JOHN CLAYTON

Clayton: Broncos 2020 free agent class has uncertain future

Mar 2, 2021, 7:14 PM | Updated: Mar 3, 2021, 10:03 am

The stunning news out of Miami is linebacker Kyle Van Noy being told that he’s going to be released. He was a team captain last year. He came over from the New England Patriots and was going to offer leadership.

He also signed a four-year, $51-million deal. Now, he’s going to be let go because the Dolphins needed some cap room.

Expect to see a lot of this, as it’s establishing a very unique trend that is catching everybody by surprise. Unrestricted free agents from last year who signed multi-year contracts are starting to get released.

Stephen Weatherly, a defensive end of the Carolina Panthers, was let go. He signed a two-year, $12.5-million deal last offseason.

Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina’s quarterback, has already been offered up in a trade with Detroit that didn’t work out. He signed a three-year deal at $21 million per year. The Panthers are working like crazy to find someone who they think can be better than Bridgewater.

They’d love to get involved in a Deshaun Watson deal. But right now, there’s no Deshaun Watson trade.

Tyler Eifert, who signed a two-year contract last year in Jacksonville, will also be let go. The Jaguars didn’t pick up the second year of his two-year, $15.5-million deal.

How does that affect the Denver Broncos?

Nick Vannett has the possibility of being a cap casualty. He’s slated to earn around $2.5 million this season, with a cap hit of $3.5 million. His dead money is only $875,000.

Jeff Driskel is on that list, as well. He’ll earn $2.5 million in base salary, but carries a $3.25 million cap hit. His dead money is only $750,000.

The Broncos are already shopping around to see if Andy Dalton could come in. Or maybe Ryan Fitzpatrick. So Driskel could be let go.

I do think Melvin Gordon is safe. He signed a two-year, $16-million deal, but he did rush for 985 yards. That probably saves him. Plus, he has $6.5 million in dead money connected to his deal, depending on what happens with his DUI case.

Graham Glasgow signed the biggest free-agent contract with the Broncos last year. But it looks like he should be safe too, with $17.4 million in dead money.

But in the next two weeks, there will be a lot of guys who thought they’d be with their teams in 2021 hit the streets. They signed multi-year deal as unrestricted free agents, but are now being let go.

Remember, there were only about 10 players last year, out of roughly 160, who signed for four or five years on the their contracts. Now, you’ll see some of them back on the street, signing for much less money.

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