Denver Broncos 2014 Free Agency Tracker

Douglas Lee Feb 4, 2014 10:38 PM Last updated: May 5, 2014 12:51 PM

Denver has re-signed Andre Caldwell, Winston Justice, Chris Harris, and Mitch Unrein, and added T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware, Emmanuel Sanders, Will Montgomery, and Marvin Austin.

They lost Zane Beadles to Jacksonville, Jeremy Mincey to Dallas, Eric Decker to the Jets, Wesley Woodyard to Tennessee, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Trindon Holliday, and Robert Ayers to the Giants, Knowshon Moreno to Miami, and Shaun Phillips to Tennessee.

Champ Bailey, who was cut, went to New Orleans.

Added

Player	Position	Date	Notes
Mike Farrell	T	12/31	Future contract
L.J. Fort	LB	12/31	Future contract
Eric Hagg	S	12/31	Future contract
Ryan Miller	OL	12/31	Future contract
Jordan Norwood	WR	12/31	Future contract
Jamar Chaney	LB	1/22	Future contract
Ramon Harewood	T	1/22	Future contract
Jerrell Harris	LB	1/22	Future contract
Jameson Konz	TE	1/22	Future contract
Charles Mitchell	S	1/22	Future contract
Cameron Morrah	TE	1/22	Future contract
Jerome Murphy	CB	1/22	Future contract
Jerodis Williams	RB	1/22	Future contract
T.J. Ward	S	3/11	4 years, $22.5M
Aqib Talib	CB	3/11	6 years, $57M
DeMarcus Ware	DE/LB	3/12	3 years, $30M
Emmanuel Sanders	WR	3/16	3 years, $15M
Will Montgomery	C/G	4/1	1 year, $1.325M
Marvin Austin	DT	5/5	Undisclosed

Re-signed

Player	Position	Date	2013 Cap Number	Notes
John Boyett	S	2/4	$36K	2013 Practice Squad
Paul Cornick	T	2/4	$102K	2013 Practice Squad
Hall Davis	DE	2/4	?	2013 Practice Squad
Ben Garland	G	2/4	$102K	2013 Practice Squad
Nathan Palmer	WR	2/4	$6K	2013 Practice Squad
Greg Wilson	WR	2/4	?	2013 Practice Squad
John Youboty	DE	2/4	$102K	2013 Practice Squad
Gerell Robinson	TE	2/5	$102K	2013 Practice Squad
Andre Caldwell	WR	3/11	$1M	Two years, $3.45M max value
Winston Justice	T	3/28	?	One year

Unrestricted Free Agents

Player	Position	2013 Cap Number	Notes
Mike Adams	S	$2M
Robert Ayers	DE	$2,241,250	4/2: Signed by Giants
Champ Bailey	CB	$10.75M	4/4: Signed by New Orleans
Zane Beadles	G	$1.06M	3/11: Signed by Jacksonville
Stewart Bradley	LB	$1.2M
Marquice Cole	CB	?
Eric Decker	WR	$1,506,039	3/13: Signed by Jets
Trindon Holliday	KR	$480K	3/17: Signed by Giants
Michael Huff	S	$296,471
Quentin Jammer	CB	$1.5M
Dan Koppen	C	$1.015M	Retiring
Paris Lenon	LB	$1.54M
Jeremy Mincey	DE	$1.3M	3/12: Signed by Dallas
Knowshon Moreno	RB	$3.287M	3/27: Signed by Miami
Shaun Phillips	DE	$1.4M	3/27: Signed by Tennessee
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie	CB	$2.9M	3/17: Signed by Giants
Steve Vallos	C	$555K
Wesley Woodyard	LB	$3.25M	3/14: Signed by Tennessee

Restricted Free Agents

Player	Position	2013 Cap Number	Notes
Chris Harris	CB	$555,668	Tendered, Signed
Mitch Unrein	DT	$555K	Tendered, Signed

Exclusive Rights Free Agents

Player	Position	2013 Cap Number	Notes
Tony Carter	CB	$715K	$730K tender; Signed 4/21
Duke Ihenacho	S	$480K	$570K tender; Signed 4/21
Brandon Marshall	LB	$28,235	$495K tender; Signed 4/21

Salary info via Over the Cap

Doug is IAOFM’s resident newsman and spelling czar. Follow him on Twitter @IAOFM

Denver Broncos Twitter feed says the team re-signed Winston Justice to a one-year deal. I would imagine it's for the veteran minimum.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2014-03-28 15:49:41

Yeah, he would have been nice as a rotational guy. He made some good plays for us. I feel that bringing him back, to pair with Von, and possibly spending the money we paid for Ware elsewhere, could have been beneficial as well. For example, getting Jairus Byrd. Of course, that may not have been possible.

That being said, I'm excited for the Ware-Miller combo.

Posted by Rollston Frangopoulos on 2014-03-27 20:09:36

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Posted by aLuffabo on 2014-03-27 19:25:50

Dang! Wanted him back.

Posted by aLuffabo on 2014-03-27 19:25:40

Phillips Signed a 2 yr deal with the Titans. Supposed to be worth $6M.

Posted by Rollston Frangopoulos on 2014-03-27 17:56:01

It appears Moreno signed in Miami.

Posted by Hank Mardukis on 2014-03-27 16:44:57

I'm glad for Beadles that he's getting a 5 year, 30 million dollar payday from Jacksonville, but I'm equally glad that it's not Denver paying that tab.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-03-20 21:00:01

Lost both Geoff Schwartz and Jon Asamoah as well as B. Albert - going to be a rough year running inside unless they find help.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-03-18 13:33:04

Not bad, but less than what he turned down from Denver.

Posted by AldenBrown on 2014-03-17 18:23:59

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has signed with the Giants.

Posted by CompUser on 2014-03-17 17:33:14

Provided they face a healthy Broncos pass rush, that plan sounds good to me. Alex Smith should think about getting some extra life insurance.

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-16 14:40:29

Fisher will take one tackle slot (RT last year) and the Chiefs have been talking for over a year about getting rid of Brandon Albert. They think that Donald Stevenson can either handle LT next year or handle RT and move Fisher to LT

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-03-16 14:09:09

Awww....we'll have to fake runs next season

Posted by Doc Bear on 2014-03-14 11:13:52

And what they don't realize is that the "cap hell" argument is actually silly for two different reasons. First, the contracts are easy to get out of with only minor cap consequences. Second, even if these were the Shanahan era "cap hell" type contracts, there STILL would be no cap hell because Manning's contract will be off the books in a couple of years.

Posted by AldenBrown on 2014-03-14 11:10:47

Per Pro Football Focus: Wesley Woodyard has signed with the Tennessee Titans. Four years, maximum value of $16 million.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2014-03-14 10:52:26

Nothing else to do, might as well work on my backpedal.

Sounds legit.

Posted by DragonPie on 2014-03-13 15:29:19

Imagine what we could have done with J.D. Walton and Daryl Gardner together! Woo hoo...

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-13 13:24:01

I don't know about that. How did pairing up former teammates, Ramirez and Vasquez work out? Oh wait...

Posted by Sparks on 2014-03-13 11:01:32

He went to the Chiefs, not the Raiders or Jets.

Posted by John Tomasik on 2014-03-13 11:00:03

Which is funny, because yesterday I saw a Sports Illustrated article saying Denver would be in cap hell in a few years. Some local Broncos fans and friends of mine are saying the same thing. I just shake my head and laugh at that nonsense.

Posted by Hank Mardukis on 2014-03-13 10:59:06

Has anyone heard a word on Knowshon's situation?

I'm praying we spend the rest of our wad on him. He was so good last year, completely vital to what we were doing on offense, and a perfect fit for it.

Come on Knowshon, I want some more crazy giant tear waterfalls!

Posted by aLuffabo on 2014-03-13 10:47:39

Well, I have to give New Orleans credit. I never dreamed anybody would trade them anything for the earthly remains of Darren Sproles, but Philly sent them a fifth rounder for Darren and that sassy wife of his.

http://deadspin.com/darren-spr...

Posted by Yahmule on 2014-03-13 09:57:13

Chicago's local sportstalk flummoxed/jealous by Denver's cap management. Clearly I dont get to hear Denver mentioned much here by the locals. Love it. TYJE!

Posted by Gene on 2014-03-13 09:49:45

We should stop using the term "retard." I'm guilty of it as much or more than anyone, but it should really stop.

Posted by SammyDEEEEEE on 2014-03-13 09:08:18

I don't see why Talib is so risky. Guy can straight up ball. Putting him with his former college teammate is a master stroke. His size and physicality will help transform this defense (and team) into a hard-nosed machine.

Posted by SammyDEEEEEE on 2014-03-13 09:07:34

I'm sure green_and_white will be along any moment to tell us how awesome that move is for the Geno Smith-led turbo-props.

Lulz.

Posted by SammyDEEEEEE on 2014-03-13 09:03:09

Yep hes on the LOLJETS

Posted by Joshua Graham on 2014-03-13 00:55:21

Buh-bye BD Decker!

Posted by laosuan on 2014-03-12 23:47:22

We can only hope they're foolish enough to put him on the field against Peyton Manning. I seem to remember Tom Brady enjoying that scenario a great deal.

Posted by Christopher Scott on 2014-03-12 22:39:36

Here's a video where the Duke, himself, gives the NFL network a little insight into Denver's recent acquisitions, and the advanced planning that was involved.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-...

Posted by Orange_n_Blue_Kicks on 2014-03-12 19:13:09

Kansas City is active too. They just signed Joe Mays.

Posted by AldenBrown on 2014-03-12 19:09:11

Hey, you tried, baby!

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-12 18:42:12

I never knew how big Talib was! I've seen him play and all, but I guess it just never registered. I just saw a play where he was running with Julio Jones and he looked just as big as Jones...

I still think we need another corner though, unless they trust one of the younger guys...

Posted by aLuffabo on 2014-03-12 18:40:56

Don't be butt hurt.

Posted by Truman Jensen on 2014-03-12 18:29:33

So what's the deal with the cap and the numbers listed above? For example, the unrestricted free agents all have a cap number for 2013 next to their name. If you add them up and all the other Denver Broncos players salaries still under contract for beyond 2013 you get what the Broncos paid out for their 2013 cap year. The Salary Cap for 2013 minus the total they paid the players gives what they had leftover to spend which was something like $10M, right?

This year, before free agency began, we had about $30M under the cap, right? But if we don't resign any of the UFA's from above, their salaries don't carry over to 2014, so essentially, that's extra room on the spending, correct? These guys salaries add up to about $26.52M. Their 2014 cap numbers don't necessarily equal their 2013 cap cost, right?

So if Shaun Philips, Knosho, WW, DRC, Paris Lenon, Mincey, Kopen, Jammer, Decker, Ayers, Beadles, Holliday, Huff, don't come back, we should see an extra $21.78M in cap space for 2014, correct (assuming other player salaries, either listed or not, stay the same)? Am I off on this? Or has this already been taken into account.

Posted by Rollston Frangopoulos on 2014-03-12 17:59:17

I bet Moreno is pissed today. He is the best running back available and the only phone calls he's getting are from his mom and the local firefighters "feed the children" fund raiser.

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-12 16:44:10

I'm hearing Jacoby Ford rumors.

Posted by BottomfedBuddha on 2014-03-12 16:14:19

Amazing how quickly times change, eh? Used to be I couldn't wait until he was fielding a kick....then I couldn't even watch the TV.

Posted by John Tomasik on 2014-03-12 16:06:40

Yah historically they've both been far more of a basketball powerhouse than football. The fact that the state is flat and boring is probably coincidental to that history. ;)

Posted by underdog on 2014-03-12 15:41:59

Maybe now. Not when I was growing up. KU and K-State were roadkill back in the day.

Posted by John on 2014-03-12 15:24:30

Is Kansas so flat and boring that it results in really good football players?

Discuss.

Posted by aLuffabo on 2014-03-12 15:18:01

"Reunited and it feels so good"

Denver Broncos ‏@Broncos 2m: A pair of former Kansas Jayhawks, @ChrisHarrisJr & Aqib Talib, reunited in Denver. pic.twitter.com/ap3Cm4KCmA

Posted by underdog on 2014-03-12 14:53:09

AND.....
We still have Ben Mutherf%$ckin Garland!

Posted by Broncologist on 2014-03-12 14:46:38

The Talib signing looks risky, but overall Elway looks like he is minding his budget. I'm still hoping for a little more depth. Denver can still sign a couple bargain bin guys after the big spending. Unfortunately, I didn't get my mike. I guess that will fall to the draft.

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-12 14:12:15

Just got text from the Fan that Ware deal done, pending physical. :)

Posted by magster on 2014-03-12 14:11:49

No right guard and no left tackle. I guess their cap is all messed up. Sucks being KC. :)

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-12 14:10:41

Troll. Internet porn. Something. Something. Blah. Food stamps. Heck, I don't remember what the teabagger said.

I know I didn't suggest Manning take a 20% pay cut over the life of his contract. I also didn't ask the man to play for league minumum and hope for incentives.

You're trolling. I did suggest using his unique situation to leverage one more ring.

Furthermore, if I was anybody else (even a star corner), I still wouldn't give 20% of my earning potential in my only guaranteed chance to get a decent payday just to win. Manning is the only man in the building that can afford to toss a few hundred grand in, and say where it wil be spent.

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-12 14:02:56

My wish for the rest of FA:

1. Sign either Ware, Allen, or Peppers to a reasonable contract.

2. Re-sign Knowshon.

3. ????

4. Profit.

Posted by aLuffabo on 2014-03-12 12:06:25

Who did they lose? Asamoah?

Posted by aLuffabo on 2014-03-12 12:00:14

Well I was beating the drum all season for us to get rid of Holliday... PHEW. I couldn't stand watching that little guy try to catch another kick, ever.

Posted by aLuffabo on 2014-03-12 11:56:48

it's not all bad picking 31st. one offsetting factor to drafting low is that you should be able to attract big names in free agency as a legit super bowl contender, just like the FO is doing now.

Posted by MississippiMudWalk on 2014-03-12 11:34:50

is colquitt part 2 of the curse of brett kern? (Part 1 being mitch berger)

Posted by MississippiMudWalk on 2014-03-12 11:32:36

I'm confused with your logic, this goes against everything you were discussing yesterday.

Why would you think Manning should take a discount to try and win a ring and Ward would not be willing to or at least consider it when looking for another team? I mean Ward isn't Manning wealthy but he's not exactly poor either.

Posted by Truman Jensen on 2014-03-12 11:28:02

I have no issue with Manning taking his money.

The collective bargaining agreement also limits the amount of paycut he can accept. Good business sense also limits how much cash any sensible person would consider passing up.

But, he is a very wealthy player that is essentially playing for the thrill on Sunday and trying to get one last ring. Given that and his unique position with the team (Manning literally has the leverage to choose where any money he chips in goes), Manning might want to steal a page from Elway's book. If you recall, Elway agreed to help buy Neil Smith. It wasn't a blank check for Shanny, the money was for Neil Smith.

I agree that players should get what they can. Manning is one of the few people rich enough to throw a few dollars back.

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-12 10:58:14

So, after a season in which he broke multiple offensive records for QB play, was the prohibitive MVP from day one and wrapped it up with a vote that would have been unanimous if the voting committee screened for retards and homers, Manning should take a pay cut? Seriously, I understand being a team player, but how well do you have to play for a fan base not to resent you for being payed your mutually agreed contract?

Posted by Adrian Brody's O face on 2014-03-12 10:40:58

Nope. He took a 6 year $57M deal with the Broncos.

Posted by Rollston Frangopoulos on 2014-03-12 02:30:02

Ok.
I give in.
I'll bite.
WTF is KC doing?
Their o-line is gone.
Poof!
Gone.

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-03-12 02:24:01

heard on espn Aqib Talib was signed.

Posted by Lonestar47 on 2014-03-11 23:21:30

Cooper re-signed in Philly.

Posted by Uncle Rico on 2014-03-11 18:35:02

I wonder how much it would cost against the cap to cut Colquitt. That way, they could pursue Zoltan Mesko, just because, well, he's named Zoltan Mesko.

Posted by jayrockstone on 2014-03-11 18:01:23

As suspected Schefter reporting TJ Ward signing with the Broncos. Should be a upgrade for the Broncos, adding a solid run-stopping safety.

Posted by Ctothenet on 2014-03-11 17:11:04

Or if someone replied to it...

Posted by pubkeeper on 2014-03-11 16:46:36

Yup, forgot about Kuper.

Posted by Rollston Frangopoulos on 2014-02-05 19:35:28

Dreessen and Tamme (and Chris Kuper, who wasn't listed) all would have manageable cap hits. You can visit the Broncos team page to see the cap space freed up when a player is released.

As for other players who could be released, I'd certainly look closely at DeMeco Ryans, who might be willing to take a one-year deal, especially since the Broncos have a 4-3 scheme in which he could be a good fit.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2014-02-05 18:46:48

I think Blount goes back to the Pats on a one-year deal. All he really has to speak of is one game against a terrible Colts defense.

Aqib Talib, on the other hand, isn't going to take just a one-year deal from anybody.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2014-02-05 18:40:13

Yep. Without depth, you don't go very far. That's my point. Elway can't afford to spend every scent buying up a thin lineup of big money starters.

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-02-05 15:42:15

Broncos have 3 names on a list that's over 90. That avg's to almost 3 per team so we're right about avg. Some teams only have one or none (Panthers), some teams have a lot, like the Chargers, Jets, Eagles, Jags, and Vikings who have 5 or more.

The Broncos on that list are Dreessen, Tamme and of course, Bailey. Not bad all in all when your backup tight end supplants and out produces your projected starters. Not sure what their cap hits will be if the get cut or restructure. Champ I know is zero cap hit. Hopefully he'll come back for something reasonable and finish his career here in one last Superbowl bid attempt. That's of course if he's got enough talent left to make the roster come August.

Posted by Rollston Frangopoulos on 2014-02-05 15:26:33

People keep mentioning injuries because most of the teams who took as many as Denver, like say, Atlanta, are going to be drafting in the top ten this May.

Posted by Yahmule on 2014-02-05 13:31:25

It's not all about big shiny names. People keep yakking about injuries and speculating on magical "what if" scenerios where the Broncos are 100% healthy. That's not reality. Denver needs depth because next year's team will also suffer injuries. Manning is the only possible injury Elway cannot prepare for.

Manning might also want to take a page from Elway's book and take a paycut.

Posted by toomanyrappers on 2014-02-05 13:01:06

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of what's out there:

http://www.rotoworld.com/artic...

Riley Cooper anyone?

I hope all those Pats fans who paid a premium for those hard to find LeGarrette Blount jerseys enjoy using them to wax their Iroc's.

Cool that I get to ask for Karlos Dansby again this off season. He's like the Christmas gift your parents never get you.

Jared Allen would still look good in Orange.

Posted by Yahmule on 2014-02-05 11:22:36

Good link. There are some notable names on that list.

Posted by John Tomasik on 2014-02-05 11:08:06

Tossing out a few things for people to remember regarding free agency:

* A gentle reminder that restructuring a player's deal can have negative consequences on future cap years, which could make it difficult to retain players you really want to keep. Over the Cap explains this with a possible scenario for Larry Fitzgerald's restructured deal: http://overthecap.com/initial-...

* Remember that it only makes sense to cut a player if it will really help you with your cap situation, unless the player is vastly underperforming -- and even then, you need to make sure you get a fair amount of space cleared or you are just treading water. It would make sense for the Broncos to release Champ Bailey because there is no dead money with his deal, so they get a lot of space cleared with no worries. Releasing Chris Kuper also makes sense, because he's not worth the salary he is scheduled to make and there will be some cap savings.

With that said, the only players it doesn't make sense for the Broncos to release are Peyton Manning and Sylvester Williams, so the Broncos have done a good job managing the cap. Regarding Peyton, though: His contract restructure last year got moved to this year, so another restructure means you keep pushing dead money to future years, when you have more players you are likely to want to re-sign.

* If you want a lesson about how not to manage a salary cap, just go to Over the Cap and look up the Dallas Cowboys. They are likely to have to restructure a lot of deals just to tread water and there's nobody they can release right now to clear a significant amount of space.

* And while it's fun to look at the list of potential free agents, it's also worth keeping an eye on players who are released because of the salary cap. Here's Over the Cap's list of possible cuts for salary cap reasons: http://overthecap.com/potentia...

There are at least a couple of players who might be worth bringing in.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2014-02-05 09:59:18

Thanks for the matrix, Douglas! It's a good way of "seeing" the situation.

What's your opinion on what they'll do? I heard Elway's and Fox's conference from yesterday, and it was, as expected, very benign and predictable, giving little insight to what's truly going to happen.

Posted by John Tomasik on 2014-02-05 09:55:32

Just think if I wasted the first comment it would sit here all summer taking up space.

Posted by Mike Birtwistle on 2014-02-05 04:27:15

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