TRADE UPDATE: Broncos in a contract negotiation with the lions over Justin Simmons trade

Even though the much-awaited NFL offseason hasn’t quite begun, there is still a lot of conjecture in the league about the paths that each team will choose to follow during the summer. Even if the winner of this year is still up in the air, it’s never too early to start planning for next season.

There is a lot of work to be done, particularly when examining the Denver Broncos’ current situation. They failed to make the AFC playoff picture and had a disappointing 8-9 record at the end of the 2023 season. This roster has to be brought up to date in a few steps; however, before adding new players, there may need to be some subtractions made.

The Broncos are presently in the bottom five of the league for this offseason’s salary cap, with nearly $23 million, according to nearly The Cap. That is prior to any decisions being made about Russell Wilson’s future. This team has to significantly reduce the cost of its squad if it is to have any chance of getting this program back on track.

Here’s where the difficult choices must be made.

In order for this front office to have plenty of freedom, the Broncos must shed a large number of heavy contracts, even if it means saying goodbye to a productive player like Justin Simmons. Although he just finished a fantastic season in which he was named an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, the decision to move him this offseason may not be as crazy as it seems.

A trade proposal to move Justin Simmons from the NFC to the Detroit Lions for significant cap relief while overseeing the Broncos’ schedule is made public in a Bleacher Report article by Brad Gagnon:

“Giving the Detroit Lions’ 2023 Super Bowl run, acquiring a game-changing defence may be the kind of acquisition that elevates the team to the top in 2024. Simmons is getting close to 30, and according to Spotrac, the Denver Broncos, who haven’t been competitive at all, can save $14.5 million by trading for the two-time Pro Bowler now, avoiding a walk-year. Here, they can trade him to a team outside of the conference that might be able to derive more value from having him as a 2024 contender.”