Denver Broncos

Denver carries virtually no dead money ($1.0M, the cleanest cap sheet in the league) and $1632.7M in current cap room, making this one of the most financially flexible rosters to run.

24 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Six starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Denver holds eight picks in the upcoming draft with six landing in the first round equivalent, and 22 total picks projected over three years, giving this rebuild serious ammunition.

• Acquired: Round 7 from Saints, this draft

Denver's top strength is its offensive line anchored by a 96 overall Bolles and a 95 overall Meinerz, while the WILL linebacker depth, ranked 29th in the league, is the roster's most exposed weak spot.

• WILLhigh

  The WILL linebacker spot is a critical weakness, ranking 26th in starter quality and 29th in overall depth, with Justin Strnad as the only serviceable option.

• HBlow

  J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey give Denver a respectable starting duo, but the position ranks 23rd at the starter level and warrants a depth upgrade.

• LGlow

  Ben Powers starts at left guard but ranks 22nd at the position, and his contract makes him a prime cut candidate in favor of younger options like Kage Casey.

• TElow

  Evan Engram leads the depth chart but ranks 22nd at the starter level, and the overall depth is thin behind him with Adam Trautman and Dallen Bentley as backups.

• 64Jarrett StidhamQBJarrett Stidham is the third-string quarterback behind Bo Nix and Sam Ehlinger, and cutting him frees $6.0M against only $2.0M in dead money.Frees $6.0M · $2.0M dead
• 76D.J. JonesDTD.J. Jones slides to backup duty at DT and on the REDGE depth chart behind Nik Bonitto, and his release frees $10.1M at the cost of $4.4M in dead money, making him the highest-value cap cut available.Frees $10.1M · $4.4M dead
• 78Evan EngramTEEvan Engram starts at TE but ranks only 22nd at his position, and releasing him frees $11.0M against $3.1M in dead money, clearing room for a more impactful upgrade.Frees $11.0M · $3.1M dead
• 74Ben PowersLGBen Powers is the LG starter but ranks 22nd at the position, and cutting him frees $12.5M against $5.7M in dead money while Kage Casey stands ready as his immediate replacement.Frees $12.5M · $5.7M dead
• 57Sam EhlingerQBSam Ehlinger is the third quarterback on the depth chart at just 57 overall, and his release is a clean $2.0M saving with zero dead money attached.Frees $2.0M · $0 dead

The Broncos are in a strong position heading into this franchise, built around a young core that has immediate upside and long-term staying power. Bo Nix at quarterback, Pat Surtain II at corner, Quinn Meinerz at guard, and Nik Bonitto rushing the passer give Denver legitimate building blocks on both sides of the ball. The offensive skill positions are headlined by Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle, though Sutton is entering the back half of his career and will need a younger complement to emerge over time. Garett Bolles at left tackle is among the best in the league right now but is deep into his career, so developing a successor behind him is one of the most pressing long-term tasks on the roster. The WILL linebacker position is the single most glaring hole, and addressing it early should be priority one. Cap flexibility is genuine, with $1632.7M in room and virtually no dead money dragging the books down, giving the front office real room to reshape the roster through free agency and trades. With eight picks in the upcoming draft, including six in the first round equivalent, and 22 picks projected over three years, Denver has the resources to patch holes and add young talent quickly.

The Denver Broncos were founded on August 14, 1959, when minor-league baseball owner Bob Howsam was awarded a charter franchise in the upstart American Football League (AFL), and they began play in 1960 in Denver, Colorado. Denver won the first-ever AFL game, a 13-10 victory over the Boston Patriots on September 9, 1960, but the decade that followed was bleak: the Broncos compiled a 39-97-4 record across the AFL's ten seasons, the worst of any original AFL club, and were the only original AFL team never to post a winning season or reach the league title game. The franchise nearly relocated in 1965 before a local ownership group led by the Phipps brothers stepped in, and the 1967 signing of Syracuse running back Floyd Little, nicknamed 'The Franchise', helped stabilize the club. Denver joined the NFL in the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The Broncos' first sustained success arrived in the mid-1970s: Denver posted its first winning season in 1973 under John Ralston, and in 1977, first-year head coach Red Miller and the vaunted 'Orange Crush' 3-4 defense, anchored by linebacker Randy Gradishar, carried the team to a 12-2 record and its first Super Bowl (XII), a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The defining modern era began in 1983 with the arrival of quarterback John Elway, who reached five Super Bowls and authored signature moments such as 'The Drive.' Under owner Pat Bowlen and head coach Mike Shanahan, Elway and MVP running back Terrell Davis finally broke through, winning back-to-back titles: Super Bowl XXXII over the Green Bay Packers (31-24, Davis MVP) and Super Bowl XXXIII over the Atlanta Falcons (34-19, Elway MVP in his final game). After a playoff drought, the Peyton Manning era (2012-2015) delivered a defense-driven 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, the franchise's third championship. The Broncos hired Super Bowl-winning coach Sean Payton in 2023, drafted Bo Nix in 2024, and rapidly returned to contention, going 14-3 and reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2025.