Ranking Broncos' Next Most-Likely Cap-Casualty Candidates Post-Bouye Cut
As we gear up for NFL free agency, Denver Broncos GM George Paton has already started the process of clearing out contracts he may view as detrimental to the team. On Wednesday, the first domino fell with the release of cornerback A.J. Bouye, freeing up $11.68 million in cap space for the Broncos to utilize in free agency.
Undoubtedly, the Bouye was the first cap casulaty move and just the first of more to come over the next several weeks. Who else could be handed their walking papers?
Let’s take a look at Denver's other cap-casualty candidates in starting with the most-likely to least.
1. Jeff Driskel | QB
Let’s start off with a relatively easy one. The Broncos inked Driskel to a two-year, $5M contract last offseason to become their backup quarterback. He didn’t exactly turn out as planned, though, as he was almost immediately replaced by former practice-squadder Brett Rypien.
Driskel carries a $3.25M cap charge for the 2021 season. A release would incur $750,000 in dead cap, while freeing up $2.5M in cap space.
This one is a no-brainer and a move Paton could make very soon
2. Jurrell Casey | DL
Next in line for cut candidates would be Casey. The defensive lineman appeared in just three games this past season before tearing his bicep and landing on injured reserve. It’s really unfortunate for a former five-time Pro Bowler that many thought could be a difference-maker on this defense.
There is a scenario where Denver would bring Casey back for the upcoming season, but it’s going to likely require some contract reworking to do so (aka a pay-cut). There is currently zero dead cap on Casey’s contract, so a release would free up the entire $12.281M cap hit he’s currently slated for.
It would be a huge shock if Casey ends up staying in Denver with his current contract in place.
3. Nick Vannett | TE
In what seemed like a questionable decision by many, the Broncos brought in Vannett on a two-year, $5.7M deal last spring. By the end of the 2020 season, it became apparent he was a clear No. 3 receiving option at tight end behind starter Noah Fant and emerging rookie Albert Okwuegbunam.
Carrying a cap hit of $3.575M heading into the season (slightly higher than Fant’s), it’s hard to see the Broncos keeping Vannett at that cost to be, at best, No. 3 on the depth chart, especially when you have two other tight ends (Andrew Beck and Austin Fort) with similar skill-sets each being paid under $1M.
Vannett finds himself in a similar situation as Jeff Heuerman was last offseason.
4. Von Miller | OLB
You hate to even see a franchise player like Von on this list, but it’s just the reality of where things stand. The consensus in Broncos Country prior to the start of the season was that he’d have a monster bounce-back year but that got derailed after his freak ankle injury suffered during the last practice of training camp.
Von carries a cap hit of $22.225M for the 2021 season, with a dead money charge of $4.225M if he were to be released. Paton is going to have to decide if the potential $18M in savings is enough to move on from a longtime fan-favorite and former Super Bowl MVP.
You hope Von has a strong enough desire to remain with the team to be willing to work on his deal. His situation is somewhat similar to that of Casey’s in that his likelihood of returning to the team is going to be contingent on his willingness to rework his contract.
5. Kareem Jackson | S
If I were betting on this, I would say that Jackson returns to the Broncos in 2021. He has been an integral piece of Vic Fangio's defense and has more than played up to the price of his current contract.
However, we have to at least consider the idea that the Broncos could find themselves in a situation where the team chooses to move on from the veteran safety.
With Justin Simmons due to receive a new contract, the Broncos could ultimately decide they do not want to pay top dollar for both of their starting safeties. The Broncos would free up $10M of Jackson's $12.882M cap hit if they were to release him.
At the end of the day, it's doubtful Paton will want to gamble with replacing his production even against the allure of $10M in savings. Couple that with the fact that the Broncos are relatively thin at the position behind Jackson and Simmons, and odds are, Kareem sticks around and plays out the final year of his contract.
Darkhorse Candidate: Bryce Callahan | CB
Prior to the release of Bouye, one could make the argument that Callahan could also be a cut candidate. But with how thin the cornerback group is now, it just doesn’t seem worth the savings of $7M by moving on from him.
However, Callahan's dead cap is only $1.716M, so if the anticipate struggles to stay healthy again, things could quickly change.
Bottom Line
At the end of the day, teams are faced with tough decisions as it relates to moving on from overpriced veteran contracts every offseason. Which one of these players do you think Denver is most likely to release?
Sound off in the comment section below!
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