Tag: K’Waun Williams

Report: Broncos won’t re-sign CB K’Waun Williams

Following the emergence of Ja’Quan McMillian, the Broncos will not re-sign slot cornerback K’Waun Williams this offseason.

The Denver Broncos will not re-sign cornerback K’Waun Williams this offseason, according to a report from the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson. This is not a surprising development, but it’s news nonetheless.

Williams, 32, is one of 15 in-house free agents set to hit the open market next week. The Broncos have already re-signed offensive lineman Quinn Bailey, linebacker Jonas Griffith and wide receiver Michael Bandy, and the team is working to re-sign safety P.J. Locke as well.

Williams won’t be brought back after he spent the entire 2023 season on injured reserve while recovering from an ankle injury. Williams also missed three games due to injury in 2022.

Over the last two years, Williams earned just north of $5 million in Denver. He totaled 44 tackles, seven pass breakups, one sack and one interception with the Broncos. Williams played in the slot in 2022, a position that was filled by Ja’Quan McMillian in 2023. McMillian now appears poised to keep that job in 2024.

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5 in-house free agents Broncos should let walk

With limited salary cap space, the Broncos should let these in-house free agents walk this offseason.

The NFL’s free agency negotiating window will open on March 11. Two days later, the new league year (and the official start of free agency) will begin on March 13.

The Denver Broncos have several key players scheduled to become free agents this year, but the team won’t be able to re-sign all of them. The Broncos are currently about $14 million over the salary cap, so Denver will have to make some cap-saving moves to create more cap space.

We previously identified six in-house free agents the Broncos should re-sign once the team has some cap space to work with. Today, we’re taking a quick look at five players the team should let walk in free agency — not necessarily based solely on performance, but also with the salary cap in mind.

The biggest name on the list is center Lloyd Cushenberry, who is coming off a career year and is expected to draw interest from multiple teams.

10 players who might play their last game for Broncos on Sunday

The Broncos will need to get out of a salary cap hole in 2024, and these players might become cap casualties.

The Denver Broncos will wrap up their 2023 NFL season on Sunday when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 18.

Once the final whistle blows, the offseason will begin immediately for the Broncos, and coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton are poised to have a busy spring with many challenging decisions.

Denver is projected to be $18 million over the salary cap in 2024, according to an estimate from OverTheCap.com, and that’s before potentially releasing quarterback Russell Wilson and creating an even bigger cap mess.

The Broncos will have to dig out of a salary cap hole this offseason, forcing the team to make some tough decisions. To become cap-compliant, Denver will likely have to part ways with multiple players either through cuts, trades or free agency.

Ahead of the team’s season finale, here’s a quick look at ten players who could play* their final game for the Broncos on Sunday. (*We’ve also included a few injured/benched players who could depart in 2024.)

Broncos CB K’Waun Williams undergoing (likely season-ending) surgery

Broncos CB K’Waun Williams is undergoing ankle surgery that will likely rule him out for the rest of the 2023 season.

Denver Broncos cornerback K’Waun Williams will undergo ankle surgery today performed by Dr. Anderson in North Carolina, according to multiple reports.

The upcoming surgery was first reported by KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis on Friday. Williams is now likely out for the 2023 season, and he has likely played his last down with the Broncos as well.

The 32-year-old cornerback is expected to have a three-month recovery, ruling him out until late January. So unless Denver has an improbable turnaround and makes the playoffs, the surgery will likely be season-ending for Williams.

Williams signed a two-year, $5.2 million contract with the Broncos last year. He was healthy for 14 games in 2022 and played as the team’s slot cornerback, totaling 44 tackles, seven pass breakups, one interception and one sack.

Williams has been on injured reserve this season while dealing with a lingering ankle injury. After his latest surgery, Williams will aim to fully recover and enter NFL free agency in March.

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8 Broncos players begin 2023 season on injured reserve

The Broncos have eight players on injured reserve going into Week 1. Three of them are eligible to return after four games.

After setting their 53-man roster and 17-player practice squad, the Denver Broncos are now set to face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1.

In addition to the 70 players on the active roster and practice squad, the Broncos also have eight players on injured reserve, three of whom will be eligible to return to the team later this year.

Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick (Achilles), inside linebacker Jonas Griffith (ACL), receiver Jalen Virgil (meniscus) and defensive lineman Forrest Merrill (undisclosed) are all out for the entire season.

Outside linebacker Christopher Allen (groin) also reverted to injured reserve after being waived with an injury designation and clearing waivers. Unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team, Allen will be out for the year.

Denver safety P.J. Locke (leg), offensive tackle Alex Palczewski (hand) and cornerback K’Waun Williams (ankle) all went on IR after the initial 53-man roster was set, which means they can return after four games. 

Here’s a quick look at the team’s players on IR going into Week 1.

Broncos made 6 roster moves on Thursday

After setting an initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, the Broncos made six more roster moves on Thursday.

After setting an initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, the Denver Broncos continued making roster moves on Thursday.

First, the team placed cornerback K’Waun Williams (ankle), defensive back P.J. Locke (leg) and offensive tackle Alex Palczewski (hand) on injured reserve. Those three players will now have to sit out at least the first four games of the 2023 season before being eligible to return to the active roster.

After placing those three players on IR, the Broncos re-signed defensive lineman Mike Purcell, cornerback Fabian Moreau and offensive lineman Quinn Bailey. Because they are veterans, those players did not have to pass through waivers after being cut by Denver on Tuesday.

See a recap of the team’s Thursday roster moves below.

Report: Broncos CB K’Waun Williams undergoing ankle surgery

It looks like Essang Bassey is set to play in the slot for the Broncos to begin the 2023 season.

Denver Broncos cornerback K’Waun Williams is undergoing ankle surgery in North Carolina on Monday, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

The cornerback is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.

The Broncos are in the midst of roster cuts and Williams’ injury could complicate the team’s cornerback depth chart. If Williams is placed on injured reserve before the initial 53-man roster is set on Tuesday, he will be ruled out for the entire 2023 season.

If Williams makes the initial 53-man roster and is placed on IR after that, he would be eligible to return after four games. The downside to that scenario is that a player would have to be cut and exposed to waivers to have a spot for the injured Williams on the initial 53.

The good news for the Broncos is that, regardless of whether Williams misses several games or the whole season, Essang Bassey performed well in preseason and he appears ready to step into the slot role for however long Williams is sidelined.

Pat Surtain and Damarri Mathis will start on the outside for Denver this season. Williams was set to play in the slot before his injury.

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Broncos CB K’Waun Williams has stood out at training camp

Broncos cornerback K’Waun Williams has stood out at training camp this summer, coach Sean Payton said.

Pat Surtain is the star in the Denver Broncos’ cornerback room, but he’s not the most experienced CB on the roster.

K’Waun Williams is entering his ninth year in the NFL. Before joining the Broncos last spring, Williams spent five years with the San Francisco 49ers and two years with the Cleveland Browns.

The 32-year-old defensive back is a play-maker with 345 tackles, 34 pass breakups, 14 quarterback hits, 11 forced fumbles, five interceptions and three fumble recoveries on his resume.

Williams has stood out at training camp this summer.

“He’s had a good camp,” coach Sean Payton said of Williams last week. “He’s got good ball skills. You see his speed, and he’s got really good range. I think he plays well deep and some guys have trouble with the ball deep, but he’s someone that I think is very comfortable going from low to high, and vice versa. I think he stood out.”

Surtain will serve as the team’s No. 1 cornerback and Damarri Mathis is currently serving as the No. 2 cornerback across from Surtain. Williams will likely play in the slot as the No. 3 cornerback this season. That trio already has a year of experience together and they could take it to the next level in 2023.

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Broncos give Brandon McManus’ old jersey number to a cornerback

Broncos cornerback K’Waun Williams is switching to jersey No. 8, which was previously worn by kicker Brandon McManus from 2014-2022. 

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NFL teams move on quickly.

Denver Broncos cornerback K’Waun Williams has switched from jersey No. 21 to jersey No. 8, the team announced Tuesday. That number, of course, was previously worn by kicker Brandon McManus from 2014-2022.

McManus was cut by the Broncos last month. He ranks second on the team’s all-time scoring list and was a key member of the club’s Super Bowl 50 win following the 2015 season.

Thanks for the memories, Brandon. Here’s No. 8, K’Waun.

In related number news, Denver guard/center Will Fuller has switched from No. 55 to No. 51. The two previous numbers worn by Willians and Fuller — 21 and 55 — are now available for other players.

The most significant number news for the Broncos this offseason is that outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper will wear No. 0. Cooper will mark just the second player in franchise history to have a zero on his uniform, joining former fullback Johnny Olszewski (1962).

Fans should note that all numbers are subject to change during the offseason. Numbers will be finalized when the 53-man roster is set in August.

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Broncos defender D.J. Jones endorses coach candidate DeMeco Ryans

Broncos defensive lineman D.J. Jones endorses DeMeco Ryans for head coach job.

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson has endorsed coach candidate Sean Payton, one of the NFL’s best offensive coaches in recent memory.

On the other side of the ball, a Broncos defensive lineman has endorsed one of the brightest up-and-coming defensive coaches in the NFL.

“Since we saying who we want as the head coach, I want Meco!” Denver defender D.J. Jones wrote on his Instagram story last week.

“Meco,” of course, is San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who had an in-person interview with the Broncos last week.

Ryans, 38, is a former Pro Bowl linebacker who is considered a top head coach candidate this offseason. Jones and Denver cornerback K’Waun Williams both played under the coach in San Francisco before signing with the Broncos last year.

Because the 49ers have advanced to the NFC championship game, Ryans will not be available for a second-round interview until next week. So if he is a finalist for the job, Ryans could delay Denver’s head coach search.

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