The Denver Broncos defense established themselves as one of the all-time greats after their Super Bowl run this past season, and general manager John Elway has made it known that their goal has been to try and keep this defense together this offseason.
The Broncos are reportedly expected to place the franchise tag on Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller, but both defensive lineman Malik Jackson and linebacker Danny Trevathan are set to become unrestricted free agents in March. The Broncos have begun "negotiating in earnest" with Jackson, but not enough progress has been made to prevent him from testing the free agent market, according to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.
The Broncos defensive lineman is expected to garner plenty of interest on the open market, and some have speculated that the Raiders could look to target him in free agency. Jackson was a crucial piece for the Broncos this past season, recording 45 combined tackles and five sacks while recovering two fumbles.
The Broncos have reportedly not started contract talks with quarterback Brock Osweiler this offseason, but they plan to have him be their starting quarterback in 2016, according to Klis. The Broncos reportedly want to sign Osweiler to a multi-year contract extension but have not engaged in contract talks out of respect for Manning as they wait to hear his decision on retirement.
As with every Super Bowl team, the Broncos' free agents will become hot commodities on the open market, and while Denver is trying to bring them all back next season, it seems unlikely that Denver's front office will be able to afford to keep them all.
