3 Under-Contract Broncos at Risk of Getting Cut in 2022
John Elway had some questionable moves over his final few years as a general manager for the Denver Broncos, and with George Paton now in charge, there could be some moves to rectify that. Paton is trying to flip this team around, and obviously, the quarterback is a large part of the puzzle here, but shouldering a few bad deals is also part of it.
A few players fall into this category. It wouldn't be surprising to see Paton make multiple moves to churn the roster as he tries to turn the franchise around.
There are three veterans, no longer playing on a rookie deal, that Paton could decide to move on from, similar to the Kareem Jackson situation this last spring that led to safety being cut, only to be re-signed to a team-friendly deal.
The following players are under contract for at least the 2022 season, and got their respective deals from then-GM Elway.
Graham Glasgow | OL
2022 Salary Cap Hit: $11,705,882
Glasgow has the third-highest salary-cap hit among NFl guards for the 2022 season. Before he got hurt, his play was not good enough to justify the cost.
While Denver would eat a good amount of dead money if it does anything without a June 1 designation, it'd be easier to explain that than the total cost of the contract.
The issue with this is how bad the Broncos' offensive line has looked this season. While Glasgow isn't great, he is a solid piece.
With Quinn Meinerz playing well and Lloyd Cushenberry III struggling, the decision could be made to pull Cushenberry from his starting role and insert Glasgow at the center spot.
There could be a new coaching staff, so there wouldn't be loyalty to Cushenberry to keep him as the starter.
How Likely he's Gone: Very
Mike Purcell | NT
2022 Salary Cap Hit: $4,524,166
The veteran nose tackle is a favorite of Vic Fangio, but his play this season has been disastrous. With a possible coaching change and a scheme change, Purcell could easily be on his way out.
More and more defensive schemes are going away from using full-time nose tackles and opting for more versatile players, which isn't Purcell's bag. If Paton does decide to keep Fangio, the coach may go to bat to keep Purcell around, especially when his cost isn't unreasonably high.
However, someone like DeShawn Williams could be better valued as he offers more, has played better than Purcell, and would be the cheaper option.
How Likely he's Gone: Very
Sam Martin | P
2022 Salary Cap Hit: $2,733,334
Denver's punter has been problematic for a few years, and Elway targeted the veteran from Detroit to bring stability. But, unfortunately, that isn't what has happened.
Martin has been inconsistent with multiple punts where he connected wrong, leading to poor results. He does hit the corner punts to pin opponents back reasonably well, but his consistency is questionable.
The hope was that Martin had a booming leg that would be huge at the altitude in Denver, but the results have not met the hype. While he is boasting his fourth-highest punting average this year and posted his third-best in 2020, expectations should be to push for some of the best averages of his career at altitude.
Martin has shown the ability to boom kicks but lacks consistency, and Denver could find much the same for cheaper.
How Likely he's Gone: Very
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