The Denver Broncos have some key players heading towards free agency this offseason, including names like on Miller, Brock Osweiler, Danny Trevathan, CJ Anderson, Malik Jackson and Ronnie Hillman. Osweiler and Miller are key players that the team will try and retain, while Anderson is a restricted free agent and likely will return.
The Broncos main priorities this offseason will be to retain Miller and Osweiler, as those players are going to be important for the franchise moving forward. Miller is coming off of a Super Bowl MVP win and is one of the best defensive players in the league, while Osweiler could end up being the starter next season. Miller is heading towards free agency after having another strong year for the Broncos and he likely will get paid big bucks this winter if he signs a long term deal.
According to 9 News Denver, Mike Klis reports that Miller and the Broncos have not started talks on a new contract. The Broncos may be forced to use the franchise tag to keep Miller off of the free agent market and the deadline for that is coming up on March 1. Jeff Legwold at ESPN writes that he expects the Broncos to use the franchise tag on Miller. Legwold writes that the Broncos likely will use the tag and then will continue to negotiate with Miller on a contract, which could come in at the six-year, $100 million range.
Osweiler is in an interesting position heading into free agency, as some teams could be interested in him as a starter if he doesn't return to Denver. Osweiler has said that he would like to return to the Broncos, but all of that may depend on what happens with Peyton Manning. It's likely that Manning will retire and if that happens, it makes keeping Osweiler even more important. Klis reports that the Broncos have not yet started talks with Osweiler, as the team is waiting for Manning to make a decision on next season.
Jackson told the Denver Post that he wants to test his value on the open market, but he still could be an option to return for Denver. Hillman is likely going to be allowed to walk, as he had an inconsistent season for the team. Anderson is likely to return since he is a restricted free agent and played well in the Super Bowl.