Author: Nick

Drafted Players

• #9: Patrick Surtain Jr., CB, Alabama
• #35 (from Atlanta): Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina
• #98 (from New Orleans): Quinn Meinerz, G, Wisconsin-Whitewater
• #105 (from New Orleans): Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State
• #152: Caden Sterns, S, Texas
• #164 (from Chicago via NY Giants): Jamar Johnson, S, Indiana
• #219 (from Atlanta): Seth Williams, WR, Auburn
• #237: Kary Vincent Jr., CB, LSU
• #239 (from New York Giants): Jonathon Cooper, EDGE, Ohio State
• #253 (from Cleveland): Marquiss Spencer, IDL, Mississippi State

Undrafted Free Agents

• Nolan Laufenberg, G, Air Force (per Mike Klis)
• Adam Prentice, FB, Colorado State (per Zac Stevens)
• Drew Himmelman, T, Illinois State (per Benjamin Allbright)
• Branden Mack, WR, Temple (per Mike Klis)
• Mac McCain, CB, North Carolina A&T (per Aaron Wilson)
• Curtis Robinson, LB, Stanford (per Justin M)
• Shaun Beyer, TE, Iowa (per Chad Leistikow)
• Warren Jackson, WR, Colorado State (per himself)
• Andre Mintze, EDGE, Vanderbilt (per Tom Pelissero)

Per Tom Pelissero and Adam Schefter:

Panthers are trading to QB Teddy Bridgewater to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick, as @TomPelissero reported.

Panthers paying Bridgewater $7 million, Broncos paying him $3 million, per source.

Trade does not take Denver out of QB market Thursday night, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2021

And per Mike Klis:

Per source, restructure of Teddy Bridgewater's contract will involve eliminating final year and $21M of his contract in 2022. Also there will be split of some sort of $10M base guarantee for this season between Broncos and Panthers. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) April 28, 2021

Broncos pay $3M of Bridgewater's guar, plus $1.5M salary per source. So Broncos pay $4.5M to veteran backup who could be starter. Considering Bears paid 1-yr $10.5M for Dalton, Broncos did well.
Bridgewater also gets $7M guar from CAR so his new deal is one-yr, $11.5M. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) April 28, 2021

Putting these reports together, it appears that the Broncos and Panthers agreed to split Bridgewater’s guaranteed salary of $10 million between them, with the Panthers taking the lion’s share of that cost, while Bridgewater agreed to an $6.5 million pay cut in 2021 in exchange for gaining the ability to become a free agent in 2022. Because Bridgewater’s contract was shortened, he will not be eligible to become a compensatory free agent in Denver’s favor next offseason.

As for my opinion, I am quite surprised that the Panthers were willing to eat $7 million in salary for only a 6th round pick, and that Bridgewater, if I’m understanding this correctly, was willing to take a pay cut to go to a team not entirely of his choosing. Meanwhile, for the Broncos they have finally succeeded at getting serious veteran competition for Drew Lock, and they are doing so at an excellent price of only $4.5 million and a 6th round pick.

The above has been corrected to include the additional $1.5 million in salary that the Broncos will take on, per Mike Klis’s second tweet at 12:44 PM MT.

Breaking:

Per source: #Broncos are getting close to re-signing safety Justin Simmons, not done yet but will be.

4-year, $61 million dollar deal with $35 million in guarantees.

Long time coming for All-Pro/Pro Bowler.@KOAColorado @jsimms1119

(Broncos aren't done, either) pic.twitter.com/aQJ07fXEkd

— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) March 19, 2021