The Denver Broncos have lost multiple key pieces this offseason, as they watched their Super Bowl-winning quarterback Peyton Manning retire, and their former second round draft pick Brock Osweiler leave for the Houston Texans. It's quite normal to see teams lose key pieces after winning a Super Bowl, as multiple NFL franchises look to pick up Lombardi-winning players in the hopes of improving their own chances as contenders in the future.
For the Broncos, while quarterback is the glaring hole on their roster, they have also lost some key pieces on their offensive line. Former Broncos offensive tackle Ryan Harris signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and guard Evan Mathis landed with the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year deal after starting 12 games during the regular season in 2015.
While the Broncos may have lost some big pieces on their offensive line they also landed the best offensive lineman left on the free agent market and potentially the best offensive tackle that was available this year in Russell Okung. The former Seahawks offensive tackle has reportedly agreed to a deal worth up to $53 million, but his deal is reportedly structured as a one-year $5 million deal with $3 million in incentives in the first season and a team option for the final four years of the contract.
The move means that Okung has taken a big gamble on himself, and since he represented himself in free agency he likely believes the Broncos will hold onto him past the 2016 season. The former sixth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft has started 72 games since entering the league, and is a strong signing by Denver.
The move reportedly opens up the possibility of a potential trade of Broncos offense tackle Ryan Clady, as Denver's front office is expected to see what they can get for their former first round pick. Clady was open to taking a paycut to stay in Denver, but the two sides couldn't reach an agreement.
The Broncos' 29-year-old offensive tackle tore his ACL last May, and did not play during the Broncos' Super Bowl run this past season. Clady is due $9.5 million next season. As a result, expect the Broncos to test the market as they look to see what they can get for the former first round pick. Clady is expected to be ready for the offseason program this year, and teams like the New York Giants and Detroit Lions could be in the market for an offensive tackle, as they were both interested in Okung.
