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Denver Broncos News & Rumors

Vikings To Sign QB Sam Darnold

March 12th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

11:37am: Although the Broncos monitored Darnold’s market, 9News’ Mike Klis indicates the team did not make an offer. Darnold’s asking price landing in the $10MM-per-year neighborhood looks to have moved the Broncos out of the mix. Despite the team having only Jarrett Stidham in place post-Russell Wilson, it passed on making this a true bidding war.

12:12am: Competing against multiple other suitors, the Vikings will bring in their preferred Kirk Cousins fallback option. Sam Darnold has joined DaQuan Jones in making a wee-hours call on his 2024 NFL team.

Darnold will rejoin his former teammate — new Vikings QBs coach Josh McCown — in Minnesota, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting the recent 49ers back will sign a one-year deal worth $10MM. The Vikings appear to have beaten out the Broncos and Commanders for the former No. 3 overall pick.

[RELATED: Falcons To Give Kirk Cousins $180MM Deal]

This will bring what looks to be a clear-cut starter opportunity for Darnold, who has not gone into a season as a starter since 2021 with the Panthers. With Cousins’ Atlanta departure set to bring $28.5MM in dead money due to the void years Minnesota tacked onto their previous starter’s deal, Darnold at a significantly reduced rate will help the Vikings pick up the pieces.

Darnold, 26, emerged on the Vikings’ radar minutes after Cousins chose to leave. The team had made its pitch to its six-year starter up until Sunday night, but the 35-year-old passer will camp in Georgia on a $45MM-per-year accord. Cousins certainly is a more stable option compared to Darnold, who could not stick as the Jets or Panthers’ starter. But the Vikings will not be devoting anything close to their QB spot compared to the past six seasons. The Cousins era taxed the Vikings, who were battling uphill in negotiations since giving the ex-Washington franchise tag recipient a fully guaranteed deal in 2018.

With the salary cap ballooning to $55.4MM, the Vikings will need to give Darnold more than the Buccaneers handed Baker Mayfield in the wake of Tom Brady‘s void years-generated bill hitting their books last year. Mayfield collected some incentives but signed for just $4MM in base value last year. Darnold has not reached the heights Mayfield did merely in Cleveland, and the USC alum has made 56 career starts. But an argument can also be made — even after six seasons — the former top prospect landed in two bad situations as a starter.

The Jets chose to ship Darnold out after three seasons, which came under Todd Bowles and Adam Gase and with clear issues on the offensive line and at the pass-catching positions. And the Panthers acquired Darnold — for three draft picks, including a second-rounder — during an unstable period in which Matt Rhule was ready to move on from the trade pickup by his second season. Mayfield then replaced Darnold as Carolina’s starter, and while the latter recaptured his job, the Panthers were on the verge of another regime change. Darnold has a career 63-56 TD-INT ratio and has averaged just 6.7 yards per pass as a pro. In his most recent season with enough usage to qualify (2021), Darnold ranked 29th in QBR.

The Vikings will give Darnold a Justin Jefferson–T.J. Hockenson–Jordan Addison trio to target, and while the former Trojans standout will probably never live up to his draft slot, Kevin O’Connell‘s offense looks like his best opportunity to show he can be a decent starter. Of course, the Vikings will certainly be connected to QBs in the draft; they hold the No. 11 overall pick. But Darnold would be in place as the bridge in that circumstance. He could also buy the NFC North team time if a trade-up maneuver proves elusive come April.

Broncos, Vikings Submit Offers To QB Sam Darnold; Commanders In Mix

March 11th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

9:20pm: The Commanders are also in talks with Darnold, NFL.com’s Peter Schrager tweets. That would seem a less enticing fit, due to the team being expected to draft a passer at No. 2 overall. Though, that is not a lock. And the Commanders, Sam Howell’s status notwithstanding, are kicking the tires on adding Darnold to Kliff Kingsbury‘s offense.

8:13pm: Sam Darnold has an interesting decision to make. Two teams in need of at least a bridge starter — the Vikings and Broncos — are pursuing him. Both have made offers, per the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin.

After spending last season as the 49ers’ backup, the former No. 3 overall pick profiles as a lower-cost option for a team in need of a reset. Both Denver and Minnesota qualify, given Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins‘ respective exits. With Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew committing elsewhere, options have thinned a bit in this market.

[RELATED: Broncos, Vikings On Radar For QB Trade-Up]

Darnold-to-Denver would probably make him the favorite over Jarrett Stidham to replace Wilson on a full-time basis. But the Broncos’ draft plan introduces a variable. Then again, the Vikings are now in the same boat post-Cousins. Both teams figure to be closely connected to QBs in this draft, and Darnold will be cognizant of that. But starting jobs, especially with the Raiders snagging Minshew, are running out. Darnold seems like he will be the bridge in Denver or Minnesota soon, however.

Immediately linked to Darnold in the aftermath of Cousins’ Falcons decision, the Vikings will need a lower-cost option in 2024. They are about to eat $28.5MM in dead money stemming from Cousins’ last contract. A disagreement on guarantees last year nixed another Cousins extension, leading to Minnesota using void years to make his 2023 cap hit work. Although the Vikings pursued their six-year starter and drove up the Falcons’ price, Cousins is still bolting for Georgia.

The team that misses out on Darnold here would have the likes of Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and Joe Flacco (though, probably not in Denver’s case) still available. The Raiders are also planning to cut Jimmy Garoppolo on Wednesday; the six-year 49ers starter would stand to be an option as well, but Darnold — who is still just 26 — looks to be the teams’ top priority as of Monday night.

Broncos To Re-Sign K Wil Lutz

March 11th, 2024 at 1:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Wil Lutz had a three-year deal in place with the Jaguars earlier today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Instead, the veteran kicker has elected to remain with the Broncos on a two-year agreement, Mike Klis of 9News reports in an update. Lutz will stay on a two-year deal worth just more than $8MM, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

This marks the second straight offseason the Broncos and Jaguars are intertwined at kicker. Denver’s release of Brandon McManus prompted a Jacksonville offer. The Jaguars only gave McManus a one-year contract, opening their kicker position for next season. Lutz has worked with Sean Payton on two occasions now, and the partnership will continue.

Denver acquired Lutz from New Orleans just before last season, scrapping Brett Maher plans. The Broncos struggled in the red zone at points in Wilson’s second season, and Lutz became a key part of the team’s five-game midseason win streak. Lutz memorably missed a game-winning field goal in Buffalo, only for a Bills offside infraction to give him another chance. Overall, Lutz made 88.2% of his FG tries; that marked Lutz’s best connect rate since his 2019 Pro Bowl campaign.

The Lutz pursuit is interesting due to Riley Patterson‘s presence back on the Jags’ offseason roster. Jacksonville’s primary kicker in 2022, Patterson bounced between Detroit and Cleveland last year. The Lions booted Patterson once again after giving the job back to Michael Badgley; the Jags gave Patterson a reserve/futures contract in January.

The Broncos have enjoyed kicker continuity on par with the Packers’ quarterback timeline. The team only employed three primary kickers (Jason Elam, Matt Prater, McManus) from 1993-2022. Lutz’s age (29) and relationship with Payton qualifies him as a potential long-term option, as the two worked together for six years in New Orleans.

Broncos Plan To Sign S Brandon Jones

March 11th, 2024 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Denver parted ways with Justin Simmons recently, leaving a vacancy at the safety spot. The team plans to fill it by signing Brandon Jones, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. It will be a three-year deal, he adds.

Although Jones will not land in the same salary range as Simmons, the Broncos are guaranteeing him a notable sum. The ex-Dolphin is signing with Sean Payton‘s team for $12.5MM guaranteed, via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. Jones can earn up to $22.5MM on the deal.

This may conclude Denver’s safety spending, as Payton viewed Simmons’ top-five contract as a luxury the team could not afford presently. Given the Russell Wilson development, the Broncos trimming at other positions makes sense. They stripped two of their better starters — Simmons and Jerry Jeudy — off the roster last week.

If the Broncos are done at safety, they will have a trio fairly familiar with one another. Jones joined P.J. Locke and Caden Sterns at Texas; all three safeties were with the Longhorns in 2018, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

Jones, 25, is coming off his best season. The 2020 third-round pick graded as a top-20 safety, in the view of Pro Football Focus, which rated the four-year Dolphin as a high-end coverage player and blitzer. Jones ripped off five sacks in 2021. Last season, he intercepted two passes. The 6-foot-1 defender also forced a fumble in each of his four NFL seasons.

The Broncos used Simmons as a seven-year starter, and he camped on the All-Pro second team; four such honors came the veteran’s way over the past five seasons. While the Broncos may be battling uphill without their secondary leader, their top three in 2024 may consist of three college teammates who each have at least three years’ experience.

Broncos Trading WR Jerry Jeudy To Browns

March 9th, 2024 at 11:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Jerry Jeudy is heading to Cleveland. The Browns and Broncos have agreed to a deal for the wide receiver, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Denver will receive 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks from Cleveland, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The deal will become official on Wednesday.

Jeudy has seemingly been involved in trade talks for more than a year, and we heard that the Broncos were actively fielding offers for the receiver prior to the trade deadline. Schefter notes that the Browns were among the teams that made a run at Jeudy last season, with NFL Network’s James Palmer noting that Cleveland’s front office previously thought the price was too high. The Broncos apparently reduced their demands, leading to today’s agreement.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the front office recently indicated that they were “warming up” to trading Jeudy (and, at the same time, presumably dropping their asking price). According to Fowler, the Jets and Patriots were among the teams that also expressed interest in the receiver before he was dealt to the Browns.

The former first-round pick never developed into a top-end receiver during his time in Denver, although that was partly due to inconsistent play from the quarterback position. Jeudy followed up a solid rookie season with a disappointing sophomore campaign, but he seemed to bounce back in 2022. Jeudy finished that season with 67 catches for 972 yards and six touchdowns, leading to the Broncos picking up his fifth-year option.

However, after emerging as a trade candidate in 2022, the talks picked up steam in 2023. Jeudy was constantly mentioned alongside teammate Courtland Sutton in trade rumors, but the Broncos ultimately decided to hang on to both of their top receivers. Jeudy wasn’t able to follow up on his promising 2022 campaign, as the wideout finished 2023 with 54 catches for 758 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (11 starts). He finished the season ranked 62nd on Pro Football Focus’ ranking of 128 qualifying wideouts.

With the Broncos moving on from Russell Wilson, the organization will be featuring a new-look offense in 2024. That divorce probably contributed to the organization’s decision to finally rip off the Jeudy band aid, but there were also financial reasons to move on from the former first-round wideout. The cash-strapped Broncos will clear around $13MM with the trade, as Jeudy’s fifth-year option was fully guaranteed.

Focus will now shift to Sutton, who will likely continue to be on the trade block. Marvin Mims will also be eyeing a larger role heading into 2024. As Palmer notes, Sean Payton has made it clear that he wants the 2023 second-round pick on the field, but the coach believed the wideout was being blocked on the depth chart by Jeudy. This trade should clear Mims up for a significant role next season.

Jeudy will now look to rehabilitate his value in Cleveland before hitting free agency next offseason. With the Browns having made a massive commitment to Deshaun Watson, Cleveland’s front office has done everything in their power to surround the QB with intriguing targets.

The team first traded a fifth-round pick to have Amari Cooper lead their depth chart, and they later swapped a second-round pick for a third-round pick in order to acquire Elijah Moore. The organization has once again looked to add a target without giving up significant draft capital, although their offensive hopes will still depend on Watson’s ability to return to his previous form.

Broncos To Re-Sign S P.J. Locke

March 9th, 2024 at 8:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Broncos moved on from a franchise mainstay earlier this week by releasing Justin Simmons. While he will not be in place for 2024, P.J. Locke will be. The latter has agreed to a new Denver deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rapoport notes Locke will receive $7MM in base compensation on a two-year deal. The maximum value sits at $9MM, which will mark a hefty raise from his previous deals. The former UDFA had amassed less than $4MM in career earnings across five seasons. He will now remain in Denver and avoid a trip to the open market.

Simmons’ release created the possibility that all three safeties which played signficant time in 2023 (he, Locke and Kareem Jackson, who was waived and finished the campaign with the Texans) could be gone by the 2024 campaign. However, a recent report noted interest from the team to work out a new deal in Locke’s case. The 27-year-old took on starting duties filling in for Jackson last year, and he will be counted on as a first-teamer moving forward.

Locke tallied 53 tackles, one interception, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles and three sacks last season. Each of those figures represented career highs, and he could have generated a notable market given his age and play down the stretch even with numerous veterans now available. After playing each of his 59 games with the Broncos, however, Locke has elected to take another new deal in lieu of gauging his outside value.

The Texas alum joins Caden Sterns and a pair of other recent draftees (Delarrin Turner-Yell, JL Skinner) in being on the books for Denver ahead of free agency. That group is severely lacking in experience compared to the Broncos’ longtime Simmons-Jackson tandem, so an addition at the position would come as no surprise. The team will have several options to choose from on the open market. Regardless of what happens on that front, though, Locke will face significant expectations ahead of 2024 and ’25.

The Broncos entered Saturday with roughly $30.5MM in cap space with free agency on the horizon. Locke’s new deal will lower that figure to a slight extent, but his continued presence will be welcomed on a Denver defense which will feature a number of new faces next year.

Giants Meet With Russell Wilson

March 8th, 2024 at 11:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers became the first team connected to Russell Wilson following the news of his imminent Broncos release, but one other team was believed to be in on the decorated quarterback. It appears the Giants are that mystery suitor.

Wilson has already met with — or is meeting with — the Giants, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The two-year Broncos quarterback was recently at an airport in Newark. While Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh for a Steelers meeting Friday, the 35-year-old passer appears squarely on the Giants’ radar. The Broncos are allowing Wilson to negotiate with teams before his actual release.

[RELATED: Giants Looking Into Trade-Up For QB]

Wilson’s Giants meeting can be labeled an “exploratory” session, Schefter adds, confirming the Pittsburgh trip is a go. The Giants fit would seem a bit clunkier, due to Daniel Jones‘ 2024 guaranteed salary, but GM Joe Schoen has frequently mentioned the team will add a QB this offseason. What remains to be seen is how the Giants will go about doing that.

They have been increasingly tied to an effort to trade up for a passer or select one at No. 6. A Wilson addition would stand to be a different route altogether, and the team would then seemingly be signing off on a Wilson-Jones competition despite the $40MM-AAV contract it gave its starter last March. The Giants can reasonably escape that contract in 2025.

Financially, a Wilson move would be a creative effort on the Giants’ part. Due to offset language in his current contract, Wilson can sign with his next team for the league minimum and stick the Broncos with the rest of the bill. Although Wilson made a point to thank several of his former teammates in a farewell post, he unsurprisingly omitted Sean Payton and George Paton when confirming he was done in Denver. Wilson has confirmed the Broncos attempted to convince him to move the vesting date for his 2025 guarantee; he refused, which will led to an official exit March 13 (as a post-June 1 cut).

That drama would benefit the accomplished passer’s next team, which would be able to add a former franchise QB at a significant discount. Wilson is currently tied to a $49MM-per-year Broncos deal; he played on a $35MM-AAV Seahawks pact from 2019-21. While attached to the latter deal, Wilson famously made a list of acceptable trade destinations. The Bears, Saints, Raiders and Cowboys initially made that 2021 list, but the then-Seahawks starter amended it to include the Broncos and Giants. He ended up waiving his no-trade clause for Denver, which proved to be a poor fit.

The Giants have Jones and Tommy DeVito under contract for 2024; they are not expected to re-sign Tyrod Taylor. Jones is on track to be ready for training camp, though four-plus months still remain until that point on his ACL rehab journey. Wilson has expressed obvious interest in becoming a starter again. With Schoen repeatedly indicating Jones will be the starter when he returns, it would seem the Giants would not be the favorite to secure Wilson’s services. Though, it will depend on just how many teams are truly interested.

Schefter also mentions the Raiders as a possibility, but that is not certain yet. Antonio Pierce has made no secret of the team’s interest in adding a long-term option; at this stage, Wilson does not qualify as such. The Raiders have joined the Giants in being regularly linked to a first-round trade-up maneuver.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/24

March 8th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor transactions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

Pittsburgh Steelers

Collier returns for a second chance in Arizona. After signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals almost a year ago, a biceps injury ended the 28-year-old’s season after only one start. He had impressed in camp and the preseason and will get another chance to do so in 2024.

Johnson was an exclusive rights free agent set to hit the open market next week. The Bears avoid tendering him by signing him to a new deal to remain in Chicago.

Bailey was set to be a restricted free agent but will no longer seek outside offer sheets after signing a new deal with Denver. He reportedly didn’t sign at the tender amount, agreeing to make $1.06MM next year.

Mundt came to Minnesota in 2022 with high hopes of expanding his game as a more complete tight end. With the Vikings, he’s upped his game as a receiver with 36 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns. His head coach, Kevin O’Connell, calls him the NFL’s best TE3, and the team will pay him $2.5MM as a reward.

Broncos To Keep WR Tim Patrick On Reworked Deal

March 8th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:04pm: This move will bring the expected pay cut and create $8MM in cap space for the Broncos, who also restructured Mike McGlinchey‘s deal to add $11MM more in funds ahead of free agency, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. As for Patrick, he will drop his base salary from $9.5MM to the veteran minimum with a small amount in per-game roster bonuses in the equation, Yates adds.

Patrick received $18MM guaranteed when he signed his extension 2 1/2 years ago; in a likely pay-cut-or-get-cut situation, he will opt to stay in Denver rather than hit free agency coming off two season-nullifying injuries.

11:11am: The Broncos said goodbye to Justin Simmons, their longest-tenured player, and are set to likely bid farewell to other multiyear starters this offseason. But they plan to hang onto Tim Patrick, despite his run of bad injury luck.

Patrick has agreed to a reworked contract to stay in Denver, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. One year remained on Patrick’s previous contract — a three-year, $34MM extension agreed to during the 2021 season — but ACL and Achilles tears have kept him off the field over the past two seasons. The Broncos are not adding any years to the deal.

With Simmons gone, Patrick sits behind only Garett Bolles for seniority on the Broncos. The former UDFA has been with the team since midway through the 2017 season, predating Courtland Sutton in Denver. Sutton and Jerry Jeudy‘s statuses are again up in the air, but the team will again try to go into a season with the 6-foot-4 pass catcher available to suit up.

Operating as a regular for the Broncos during a period in which Sutton, Jeudy and KJ Hamler each encountered notable injury trouble, Patrick established himself as a key auxiliary option for the likes of Drew Lock, Joe Flacco and Teddy Bridgewater. The possession receiver totaled 742 yards in 2020 and 734 in 2021, finishing second on the team in receiving yardage in each season. But Patrick will effectively have skipped the Broncos’ rocky Russell Wilson era, going down in training camp in each of the past two years to weaken Denver’s receiving corps.

Acquired during the John Elway GM period, Patrick joined the Broncos as a practice squad addition in October 2017. He worked his way into a $10MM-per-year contract; the Broncos re-signed both Patrick and Sutton during the 2021 season. Patrick’s extension that proved important given the events of the following two summers, but with the Broncos needing to cut costs, no realistic chance existed they would retain Patrick on his slotted salary ($9.5MM). But the Utah alum is well-regarded as a leader in the locker room.

It is not known which of his WR teammates beyond Marvin Mims will be back, but the Broncos will give the 30-year-old target another opportunity.

Broncos To Release TE Chris Manhertz

March 8th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

A key blocking presence in Denver last season, Chris Manhertz is moving off the Broncos’ roster amid a cap crunch. The team will release the veteran tight end, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets.

The Broncos gave Manhertz a two-year, $6MM deal to rejoin Sean Payton last year. Better remembered for his time with the Panthers and Jaguars, Manhertz is an eight-year veteran. His release will save the Broncos just more than $2MM in cap space.

“I’ve played long enough in this league to where whatever happens, it’s just business,” Manhertz said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “Is it disappointing news? Sure. But it’s just business. You take it for what it is.”

Manhertz, 31, played 367 offensive snaps over 16 games for the Broncos last season. Denver’s rushing attack struggled for the most part, and Manhertz (two catches, 16 yards) was a non-factor in the passing game. Manhertz was viewed as one of the game’s better pass-blocking tight ends last year, per Pro Football Focus. Prior to coming to Denver, the former UDFA had spent two seasons in Jacksonville and more than four in Carolina. He only played three games for the Saints; those came in 2016.

The Broncos will need a better answer at tight end in 2024, however, as 2022 third-round pick Greg Dulcich has been an IR mainstay due to chronic hamstring trouble. Denver is close to cap compliance, being less than $1MM over as of Friday afternoon. But the team will need to do more work with its roster to be able to afford some free agency upgrades. The Manhertz release comes a day after the Broncos cut their longest-tenured player, Justin Simmons, to end an eight-season partnership.

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