With the unofficial start of NFL free agency just over one week away, the Denver Broncos are more than $14 million over the salary cap.
The Broncos will need to free up cap space just to re-sign some of their in-house free agents. Denver will need to create even more cap space if the team is planning to target any pending big-name free agents from other clubs.
There are various ways the Broncos could free up cap space, including trading players, restructuring contracts and giving extensions to select players. The simplest option is making roster cuts.
Denver is expected to release quarterback Russell Wilson in the coming weeks, but that (expected) move will create “dead money” against the salary cap. There are several other players who the Broncos could cut this spring to actually create more cap space ahead of free agency.
Here are eight players to keep an eye on over the next two weeks. Potential cap savings reflect a cut with a post-June 1 designation (if applicable), with the numbers provided by OverTheCap.com.