Denver Broncos salary cap update after first week of free agency

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 24: George Paton of the of the Denver Broncos speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Denver Broncos were the only team in the NFL that didn't make an outside addition during the first week of free agency. Instead, they opted to keep everything in-house and bring back most all of their pending free agents from last year's roster. The two exceptions being John Franklin-Myers and P.J. Locke who signed with the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys respectively.

Overall, I feel Denver's roster is still strong. Though had hoped they would have made a significant addition to help change the dynamic of the team. Will the Broncos finally make some moves this coming week? I certainly hope so. However, there aren't many great options available that would be major needle movers for the team in 2026. Here is an updated look at Denver's current salary cap situation.

Broncos Salary Cap Update

After their first week free agency endeavors, the Broncos currently have $23 million in cap space according to Spotrac. That figure includes the restructured contracts of Quinn Meinerz and Jonathon Cooper. However, it does not include the additional $8 million in cap savings the team will have after June 1st from releasing Dre Greenlaw.

According to their projections, the Broncos will need to allocate just a shade under $5 million for their rookie draft class. Given such, it's safe to state Denver is operating with roughly $18 million in operable space before June hits. That's certainly enough to make several second and third wave additions prior to the 2026 NFL Draft. It's even substantial enough for them to make a move for a quality player with a hefty cap hit via trade if they so choose.

What does this mean for the Broncos?

Only time will tell how the rest of Denver's pre-draft roster building process plays out. As noted, there aren't many quality free agents left that would cause a significant alteration to their draft strategy. No outside free agent is going to take away from their long-term needs.

That could change if they make a trade or two prior to April's draft festivities. While General Manager George Paton hasn't been as aggressive as he remarked earlier in the offseason, I remain confident the Broncos' brass are being diligent exploring certain trade scenarios involving established veteran players. History has shown he has been willing to wheel and deal when the right opportunity arises. Perhaps that happens again sometime in the coming weeks.

If that doesn't transpire, it wouldn't be a surprise to hear Denver come to terms or begin extension negotiations with players like Marvin Mims Jr., Riley Moss, or Ja'Quan McMillian. Rewarding their own has been a focus of the Broncos' front office over the past few seasons. All three of them are good players and are in the final years of their deals.

In theory, Denver could always just rollover their current space toward the 2027 cap if they so choose. Though I'm not too sure why they would free up so much space if they weren't willing to utilize it now. It's hard to predict what's to come for the Broncos prior to the draft, but they have set themselves up to be flexible in their approach and have the space to make several moves if they so desire.