The Denver Broncos are facing salary cap challenges as they head into the offseason. General manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton are expected to seek improvements to the team’s roster after achieving eight wins in 2023. However, alongside the need to enhance the team, they must also reduce salary expenditures. This could result in some standout players in orange and blue being traded.
One such player is starting left tackle Garett Bolles. Drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-5, 300-pounder from Utah has been a Broncos starter for 99 games. However, it is uncertain if he will continue in Denver. Bolles has one season remaining on his four-year, $68 million extension signed in 2022, which carries a $20 million cap hit for the upcoming season.
Denver is currently projected to be $25 million over the cap and could incur over $80 million in cap hits for cutting Russell Wilson, a significant amount that could be spread over two seasons. This leaves the Broncos in need of approximately $60 million in savings this fall.
Bleacher Report has suggested a scenario where the Tennessee Titans could capitalize on the Broncos’ situation to acquire Bolles. The 31-year-old would provide immediate support for a team transitioning to a young quarterback. The Titans could potentially keep their first-round pick by offering Denver the No. 38 pick early in the second round. This would allow the Titans to address their need at tackle while adding an offensive weapon with their No. 7 pick, using their ample cap space. The trade would also save Denver $16 million against the cap.
Additionally, Denver was mentioned in the story as a potential trade partner for the San Francisco 49ers, a landing spot for Taysom Hill, and a dream scenario to trade Wilson instead of absorbing the full cap hit.
