The time is now for the Denver Broncos to be cutthroat with their roster to try to open up money where they can. Not that they’re in any financial pinch, but that’s money they could put toward signing an elite edge rusher if star Jonathon Cooper isn’t with them following 2 offseason arrests.
The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider singled out veteran offensive lineman Ben Powers as a “surprise cut” candidate ahead of training camp — a move that could open up almost exactly what the going price might be for 1 of those edge rushers plus a little left over.
“This is a team that believes it can compete for a Super Bowl, so they will only release a player if they think there is a better option at his position,” Kosmider wrote on July 1. “The one big question is left guard Ben Powers. He didn’t practice during the offseason program — at least not during any sessions open to the media — and coach Sean Payton said only that Powers, who missed half of last season with a torn biceps, ‘is right on schedule to where we thought he’d be at this point.’ The Broncos signed Alex Palczewski to a two-year extension in March. He was solid at left guard in place of Powers last season and worked there during Denver’s offseason program. The Broncos could save $12.7 million by cutting Powers … they may need to see him compete in training camp before making that decision.”
Powers Singled Out as NFL’s Most Overpaid Player
Powers, 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, was a 4th-round pick (No. 123 overall) by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL draft and played the 1st 4 seasons of his career in Baltimore before signing a 4-year, $51.5 million contract with the Broncos before the 2023 season.
Powers started all 17 games in 2023 and 2024 before only playing in 8 games with 6 starts in 2025 due to a biceps injury.
Powers’ struggles landed him at the top of Bleacher Report’s list of the NFL’s “Most Overpaid Players” after the glut of NFL free agency signings in March.
“Denver’s offensive line is fantastic, but Powers is clearly the weakest link,” B/R’s Brad Gagnon wrote. “The left guard is a replacement-level player who missed significant time due to injury in 2025 and is entering his age-30 campaign with no Pro Bowl nods on his resume. His $18.2 million cap hit for 2026 is the ninth-highest at the position.”
Powers Reworked Deal for Broncos in 2024
Even though Powers started 34 consecutive games in 2023 and 2024, his 63.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024 put him 56th out of 138 eligible players at his position.
In 2025, Powers was worse, grading out with a 62.4 overall grade from PFF.
Powers did do the Broncos a solid before the 2024 season when he added 2 void years to his contract and took $10.875 million of his 2024 salary as a signing bonus — a move that cleared $8.7 million in salary cap space.
The Broncos selected just 2 offensive linemen — both in the 7th round — through the 1st 3 years of head coach Sean Payton’s tenure with Alex Forsyth in 2023 and Nick Gargiulo in 2024.
“Ben Powers is heading into the final year of his contract with the Broncos. Will it be his last season in Denver?” Broncos Wire wrote on its official X account on July 1.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Broncos Could Save $12.7 Million by Making ‘Surprise Cut’ of 17-Game Starter appeared first on HEAVY.