What the Broncos’ 2014 offseason spending spree can tell us about 2018 By Nicki Jhabvala Denver Post Feb. 21, 2018 This story always begins with a plane ride, because that was when the message was fully received. DeMarcus Ware, en route to Colorado to discuss the possibility of becoming a Bronco in March 2014, looked behind him and saw cornerback Aqib Talib sitting a few rows back. Both were bound for Dove Valley, both would sign on a dotted line and both would later be introduced as the newest members of the Broncos’ remade defense. The moment, 30,000 feet in the air, is when Ware knew what was happening. He could see John Elway’s vision for the Broncos after their embarrassing Super Bowl XLVIII loss to Seattle. “Just their mentality is a ‘now’ mentality. A mentality of, ‘I’m not looking forward to the next season or the season after that — the time is now,’ ” Ware told a crowd of reporters on his first day as a Bronco. “So when I looked back there in that back seat and I see Talib, I’m like, ‘You know what? They’re trying to get the job done.’ ” Those two joined free-agent safety T.J. Ward, as well as Emmanuel Sanders, a former Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver who would sign days later to be Denver’s No. 2 receiver in the wake of Eric Decker’s departure. The payout of nearly $125 million in veteran talent happened in the span of about five days, ensuring the Broncos were the talk of the offseason as Elway opened their checkbook and gave Peyton Manning a defense that would soon match their prolific offense. But the truth is the moves took months of planning and shuffling names on their free-agency board, and lengthy negotiations with others, including cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, receiver Brandon LaFell and defensive end Jared Allen. Elway’s plan for remaking the Broncos four years ago, however, could provide a loose blueprint to his approach this year, as they’re expected to pursue quarterback Kirk Cousins, a soon-to-be free agent who will become the highest-paid player in the NFL, and will begin to remake the current roster. In 2014, the Broncos entered free agency with nearly $29 million in salary cap space based on the accounting of their top 51 contracts — the top 51 are the only ones that count against the cap in the offseason — before their massive shopping spree. They cleared another $10.1 million when they released veteran cornerback Champ Bailey and later received $4.1 million when offensive lineman Chris Kuper retired. This year, the Broncos are projected to have around $26 million in cap space. But they could save even more if a pair of veterans are let go. Talib, 32, has two years remaining on his contract and carries a cap charge of $12 million for next season. If he’s released, the team would save $11 million cap space. The impetus for parting with Talib is primarily two-fold: money and younger talent. The Broncos think highly of cornerback Bradley Roby, and his fifth-year salary rises to $8.526 million. Keeping Roby, Talib and veteran Chris Harris would eat about $30 million in cap space. It’s quite possible the Broncos part with running back C.J. Anderson, too, to save an additional $4.5 million. Anderson, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, has two years remaining on his contract but no guaranteed money, which would allow the Broncos to release him without having anything count against their cap. Rarely does a 29-year-old quarterback at the top of his game hit the open market, and Cousins will come at a cost much greater than the $125 million the Broncos shelled out to their four big additions in 2014. The floor for his next deal was reset when Jimmy Garoppolo signed a $137.5 million contract with the 49ers and, according to early projections, Cousins could easily seek $30 million a year and $100 million in guarantees. “At the end of the day, I want to win,” Cousins said during Super Bowl LII week in Minnesota. “I was talking with Coach (Charlie) Weis earlier and he made it clear, ‘Hey, go where you can win.’ That’s exactly what the plan is. “Now … there are a ton of variables that decide, ‘Do we think we can win?’ But that will ultimately be what makes the decision.” And that’s where the comparison to the 2014 Broncos diverges. Four years ago, the Broncos had leverage and appeal that allowed them to configure the contracts in a way that helped their cap. A month prior, the Broncos were playing in the Super Bowl with the most prolific offense in history, led by Manning. New deals were heavy on incentives and escalators. The Broncos don’t have that appeal this year. After winning Super Bowl 50 in 2016, Denver has been shut out of the playoffs for two seasons and has an offense in disarray. What they do have, however, is a defense that ranked among the top five in total, passing and rushing yards allowed. They also have history. Despite their recent lull, the Broncos remain one of the NFL’s marquee franchises run by a Hall of Fame quarterback in Elway who, for the most part, has been unafraid to make the tough decisions. They will also probably have a pair of elite receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Sanders, who figure to stick around as they pursue a change at quarterback. And to boot, they have potential, with proably 10 draft picks this year and options to manipulate cap room and acquire veteran talent. If they play their cards right, Cousins might just be the next guy on a flight en route to Denver, knowing full well the Broncos have embraced a “now” mentality. The Broncos need big-play help at wide receiver. Here’s five players at the position to watch at the NFL combine. By Nick Kosmider Denver Post Feb. 21, 2018 The Broncos last spring entered the middle rounds of the NFL draft on the hunt for game-breaking talent. And when Carlos Henderson (third-round pick) and Isaiah McKenzie (fifth) started making plays under the glaring August sun at training camp, it appeared Denver would have a youthful injection to its sagging offense in 2017. As the Broncos prepare for the 2018 combine in Indianapolis next week, they still don’t know whether the two speedy wide receivers they selected in last year’s draft are destined to make an impact. Henderson spent his rookie season on the injured-reserve list. McKenzie, used primarily on special teams, had just four catches for 29 yards. The questions at wide receiver for Denver don’t end after their two 2017 draft picks. Cody Latimer, who slowly began to emerge last season as a deep-ball threat, is an unrestricted free agent. Bennie Fowler is a restricted free agent. Emmanuel Sanders was hampered much of last season with an ankle injury. And Demaryius Thomas had his fewest receptions (83) since 2011 (32). The pursuit of a quarterback may be the biggest priority for a Broncos offense which was among the NFL’s most inefficient in 2017, but it’s not the only need. Here are five intriguing wide receiver prospects to keep an eye on when the NFL combine begins next week: Calvin Ridley, Alabama: His size (6-foot-1, 188 pounds) might be the only thing keeping Ridley from being viewed as a consensus top-10 pick. Still, it is hard to ignore the fact that on only 63 catches in the Tide’s run-happy offense, Ridley tallied 967 yards. That’s the type of big-play production (15.4 yards per catch) that has scouts high on Ridley in a class that isn’t projected to be as rich with first-round talent as, say, 2015, when five receivers were taken in the first round. Ridley’s standing as somewhere between a mid- to late-first-round pick probably puts him outside the Broncos’ plans at No. 5. But were Denver to secure a quarterback in free agency and trade their first- round pick in an effort to collect more assets, Ridley could be a nice plug-and-play option for a new QB. James Washington, Oklahoma State: Football fans in Colorado know Washington well. In the 2016 Alamo Bowl against the University of Colorado, the 5-foot-10, 210 pound Biletnikoff Award winner had nine catches for an eye-popping 171 yards and a touchdown, consistently taking the top off the Buffs’ vaunted secondary. Washington, whose speed comes more down the field than it does bursting off the line of scrimmage, is one of the more polarizing players at his position in the draft. While there is some thought he could land late in the first round or early in the second, others predict him as a mid-round selection. Keke Coutee, Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have a proud tradition of slot receivers who have found success in the NFL, including former Broncos receiver Wes Welker and the Patriots’ Danny Amendola. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Coutee is made in that same mold. He’s a quick-off-the-line speedster who has demonstrated an impressive ability to create separation in his routes. He ranked fifth in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season with 109.9 yards receiving per game. He had 11 catches for 187 yards in the Birmingham Bowl back in December.