ClutchPoints
Despite a first-round exit in the playoffs, the Denver Broncos have to be happy with the way their 2024 season played out. However, with an abundance of contracts expiring at the end of the season, another offseason of change lies ahead. Even with an active free agency looming, no roster lasts a summer without forming cut candidates and the Broncos are no exception in the 2025 NFL offseason.
In 2024, the team successfully transitioned out of the failed Russell Wilson era to rookie quarterback Bo Nix, leading to its first postseason appearance since 2015. Nix’s promising debut gives Denver a lot to look forward to in the future, particularly in his pairing with head coach Sean Payton. Yet, the star of the team remains lockdown cornerback Pat Surtain II, who received the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
Surtain and Nix, both 24, are far from the only young players the franchise is excited to build around. Marvin Mims, Audric Estime, Troy Franklin and Riley Moss are all key players also under 25. Twenty-seven-year-old rookie Devaughn Vele also gave the team reason to believe in his chemistry with Nix moving forward.
Following their 10-7 finish, the Broncos have no reason not to believe in their budding title hopes in 2025. The AFC West has become arguably the toughest division in the NFL, but Denver was much closer to the top in 2024 than it appeared on paper. A lot of turnover is in store for the Mile High fanbase to keep track of, including the Broncos cut candidates that will inevitably rise throughout the 2025 NFL offseason.
Once Nix got past his initial struggles, the Broncos’ running game, or lack thereof, became their gaping offensive liability. Veteran Javonte Williams entered the year as the starter, but Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime and Tyler Badie all received their share of opportunities throughout the year. If Denver truly had its way, none would return in 2025, and an entirely new backfield would take over.
Williams, who led the team with a pitiful 513 rushing yards, enters free agency in 2025. Even on a team-friendly deal, there is virtually no reason for the Broncos to bring him back after three consecutive stale seasons. As rookies, Estime and Badie have the longest leashes, particularly the former. That leaves McLaughlin as the middleman with one year remaining on his contract.
After an encouraging rookie year, McLaughlin took a dramatic step back in 2024. The explosiveness and vision he showed as a rookie were practically non-existent, leading to a significant drop-off in efficiency. One year after averaging 5.4 yards per carry in 2023, McLaughlin posted just a 4.4 average in year two. He received 37 more carries in his second season than he did as a rookie but only ran for 86 more yards.
Ahead of his third year with the team, McLaughlin is still on his rookie contract, giving him just a $903,000 cap hit in 2025. If he receives...
