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Broncos, QB Bo Nix Agree To Terms

May 10th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The last of this year’s six quarterbacks chosen in Round 1 will be the first to sign his rookie deal, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicating Bo Nix put pen to paper with the Broncos on Friday.

As the Broncos have tried and failed repeatedly to replace Peyton Manning, Nix is the second Round 1 QB the team has turned to since the legendary passer’s retirement. The team whiffed badly on 2016 first-rounder Paxton Lynch. Chosen 14 spots earlier (12th overall), Nix will be counted on to help the franchise move on from the Russell Wilson mistake admission.

Setting a Division I-FBS QB record with 61 starts (at Auburn and Oregon), Nix dazzled at the Pac-12 program. The Broncos made an effort to separate the bevy of screen and short-yardage throws Nix made in the Ducks’ system — one that produced a 45-3 TD-INT ratio last season — and the team came away with an assessment Nix remained one of the draft’s most accurate passers. On the whole, Nix completed an astonishing 77.4% of his passes last season.

The Broncos have Jarrett Stidham under contract, and the team finalized a Zach Wilson trade days before the draft. The Sean Payton–George Paton combo had zeroed in on Nix by the time the Wilson trade was final, and it appears likely the five-year college starter will be under center early this season — if not by Week 1. The Broncos waived Ben DiNucci earlier this week. Stidham’s two-year, $10MM deal calls for a $4.49MM 2024 base salary; just $1MM of that is guaranteed.

Payton admitted he played a part in a smokescreen effort centered around the Broncos as a threat to move up the board. While connections to J.J. McCarthy were present — leading to the Vikings to trade up two spots for the Michigan passer — the Broncos were enamored with Nix. They are believed to have rated the Oregon-developed prospect as this draft’s third-best QB. Many disagree with that assessment, but Payton will get to work training the 6-foot-2 passer in his system.

Nix topped out at 16 TD passes in a season in three years at Auburn; like Michael Penix Jr., his numbers took a leap following a 2022 transfer. Nix threw 29 TD passes and seven picks at Oregon in 2022, adding a career-high 510 rushing yards and 14 TDs. It remains to be seen how much Nix’s scrambling ability will translate to the NFL, with his arm strength drawing some questions. The Broncos will bank on their handpicked QB’s accuracy and quick release, and the team has his former Ducks center — 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth — and top wide receiver (2024 fourth-rounder Troy Franklin) in place as the NFL development process begins.

Since Manning’s March 2016 retirement, the Broncos have used 13 starting QBs. The Lynch pick busting led the team to try free agency (Case Keenum), trades (Wilson, Joe Flacco, Teddy Bridgewater) and the second round (Drew Lock). Nix is the earliest Broncos QB draftee since Jay Cutler in 2006; the Payton regime will largely be shaped by how the latest QB1 candidate performs.

Broncos Sign 13 UDFAs

May 10th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

With rookie minicamps underway, the final batch of UDFA hauls are coming into focus. Here is the Broncos’ 13-man group:

The Broncos were believed to be targeting tight ends this offseason, but the team did not draft any or add an outside veteran free agent. This stands to place importance once again on 2022 third-rounder Greg Dulcich shaking off his chronic hamstring trouble. Neither of the tight ends in this UDFA class profile as players who would help on the receiving front immediately. A blocking tight end, Leonard did not eclipse 175 receiving yards in any of his five Yellowjackets seasons. Yassmin came to Utah after being noticed at a rugby camp; the ex-Dalton Kincaid Utes teammate showed some promise in 2022, catching 13 passes for 301 yards. He trudged through an injury-shortened 2023 season.

Constantinou will challenge veteran Riley Dixon for the Broncos’ punting job; Denver reacquired Dixon last year, giving him a $3.5MM deal. No guarantees remain on the eight-year veteran’s contract. An Australia native, Constantinou was a first-team All-SEC honoree in 2021 and second-team punter in 2022.

Watson received a $250K salary guarantee and a $25K bonus, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. An Old Dominion transfer, Watson impressed as an outlet option in his one season at Memphis. He totaled 480 receiving yards to go with 1,152 on the ground in 2023. He will join a suddenly crowded Denver backfield, which houses Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin and fifth-round pick Audric Estime. Brown and Crum each received $250K in total guarantees, according to Klis, coming in just south of Watson’s mark. Brown transferred from Northern Iowa to Nebraska, while Crum made 49 starts (36 at right tackle, 13 at left tackle) for Wyoming. Crum’s 2023 season at LT earned him first-team All-Mountain West Conference acclaim.

Not listed here, Nebraska cornerback Quinton Newsome is set to sign for $100K in total guarantees, Klis adds. The Broncos will need to cut one more player to make room on their 90-man roster, according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. Newsome was a three-year Cornhuskers starter who saw his draft stock hurt by a December shoulder surgery.

Broncos Release WR Phillip Dorsett, DL Rashard Lawrence

May 10th, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ UDFA contingent became official Friday, and the 13-man haul left the team the task of moving two players off its roster to reach the 90-man offseason limit. The team has complied, cutting two experienced veterans.

Denver informed wide receiver Phillip Dorsett and defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence of their respective releases, according to the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel and 9News’ Mike Klis.

Dorsett joined the Broncos on a practice squad deal just after teams finalized their initial 53-man rosters last August. The former first-round pick, who failed to make the Raiders’ 53-man roster in training camp, played in two games and caught one pass in 2023. The Broncos were Dorsett’s seventh NFL team. The nine-year veteran turned 31 earlier this offseason.

Dorsett’s best NFL showings came in Indianapolis and New England. The 2015 first-rounder was memorably included in a summer 2017 trade that sent Jacoby Brissett to the Patriots; that deal came after Dorsett totaled a career-high 528 receiving yards. He has not come within 100 yards of that total since. With Houston in 2022, the Miami alum caught 20 passes for 257 yards.

Lawrence, 25, has been with five teams since August 2023. The former Cardinals fourth-round pick, who started 13 games with his original team from 2020-22, did not make Arizona’s first Jonathan Gannon-run roster last year and caught on with the Dolphins’ practice squad. He then bounced to the Panthers and Texans’ taxi squads. The Broncos gave Lawrence and Dorsett reserve/futures contracts in January.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/24

May 9th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

As a number of teams prepare for rookie minicamps this weekend, Thursday has represented a signing day of sorts for rookie draftees. Here is the latest batch of mid- and late-rounders to sign their four-year rookie deals:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

  • T Travis Clayton (seventh round, England)

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

  • QB Spencer Rattler (fifth round, South Carolina)
  • WR Bub Means (fifth round, Pittsburgh)
  • LB Jaylan Ford (fifth round, Texas)
  • DT Khristian Boyd (sixth round, Northern Iowa)
  • T Josiah Ezirim (seventh round, Eastern Kentucky)

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

NFL Workouts: Jones, Ward, Summers, Tagovailoa

May 8th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran wide receiver Zay Jones continues to make the rounds after getting released by the Jaguars last week. Since then, the 29-year-old pass catcher has taken visits with the Titans, Cardinals, and Cowboys. The newest report has Jones scheduling a visit with the Chiefs tomorrow, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

An impressive 2022 campaign that saw Jones catch 82 balls for 823 yards and five touchdowns, all career highs except for the touchdowns, was virtually erased by a disappointing 2023 campaign in which the receiver missed eight games due to a PCL issue and femur damage. The Jaguars opted not to finish out Jones’ final season of a three-year contract, for which Jones would have represented a $6.57MM cap charge.

In Kansas City, Jones could be a part of a completely new-look wide receiving corps for Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs have added Marquise Brown in free agency and Texas first-round rookie Xavier Worthy in the draft. They also return Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, and Noah Gray from last year, but Rice could be facing some legal trouble, and if healthy, Jones would be an improvement over the other three while playing alongside Brown and Worthy.

Here are a few other workouts happening around the NFL:

  • Career depth running back Jonathan Ward is participating in the Steelers rookie minicamp, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Over four years with the Cardinals and Titans, Ward only has 69 career rushing yards on 17 carries. He’s proven to be an active special teams contributor during that time, though.
  • The Broncos took a look at veteran linebacker Ty Summers at their rookie minicamp this past weekend, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Summers only has one career start over five years with the Packers, Jaguars, and Saints but has appeared in 71 games over that span. A linebacker with some speed, Summers is a productive special teamer, as well.
  • After agreeing to participate in the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp, undrafted Maryland quarterback, and brother of the Dolphins’ starting passer, Taulia Tagovailoa will attend the Cardinals‘ rookie minicamp this week, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The rookie will audition to join last year’s fifth-round pick Clayton Tune and 2022’s third-round pick for Atlanta Desmond Ridder as potential backup arms for Kyler Murray in 2024.
  • An undrafted linebacker who graduated from Harvard before playing as a graduate transfer at Villanova, Daniel Abraham has been invited to minicamps for both the Falcons and the Seahawks, per Wilson. The speedy linebacker obviously poses some interest due to both his athleticism and his intellect.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/8/24

May 8th, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s draft pick signings:

Denver Broncos

Estime spent three years with the Fighting Irish. Though he only started 14 games, he combined in his last two seasons to accumulate 2,261 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns. He joins a backfield that featured Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine in 2023 and returns all three.

Vele comes to the NFL after reeling in 98 catches for 1,288 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his final two years with the Utes. He led Utah in receiving yards this past season and was second on the team in 2022, coming in behind tight end Dalton Kincaid. He helps replenish a wide receiving corps in Denver that lost Jerry Jeudy and still might see Courtland Sutton traded away.

Gargiulo arrived in Columbia after earning his degree in four years at Yale. Gargiulo was a versatile lineman for both the Bulldogs and Gamecocks, spending time at both guard and center for both schools. Much won’t be asked of Gargiulo as a rookie, but he adds versatile depth to the Broncos offensive line.

Broncos To Waive QB Ben DiNucci

May 8th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

Ben DiNucci‘s season back in the NFL came in Denver, with the Broncos giving the former Cowboys backup-turned-XFL starter another shot. A 2024 overhaul of the team’s QB room will change its plans regarding DiNucci.

The team will waive the reserve passer, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Broncos added both Zach Wilson and Bo Nix to their QB room during draft week, and Jarrett Stidham remains on the roster. DiNucci’s exit will leave three QBs on Denver’s 90-man roster.

Catching on with the Broncos in May 2023, DiNucci came over after a season in the third XFL incarnation. A member of the Seattle Sea Dragons, DiNucci led XFL 3.0 in passing yards (2,671) while throwing 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 10 starts. The spring-league opportunity created NFL interest, and the Broncos kept DiNucci around throughout last season. Denver gave DiNucci a reserve/futures contract in January.

The Broncos had taken care of DiNucci, 27, after he made the decision to stay with the team rather than move to the Saints’ active roster. New Orleans had attempted to poach DiNucci off Denver’s P-squad following a Derek Carr injury last season, but DiNucci opted to remain the AFC West team’s emergency third-stringer behind Russell Wilson and Stidham. The Broncos ended up elevating DiNucci to their active roster three times, covering the QB, as he would have been required to remain on the Saints’ active roster (and see game checks that come with that status) for at least three weeks had he left for New Orleans.

Last seeing regular-season action in 2020 with the Cowboys, DiNucci saw preseason time for the Broncos last year. While the Broncos could need a fourth QB at some point this offseason, each of their three options are healthy. Nix’s development will define Denver’s spring and summer, and the coaching staff will also need to focus on training Wilson in Sean Payton‘s system. This move will leave Stidham as the only Denver QB with previous experience in the current scheme.

A former seventh-round Cowboys pick out of James Madison, DiNucci spent the 2022 season out of football after being a Dallas cut that summer. The former Pittsburgh recruit would profile as a player of interest to the newly formed United Football League, but that season is more than halfway over. Not being claimed on the waiver wire could stall DiNucci’s career.

Broncos Made Call About Moving Up In Round 1; Team Eyed TE Help In Offseason

May 7th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean Payton admitted he was a central part of a smokescreen effort that centered on Broncos interest in moving up for a quarterback. This buzz certainly may have influenced the Vikings to trade up one spot (via the Jets), and the effort also involved Denver brass making calls about moving up the board.

The Bears heard from the Broncos about No. 9 overall, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This would add a layer to one of the more interesting smokescreens of recent years. One pick later, the Vikings moved from No. 11 to No. 10, sending the Jets fourth- and fifth-round picks to climb up and lock in J.J. McCarthy draft real estate.

This did clear the runway for the Broncos to land Bo Nix, their long-rumored target, though it helped an AFC team in the form of Day 3 draft capital. Neither the Bears nor Jets were candidates to draft a quarterback, and Payton said he viewed the Vikings as more interested in McCarthy than Nix. The Broncos are believed to have ranked the Oregon prospect as this draft’s third-best QB.

The Broncos indeed became enamored with Nix, with Fowler adding the five-year college starter was the team’s “guy the whole way.” Nix, 24, will be expected to either begin the season as the Broncos’ starter or take over from either Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson early. Seeing as he spent a season in Payton’s system, Stidham is on track — per 9News’ Mike Klis — to see starter work to open OTAs. Though, the primary Broncos QB storyline will be Nix’s progress in Payton’s system as the offseason turns into training camp. Stidham’s two-year, $10MM deal includes only $1MM in guaranteed 2024 salary.

Also entering the draft with a quarterback need, the Raiders lurking at No. 13 influenced the Broncos to not attempt to trade down for Nix but rather to stay at 12 and pull the trigger. This prompted many to label the pick a reach. The Broncos had interesting options had they not opted to fill their most glaring need. Brock Bowers and Laiatu Latu remained on the board. Denver was among the teams to clear Latu on his pre-draft physical, Fowler adds, noting the team would have given strong consideration to the UCLA edge rusher had it not determined Nix needed to be the pick at 12.

Latu met with the Broncos during the pre-draft process; Bowers did not. But the Georgia tight end would have filled an apparent need for the Broncos, who have seen their top receiving tight end — Greg Dulcich — run into repeated hamstring trouble. Hamstring issues have caused the 2022 third-round pick to miss extensive time in both his pro seasons, leading to four IR trips already, and Klis adds the Broncos wanted to come out of this offseason with a tight end addition. Nothing has transpired on this front, though.

Specifically, the Broncos were hoping to acquire another receiving tight end. The Raiders ended up with Bowers at No. 13, despite having traded up for Michael Mayer (albeit under a previous regime) early in last year’s second round. The Broncos did not view the free agent market as lining up with their budget, Klis adds. The market also saw two of its top names — Hunter Henry, Dalton Schultz — re-sign before free agency began.

Ex-Broncos first-rounder Noah Fant stayed with the Seahawks (two years, $21MM) but was available during the legal tampering period. Falcons cut Jonnu Smith landed with the Dolphins for just two years and $8.4MM, while the Bengals scooped up Mike Gesicki for just $2.5MM. Gerald Everett joined the Bears on a two-year, $12MM deal, while Hayden Hurst followed ex-Broncos FA target (during Nathaniel Hackett‘s offseason as HC) Will Dissly to the Chargers.

While the Broncos circled back to edge rusher in the third round (Utah’s Jonah Elliss), they did not select a tight end. The team re-signed ex-Saints cog Adam Trautman on a two-year, $7.5MM deal. Trautman led Broncos tight ends with just 204 receiving yards last season, highlighting Dulcich’s absence.

Beyond Logan Thomas, the market is fairly dry for receiving TEs. This points to Dulcich, who totaled 411 receiving yards as a rookie but played in two games last season, having another genuine opportunity to hold this job — if he can stay healthy.

Jets Offered Pay Cut To Retain DL John Franklin-Myers

May 3rd, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Joe Douglas era’s top success stories, John Franklin-Myers went from 2019 waiver claim to a versatile regular on the Jets‘ defensive line. A higher-profile pass rusher effectively took his spot on the team’s 2024 cap sheet, however.

The Jets’ trade for Haason Reddick led to Franklin-Myers being given a chance to find a new home. The team had given Franklin-Myers a four-year, $55MM extension early in the 2021 season, and the former Rams draftee rewarded the team by becoming a regular starter over the past three years. The Reddick move led to the Jets trading Franklin-Myers to the Broncos in what amounted to a salary dump; only a 2026 sixth-round pick is coming back to New York in the swap.

Praising Franklin-Myers on the way out, Douglas confirmed this trade was strictly contract-related. Franklin-Myers, 27, had been carrying the third-highest cap hit ($16.4MM) on the Jets’ payroll. The Broncos, however, reworked the six-year veteran’s deal and now have him on more manageable numbers — two years, $15MM ($7.9MM fully guaranteed) — heading into the 2024 season.

The Jets did submit what amounted to a pay-cut proposal to convince Franklin-Myers to stay, but the inside-outside rusher said the AFC East team’s offer was not “anything close” to the Broncos’ terms. Indeed, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini adds the Jets’ offer came in well south of his current numbers. Franklin-Myers will count $5MM on Denver’s cap this season. If this proves a shaky fit, the Broncos can save $7MM by releasing the trade pickup in 2025.

Combining for 11 sacks from 2021-22 and totaling 48 QB hits over the past three seasons, Franklin-Myers started every Jets game over the past three years. He projects as a starting D-lineman alongside Zach Allen and D.J. Jones in Denver’s 3-4 scheme. With Jones more run stuffer than three-down player, Franklin-Myers stands to see time alongside Allen as inside rushers in sub-packages. Allen tallied a career-high 24 QB hits last season and has totaled 10.5 sacks over the past two years. This makes for an intriguing combination for a Broncos team that returns its top three edge players (Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto) from 2023.

Reddick, of course, gives the Jets a higher-ceiling option. He joins recent first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald on the team’s Quinnen Williams-anchored defensive line. The Jets, who are effectively replacing Bryce Huff with Reddick, have not agreed on an extension with the Pro Bowl edge rusher. As of now, Reddick remains on his three-year, $45MM Eagles deal; that contract expires after the 2024 season. It would surprise if Reddick-Jets contract talks did not take place this offseason.

Broncos Met With Drake Maye, Spencer Rattler; Raiders’ QB Need Impacted Team’s Bo Nix Plan

May 1st, 2024 at 1:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Sean Payton effectively admitted he participated in a smokescreen effort regarding the Broncos‘ interest in trading up for a quarterback, the team was most closely tied to Bo Nix during the draft run-up. That did not end up costing the Broncos, who selected the Oregon prospect at No. 12. But the team also did its homework on other passers.

We heard before the draft that J.J. McCarthy trekked to Denver and Nix threw for Broncos brass in Eugene, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the Broncos did meet with Drake Maye and Spencer Rattler before the draft. Maye proved to be well out of Denver’s price range, as New England turned down two offers — from the Giants and Vikings — that included 2025 first-round picks. Ticketed to be Derek Carr‘s backup in New Orleans, Rattler did not go off the board until Round 5.

[RELATED: Assessing Bo Nix’s Prospect Profile]

Multiple reports pointed to the Broncos being interested in making an aggressive move up the board for a passer; McCarthy, who met with the Broncos on a “30” visit, was mentioned as a target. It turns out Broncos-Nix connections early this offseason doubled as prescient reports. The five-year college starter will likely be given the keys early in his rookie season, with ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano mentioning during a recent TV appearance the recent Pac-12 star is expected to “play right away.”

Broncos GM George Paton scouted Nix at four Oregon games but did not share his views with Payton, per Breer, with an aim toward the Super Bowl-winning HC — and the current Broncos top decision-maker — reaching his own conclusions on the prospect. Payton said post-draft Broncos brass viewed the Vikings as being McCarthy fans and the Raiders eyeing Michael Penix Jr. The Broncos did carry some fear, especially after the Falcons chose Penix at No. 8, the Raiders would leapfrog them for Nix, Breer adds. The QB-needy Raiders’ presence at No. 13 influenced the Broncos to stay put and make a pick many have labeled a reach.

The Raiders were, in fact, interested in Penix — more so than Nix or McCarthy — according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. After a second straight offseason of extensive work on QB draft prospects, the Raiders did not add a high-value pick at the position. As the Raiders regroup around Gardner Minshew, the Broncos do not have a clear hurdle in Nix’s path to seeing action early. Denver has Jarrett Stidham as a placeholder and took a flier on Zach Wilson before passing on the ex-Jet’s fifth-year option. Barring something unexpected, it would surprise if Nix is not Denver’s starter early this season.

Although QBs coach Davis Webb ran Nix’s workout, Breer adds the Paton-Payton tandem — along with ownership — did not reveal to other members of the team’s staff where Nix stood on the team’s board. It is believed the Broncos viewed Nix as this draft’s third-best QB prospect. Most do not agree with that placement, and longtime draft analyst Todd McShay said during an appearance on The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo Podcast (h/t the New York Post) at least 10 NFL evaluators he spoke to did not have a first-round grade on Nix. The Broncos are high on Nix’s accuracy, with their research effort removing QB prospects’ screens and short routes to reveal a player who still ranked as one of Division I-FBS’ most precise passers when those dumpoffs are taken out of the equation.

Since Peyton Manning‘s retirement, the Broncos have used two first-round picks on QBs (Nix, Paxton Lynch) and one second-rounder (Drew Lock) on the position. The team made three trades for starters, obtaining Joe Flacco (2019), Teddy Bridgewater (2021) and Russell Wilson (2022), while signing Case Keenum (two years, $36MM) in 2018. Nothing has worked for the NFL’s only franchise to see a QB retire following a Super Bowl win. That has occurred twice in Denver, and the team has encountered a much tougher journey replacing Manning than John Elway.

Nix now holds the keys to the Broncos’ effort to pick up the pieces post-Russell Wilson, whose $85MM dead money number will cut into Denver’s ability to capitalize on the No. 12 pick’s rookie contract. Although Payton led the effort in pointing Drew Brees to the Hall of Fame and helping develop Tony Romo in Dallas, grooming a first-round pick from scratch will be new territory. With Wilson’s contract quickly becoming an albatross, the Broncos did not have much of a choice but to turn back to the draft.

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