pick contracts.

The Broncos may see rookie third-rounder Greg Dulcich as a potential long-term player at the position. If that works out, they have four years of a cost-controlled contract.

On the other hand, if Albert Okwuegbanum proves to be the top option, things get interesting in 2023 when he enters the final year of his contract. Would the Broncos be willing to pay him more on a veteran contract, or will they prefer to spend money elsewhere?

Offensive line

Getty

Garett Bolles is drawing the most money on offense after Wilson. He's receiving a $17M base salary.

Otherwise, it's mostly players on one-year, low-cost deals or players on rookie deals. The exception is Graham Glasgow, who renegotiated his 2022 salary to $3.1M plus incentives, but in 2023, will be due $10.4M.

In all likelihood, the Broncos will part ways with Glasgow after 2022, assuming they don't trade him before the season. But then the Broncos will have to figure out Dalton Risner's situation. Risner is in the last year of his rookie deal, and the Broncos will have to decide whether he's worth keeping.

The Broncos will also have to look at right tackle and might be thinking about a change at center. If, say, Calvin Anderson claims the right tackle job and proves worthy of starting, he could be in line for more money in 2023. And if the Broncos believe they need a veteran center, that may mean paying more money to get a quality veteran.

---

Follow Bob on Twitter @BobMorrisSports.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!