The Denver Broncos are expected to be one of the more active teams this offseason, if for no other reason than their need to get in compliance with the salary cap. They are currently $25.7 million over the cap, per Spotrac.
One of the ways they can try to shed salary is by trading some of their higher-salaried players.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon believes veteran safety Justin Simmons is a prime candidate in a trade that could “reshape the league.”
“When you consider how close the Detroit Lions got to the Super Bowl in 2023, a deal for a game-changing defender could be the type of move that puts the team over the top in 2024,” Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote on February 2. “Veteran safety Justin Simmons fits that profile and addresses a need for a defense that has plenty of room to improve.
“Simmons is on the wrong side of 30, and a Denver Broncos team that simply hasn’t been competitive can save $14.5 million by moving on ahead of a walk year for the two-time Pro Bowler.”
The Broncos drafted Simmons in the third round (98th overall) of the 2016 draft.
He is coming off his second Pro Bowl season. Simmons recorded 70 total tackles, eight pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one sack.
As productive as Simmons was this past season and has been in recent years – he led the league in interceptions with six in 12 games in 2022 – it has not translated to many wins for the Broncos. They are 52-79 in his eight-year tenure, with just one winning season in that span.
He is going into the final year of a four-year, $61 million contract
