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Broncos Expected To Keep Courtland Sutton, Want Tim Patrick Back At Reduced Rate

February 28th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the NFL’s top trade chips leading up to the past two deadlines, Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy remain in Denver. Offers have come in at various points, but the Broncos stood pat. They may not this year, as Sean Payton begins his second offseason.

Rumored to be considering disbanding this duo at long last, the Broncos do not appear ready to part with Sutton. Emerging as the team’s top weapon in Payton’s first season, Sutton has two years left on the four-year, $60MM extension he signed in 2021. That is a below-market rate for a No. 1 wide receiver, and 9News’ Mike Klis notes the six-year veteran is expected back next season.

[RELATED: Russell Wilson Wants To Stay With Broncos, Still Expects Release]

Sutton, whom the Broncos nearly traded to the Ravens prior to the AFC North team’s Odell Beckham Jr. addition, does not have any guarantees remaining on his deal. Notching a number of acrobatic receptions for an offense that did not have much in the way of reliable weaponry last season, Sutton is due a $13MM base salary in 2024. $2MM of Sutton’s 2024 base ($13MM) becomes guaranteed on March 17. The former second-round pick is going into his age-29 season.

This would point to another round of trade rumors involving Jeudy, who is coming off a disappointing season. Although Jeudy’s 758 yards nearly matched Sutton’s total (772), the shiftier target struggled to be a steady target for Russell Wilson in Payton’s offense. A new quarterback almost definitely coming could change Jeudy’s standing in Denver, and the 2020 first-round pick’s trade value likely dropped due to his spotty performance and the $12.99MM guaranteed salary that comes with his fifth-year option.

The Broncos held out for a second-round pick for Sutton and a first-rounder for Jeudy last year. No such proposals are believed to have emerged, though Jeudy is reported to have drawn an offer including third- and fifth-rounders before the deadline. It will be interesting to see if the Broncos finally move on, as they have Marvin Mims likely to assume a bigger role in 2024.

While Tim Patrick remains on Denver’s roster, the former Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater target looms as a cut candidate due to a $9.5MM nonguaranteed 2024 salary and the fact he has not played since the 2021 season. Still, Klis adds the Broncos would like Patrick back at a reduced rate. If the parties cannot agree on that lower price, Patrick would be on track to be cut. Patrick going into his age-31 season will not help his value, making it rather important for the former UDFA to have signed an extension before his injury-plagued stretch.

ACL and Achilles tears over the past two training camps have kept Patrick off the field since his 734-yard showing in 2021. The surehanded 6-foot-4 wideout remains tied to the three-year, $30MM deal he signed just before Sutton back in fall 2021.

It is safe to assume the Broncos will not bring back all four of their top receivers next year, with Jeudy and Patrick on the radar to be moved. As of now, however, the team — which is $16MM-plus over the cap — is determining a plan early in an offseason in which Wilson is likely to be cut to bring an $85MM dead-money charge (over two offseasons, via a post-June 1 designation).

This cap situation will make it difficult for the Broncos to re-sign center Lloyd Cushenberry, who made a contract-year leap. After two healthy but unremarkable seasons to start his career, the former third-round center investment missed much of the 2022 season due to a groin injury. Cushenberry bounced back, ranking 11th among interior O-linemen in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric. The Broncos want to re-sign the four-year starter, but GM George Paton said the team is high on 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth and fellow holdover Luke Wattenberg. While the Broncos should not be ruled out from making a center move, early signs point to one of the rookie-deal cogs winning the job.

NFL Restructures: 49ers, Humphrey, Barrett, Teller

September 6th, 2023 at 9:11pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has an offseason rule called the Top 51 rule. The Top 51 rule dictates that, from the start of the new NFL league year until the beginning of the regular season, only the top 51 contracts (in terms of salary cap hit) count against a team’s salary cap. With the 2023 regular season starting tomorrow, the Top 51 rule expired at 4pm today.

This means that each team in the NFL was forced to add two more contracts to their salary cap totals. If a team was flirting with the ceiling of the salary cap, the addition of two more contracts may push them above the limit. While that may not have been the case for all of the following teams, these front offices decided to take advantage of the timing to clear up some cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates:

  • The 49ers did double-duty, restructuring the contracts of tight end George Kittle and offensive tackle Trent Williams. For Kittle, the team converted $10.57MM of his 2023 base salary into a signing bonus while adding an additional void year to the end of the deal, clearing up $8.46MM of cap space. For Williams, San Francisco converted $18.24MM of the left tackle’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus, also adding a single void year to the end of the deal. Williams’ adjustment cleared $14.59MM of cap space. The $23.04MM of cap space cleared in the restructures likely had less to do with the Top 51 rule and much more to do with star pass rusher Nick Bosa‘s record-setting extension.
  • The Ravens used the opportunity to adjust star cornerback Marlon Humphrey‘s contract. Baltimore converted $9.42MM of Humphrey’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus and added a single void year to the end of the deal. The adjustment created $7.54MM of cap space for the Ravens.
  • The Seahawks decided to create space by restructuring safety Jamal Adams‘ contract. Seattle converted $9.92MM of Adams’ 2023 base salary into a signing bonus, creating $6.61MM of cap space for the team.
  • The Buccaneers also targeted the contract of a defensive veteran, adjusting the numbers of pass rusher Shaquil Barrett. For Barrett, Tampa Bay converted $13.09MM of his 2023 base salary into a signing bonus while adding an additional void year to the end of the contract. The restructure clears up $10.47MM of cap space for the Buccaneers.
  • The Titans also addressed the contract of a pass rusher, restructuring Harold Landry‘s current deal. Tennessee converted $11MM of Landry’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus, clearing up $8.25MM of cap space for the team.
  • The Broncos continue to miss the contributions of wide receiver Tim Patrick, who will once again miss the entire season, but Denver still found some value for him in a contract restructure. The team converted $6MM of Patrick’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus to clear up $3MM of cap space.
  • The Browns created some cap space by restructuring the deal of veteran offensive guard Wyatt Teller. Cleveland converted $11.42MM of Teller’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus while adding an additional void year to the end his deal in order to create $9.14MM of cap space for the team.

WR Notes: Flowers, Mingo, Patrick, Johnson

August 12th, 2023 at 4:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top storylines entering the 2023 season for the Ravens is their new-look receiving corps. First-round rookie Zay Flowers will be counted on as a key member of the team’s passing game, and further details recently emerged regarding how the organization viewed him leading up to the draft.

Baltimore used the No. 22 pick on Flowers, making him one of four straight wideouts selected on Day 1. The Boston College product was the subject of trade talks with teams looking to move past the Ravens to secure Flowers, but general manager Eric DeCosta elected to remain in place. Part of the reason for doing so was his evaluation of the 5-10, 172-pounder in the winter.

After seeing Flowers in the East-West Shrine Bowl, the Ravens confirmed their thinking that Flowers was the top receiver in the draft, ESPN’s Jamison Hensley writes. That makes their decision to avoid trading down (despite not owning a 2023 second-round pick) clearer, and could add further to the expectations surrounding Flowers as a rookie. The 22-year-old has drawn rave reviews from local and national media alike, so he will be a player to watch closely once the regular season kicks off.

Here are some other wide receiver notes from around the league:

  • Panthers rookie Jonathan Mingo is listed as a starter on the team’s first depth chart, as noted by Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). The latter adds that such a development is a slight surprise, given the relatively quiet offseason the second-rounder has had to date. If Mingo does indeed land a first-team spot amongst veterans Adam Thielen and DJ Chark, the likes of Laviska Shenault and Terrace Marshall would be relegated to backup duties. Shenault, a Swiss Army-type player since his arrival in the league with the Jaguars, is in line to handle more rushing duties this season. Marshall, meanwhile, is assured of a roster spot under new head coach Frank Reich after he played sparingly for much of his first two seasons in Carolina.
  • The Broncos have once again been hit hard by availability issues at the receiver spot, including the Achilles tear suffered by Tim Patrick. The 29-year-old missed all of last season due to a torn ACL, and the same will hold true of the 2023 campaign. Fortunately, his recovery has started well. Patrick underwent successful surgery, as noted (on Twitter) by 9News’ Mike Klis. His ability to return to full health will be something to monitor closely, as he is under contract for 2024 but does not have any guaranteed compensation scheduled for that year.
  • Second-year Seahawks wideout Cade Johnson suffered an injury scare during the team’s preseason opener on Thursday. He was taken to hospital for evaluation, but he has been released (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Johnson, 25, is still in concussion protocol, however, bringing his availability for the remainder of the preseason into question.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/23

August 2nd, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Waived: WR Ed Lee

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Moseley reportedly had a small clean-up procedure on his knee the other day as he continues to come back from last year’s ACL tear. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, it doesn’t appear to be a major setback, and head coach Dan Campbell expects Moseley back on Monday.

The news on Harris’s retirement comes from KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, who reports that the two sides “are parting ways as (Harris) plans to retire.” If this is truly the end of the road for Harris, then the transaction puts a cap on a five-year career that saw Harris rack up 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in the NFL.

Turk was urgently brought on as an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma to compete with free agent addition Jake Bailey, formerly with the Patriots. The punter competition may be over quickly as Bailey is the only punter on the roster now.

Trice, the Steelers’ first of two seventh-round picks this year, suffered a non-contact injury at camp yesterday. His placement on injured reserve indicates that his rookie season has unfortunately come to an end before it had the chance to begin.

Broncos’ Tim Patrick Suffers Torn Achilles

July 31st, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

5:55pm: Patrick has indeed suffered a complete tear of the Achilles, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter). The injury will knock Patrick out for the entire 2023 campaign.

1:50pm: Tim Patrick was expected to play a significant role in the Broncos’ offense this year after missing all of last season. Instead, the veteran wideout appears to have suffered another massive injury.

The 29-year-old is believed to have suffered a torn Achilles, head coach Sean Payton said on Monday (Twitter link via NFL Network’s James Palmer). If that does turn out to be the case, it will mark a crushing blow for Patrick and the second consecutive year in which he loses a campaign to a major injury.

The former UDFA tore his ACL almost exactly one year ago, and he was sidelined for the 2022 season as a result. That injury occurred in his right leg, while this latest one affects his left. Patrick was carted off the field during practice, and he was seen on crutches when entering the locker room. At a minimum, he could be facing another extended absence to start the year, which would further delay his attempt to return to his pre-injury form.

Patrick put up almost identical statlines in 2020 and 2021, averaging 52 catches and 738 yards per season. He scored 11 touchdowns over that span, making him a full-time starter alongside Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Each of the latter two were mentioned frequently in trade talks this offseason, but the team has remained insistent that they will not be moved. Missing Patrick for, potentially, another full season would add to Jeudy and Sutton’s workloads in a passing attack which desperately needs improvement from last year.

The Broncos made a slight trade up the board to select Marvin Mims with their top pick in this year’s draft, giving them another young pass-catcher. Missing Patrick – along with KJ Hamler, who has battled injuries throughout his career and is currently on the NFI list – for any extended stretch could thrust Mims into an immediate starting role. Growing pains during his rookie season could hinder the effectiveness of Denver’s offense during Sean Payton‘s first year at the helm.

Further evaluation will be needed to determine if Patrick has been faced with another lengthy rehab process. If that does turn out to be the case, his future with the team could be put in doubt. The Utah product is due $5.5MM in guaranteed money this season, but none of his compensation in 2024 (the final year of his deal) is guaranteed. Patrick is set to count for just over $11MM in cap space this year, though an IR stay would obviously change the Broncos’ financial outlook at the receiver spot.

Tim Patrick Receives Full Clearance

April 7th, 2023 at 11:52am CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos finished last season with seven offensive starters out of the lineup, seeing injuries play a big role in a woeful campaign. The first of those took place during the team’s training camp. Tim Patrick missed all of last season because of an August 2 ACL tear.

Eight months later, Patrick will be ready to go for Sean Payton‘s offseason program. The former UDFA wide receiver said during an appearance on Steve Smith‘s Cut To It podcast he has received full clearance post-knee surgery. Patrick, 29, said he has been rehabbing at the Broncos’ facility and has resumed sprinting and jumping. He will, however, wear a brace to start his on-field receiving work.

“At this point, I’m cleared to do everything. At this point, I’m just doing repetition to get myself ready to play in a game,” Patrick said during the podcast, via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. “I’m going to wear a knee brace just because of the way I play the game. I want to feel like I have that security and if it’s not restricting me and it’s allowing me to be me, I’m going to wear it because I know I play the game a little reckless. So just me knowing I have a knee brace on, I feel comfortable playing the way I’m going to play.”

Patrick’s absence was the first of many issues that hindered Denver’s offense, which sank to last in the league despite the March 2022 trade for Russell Wilson. The team fired Nathaniel Hackett, making the current Jets OC the third HC since the 1970 merger to be fired before his first season wrapped, and traded two draft choices for Payton. The ex-Saints leader’s recovery effort will involve Patrick, who is going into his seventh season with the Broncos. He is the team’s longest-tenured receiver, having joined Denver’s practice squad in 2017.

Arriving during John Elway‘s GM tenure, Patrick signed a three-year, $30MM extension during George Paton‘s first year in charge. That contract, finalized just before Courtland Sutton‘s four-year deal worth $60MM, runs through the 2024 season. Sutton is signed through 2025. Jerry Jeudy‘s rookie contract goes through 2023, though the Broncos — assuming Jeudy remains on their roster post-draft — have a fifth-year option decision due in May.

Jeudy and Sutton have come up in frequent trade rumors. The team is believed to want a first-round pick for Jeudy and a second-rounder for Sutton. As teams have not met those prices, Payton said the plan is to keep both for the 2023 season. Patrick’s knee injury effectively took him off the trade market.

The 6-foot-4 possession receiver started 31 games from 2020-21, combining for 1,476 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in that span. With KJ Hamler having suffered a partially torn pec earlier this offseason, Patrick should be positioned to be a Broncos regular again. That stands to help Payton’s Wilson effort to reignite Wilson, though it will be interesting to see if both Jeudy and Sutton flank Patrick once the team convenes for on-field work during the offseason program.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/22

August 3rd, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Signed: LS Harrison Elliott
  • Activated from PUP: DB Tristin McCollum
  • Waived-injured: WR Davion Davis

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

*Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic (on Twitter), Gono has left the squad due to an undisclosed physical issue. The lineman will meet with a doctor tomorrow, which should provide some clarity.

Broncos WR Tim Patrick Tears ACL

August 2nd, 2022 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:54pm: The MRI confirmed Patrick suffered a torn ACL, Klis tweets. This news will almost certainly end the veteran pass catcher’s season, and it obviously deals a blow to Denver’s talented but relatively unproven receiving cast.

Injuries continue to interfere with this group’s development. Sutton’s 2020 ACL tear came after a Pro Bowl season, while Hamler’s 2021 tear came a year after the Broncos took him in the second round. Patrick’s comes less than a year after he signed an extension to stay in Denver long-term. His through-2024 deal included $13MM guaranteed at signing and $18.5MM guaranteed for injury.

1:46pm: The Broncos’ receiving corps represented one of the drivers for Russell Wilson to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a move to Denver. The quarterback’s first Broncos wideout cast may be incomplete.

Tim Patrick went down during practice Tuesday, requiring cart transportation, and Denver7’s Troy Renck tweets the team fears a serious right knee injury. Bad news is expected, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

A former UDFA the Broncos extended last year, Patrick is going through an MRI. Patrick, 29, went down after making an over-the-shoulder catch. The injury occurred as he started running after the reception, 9News’ Mike Klis notes (via Twitter).

Denver did well to beat the 2022 receiver market’s frenzy, signing both Patrick and Courtland Sutton to extensions — at $10MM per year and $15MM AAV, respectively — and the former has not dealt with the kind of injury trouble that has plagued Sutton and Jerry Jeudy since the Broncos formed their intriguing-but-unproven receiving corps. Patrick did miss some time in 2019 due to a broken hand, but since he became a starter in Denver a year later, the Utah product has only missed two games. One of those came because of a COVID-19 contraction last year.

The Broncos moved Patrick into a full-time player in 2020, when Sutton went down with an ACL tear in Week 2. Despite four quarterbacks (technically, three quarterbacks and one non-QB) making starts for the Broncos that season, Patrick totaled 742 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Last season, Jeudy suffered a Week 1 high ankle sprain and K.J. Hamler went down with an ACL tear in Week 3. Patrick posted 734 yards and five TDs, signing his extension midway through the 2021 campaign.

Hamler has returned from his severe knee injury, but Patrick offers security the former Penn State second-round pick has yet to provide. Should the Broncos receive bad news on Patrick, they may be a team to monitor for a veteran wideout — considering Jeudy and Sutton’s recent injury histories. The team was linked to needing to give up one of its receivers in hypothetical deals for Aaron Rodgers, but Noah Fant was the pass catcher included in the Wilson swap. The Broncos have Kendall Hinton — their emergency QB in 2020 — along with 2021 sixth-round pick Seth Williams and ex-Eagle Travis Fulgham on their roster behind their top four receivers.

Restructured Deals: Packers, Broncos, Bills, Patriots, Giants

March 21st, 2022 at 10:29pm CST by Ben Levine

As free agency continues, teams will keep finding ways to open up additional cap. We’ve had a handful of reworked contracts in recent days, which we’ve compiled below:

  • The Packers opened $10.15MM in cap space by restructuring the contracts of wideout Randall Cobb (which was previously reported) and safety Adrian Amos, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). ESPN’s Rob Demovsky tweets that Green Bay turned $5.88MM of Amos’ $7MM base salary into a signing bonus and added four void years.
  • The Broncos opened up some space via a pair of restructured deals. Wideout Tim Patrick converted $6.9MM of his roster bonus into a signing bonus, creating around $4.6MM in cap space, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (on Twitter). The Broncos also converted receiver Courtland Sutton‘s $10.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus, saving $7.875MM in 2022 cap space, per Klis (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers converted $11.765MM of wideout Robby Anderson’s 2022 pay into a signing bonus, creating $5.88MM in cap space, per Yates (on Twitter). Staying in the NFC, Yates also tweets that the Eagles converted $14.88MM of cornerback Darius Slay’s salary into a signing bonus, creating $11.90MM in 2022 cap space.
  • The Giants converted $2.63MM of kicker Graham Gano’s salary into a bonus, creating $1.753MM in cap space, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). The team also added a void year to the contract, something GM Joe Schoen was trying to avoid (per Raanan).
  • After getting traded to the Bills, quarterback Case Keenum agreed to rework his contract. Per Yates (on Twitter), Keenum reduced his base salary to $3.5MM. Another AFC East team, the Patriots, also got into the game, reducing defensive end Henry Anderson‘s base salary from $2.5MM to $1.25MM (per Yates).
  • Yates passes along three more restructures (on Twitter): the Vikings opened $6MM in cap space by reworking safety Harrison Smith‘s contract, the Bills opened $5.172MM via linebacker Matt Milano‘s contract, and the Titans opened $6.45MM via linebacker Zach Cunningham‘s contract.

Denver Emerging As Premier QB Destination

March 5th, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Ely Allen

We wrote a bit earlier today on the Broncos being among multiple AFC teams who “have trade compensation lined up with the Packers,” in relation to quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Well, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Denver has emerged as a prime location for many of the league’s veteran quarterbacks looking for a potential change of scenery.

The Broncos recently hired former Packers’ offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to replace Vic Fangio, who failed to accomplish a winning season in three years with the Broncos. The former Green Bay staffer represents an obvious and strong connection for Rodgers. Should Rodgers decide to move on from the Packers, having a play-caller that he’s familiar with could add some allure to the Mile High City. Another intriguing aspect that could bring a star quarterback to Denver is the addition of former Vikings’ offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Kubiak just helped Kirk Cousins turn in one of his best seasons in Minnesota.

Hackett and company inherit an impressive roster posed to perform. The defense is comprised of veterans like outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, safety Justin Simmons, defensive end Shelby Harris, and cornerback Ronald Darby. There are a number of free agents that Denver would like to bring back like cornerbacks Bryce Callahan & Kyle Fuller, defensive back Kareem Jackson, inside linebacker Josey Jewell, and outside linebacker Malik Reed. Even if they fail to bring some of those names back, the Broncos saw impressive seasons last year for youngsters like cornerback Patrick Surtain II, linebacker Baron Browning, defensive end Dre’Mont Jones, and safety Caden Sterns. The list of defensive players above may not overwhelm you with stardom, but, together, the Broncos defense ranked third in the league in points allowed and eighth in the league in yards allowed.

In addition to a brand new offense and stacked defense, Denver boasts a nice array of young offensive weapons. An impressive receiving corps is led by veteran 26-year-old Courtland Sutton, young star Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick, who has broken out a bit over the past two seasons. The Broncos also have two talented, young receiving tight ends in Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam. Any quarterback looking to join in on the fun would potentially have the benefit of a two-headed rushing attack that was 79 yards short of a combined 2,000-yard rushing season. Running back Javonte Williams enjoyed a healthy dose of carries in his rookie season, and there is mutual interest in bringing back Melvin Gordon.

Rodgers is obviously a name to keep an eye on as the decision on his future in Green Bay looms on the horizon. He has said that he will let the Packers know of his intentions before the franchise tag deadline so they can figure out how to deal with free agent wide receiver Davante Adams. In addition to Rodgers, though, keep an eye out for Denver to make moves on other quarterbacks searching for greener pastures. Russell Wilson has long been rumored to be interested in moving on from Seattle, and Deshaun Watson is still searching for a new home.

Whether Rodgers, Wilson, Watson, or some other under-the-radar name, look for the Broncos to make a move for a star quarterback. If they are able to find the right fit, the move could bring them into contention for what could easily turn into the toughest division in football.

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