KUSA – Brandon Marshall will be the Broncos’ starting, green-dot, inside linebacker in 2018.
Von Miller is virtually assured of returning as a pass-rushing outside linebacker in 2019.
Such expectations became assured at 2 p.m. Sunday when Marshall’s $5 million salary for the 2018 season and $9 million on Miller’s salary in 2019 became fully guaranteed.
There was a brief time when Marshall was a little nervous about whether the Broncos would let the guaranteed deadline pass.
“Yeah, I was a little worried because I heard they offered Corey and Todd,’’ Marshall said. “I thought it would be hard to bring all three of us back.’’
There was never going to be a 2018 Broncos roster without Marshall on it. The Broncos did offer a one-year contract to Corey Nelson, their top backup linebacker whose specialty is as a third-down cover guy.
When Nelson instead reached agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Broncos amped up their negotiations with Todd Davis, who is a two-down, run-stopper type.
The Broncos did re-sign Davis to a three-year, $15 million deal that will pay him $6 million this year. Marshall – the team’s most versatile, three-down linebacker who calls the defensive plays and therefore gets the green dot sticker on his helmet – is considered team friendly with his $5 million salary.
Such full guarantees are often set up on the fifth day of the league year so players don’t have to worry about getting released well after free agency begins.
The fifth day of the league also applied to Broncos’ receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who had $6.9 million of his $8.25 million salary guaranteed, and safety Darian Stewart, whose full $4.5 million salary in 2018 became fully guaranteed.
“That’s good news,’’ Stewart said. “I was expecting to be a Bronco, anyway.’’
When Miller signed his six-year, $114.5 million contract extension following the 2015 season, one of the keys to the deal was the “early trigger” guarantee for his fourth season. Miller will make $18.5 million this season, and he’s assured of playing for the team again next year after $9 million of his $17.5 million salary next year became guaranteed at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The final two years of his deal -- $18 million in both 2020 and 2021 – are not guaranteed.
Any player making decent money was deemed vulnerable this offseason in case the Broncos went after quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. But instead of entering serious negotiations for Cousins, who wound up getting $28 million a year from Minnesota, the Broncos signed Case Keenum for $18 million a year.
Surprisingly, the team has done nothing else so far in free agency. The Broncos added cornerback Tramaine Brock as a No. 3 cornerback on a one-year, backup deal, and re-signed Davis and offensive lineman Billy Turner. The team also traded away star cornerback Aqib Talib and lost tight end Virgil Green to free agency.
But the team still needs a right tackle, a 3-4 defensive end or nose guard, a veteran tight end, a No. 3 receiver and another cornerback. The team did try to acquire Miami right tackle Ja'Wuan James and Washington safety Su'a Cravens through trades but those deals have yet to materialize.
The team also brought in cornerback Delvin Breaux for an extensive physical but he left without a contract.
Still, Keenum and the return was the key.
“I’m optimistic,’’ Marshall said. “Last year left such a sour taste in everybody’s mouths, going 5-11. But I think we’ve got a confident quarterback, coach (Vance Joseph) is in his second year. Joe Woods is going into his second year (as defensive coordinator), I think things are looking up for us.’’
