Broncos Mailbag: Who will be next Denver player to enter Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag periodically during the season. Submit questions to Ryan here.

Now that we cognize the astir $28 cardinal the squad has been sitting connected successful headdress abstraction won’t beryllium going toward Aaron Rodgers, bash you deliberation squad is much apt to usage that wealth to adhd a mates much interaction veterans to assistance this play oregon bent connected to it to put successful semipermanent deals for guys similar Bradley Chubb and/or Courtland Sutton?
— Steve, Forks, Wash.

Steve, you’re close astir the headdress abstraction — astatine the commencement of the week, the Broncos were astatine $28,496,120, second-most successful the NFL, according to the national (Jacksonville $30,316,969). General manager George Paton has plentifulness of spending flexibility.

There aren’t a batch of veterans (if any) connected the free-agent marketplace close present that acceptable the Broncos and the aforesaid for players disposable connected the commercialized market.

The champion conjecture is that Paton uses immoderate of that wealth — either mid-season oregon aft the play — to code the declaration situations of Sutton (free cause successful March) and Chubb (free cause successful March 2023 owed to the fifth-year option). The Broncos tin besides rotation implicit immoderate abstraction onto the 2022 headdress to assistance relationship for the rising headdress numbers of near tackle Garett Bolles ($5 cardinal this year, $21 cardinal adjacent year) and information Justin Simmons ($5.75 cardinal this year, $18.85 cardinal adjacent year).

Who bash you deliberation was a amended receiver successful their prime: Demaryius Thomas oregon Brandon Marshall?
— George, Portland, Ore.

Let’s divided this into categories: Broncos premier and NFL prime.

Broncos prime: Edge, obviously, to Thomas, who played 125 of his 143 regular-season games with the Broncos and had 5 1,000-yard receiving seasons and 3 10-touchdown years. Marshall played the archetypal 4 years of his vocation for the Broncos (61 games) and had 3 1,000-yard seasons.

NFL prime: Edge to Marshall, who had 8 1,000-yard seasons successful a nine-year span and six years of astatine slightest 100 catches. For their careers, Marshall had 12,351 yards compared to 9,763 for Thomas.

Now that Peyton Manning, John Lynch and Steve Atwater person been enshrined successful the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who is the adjacent erstwhile Bronco astir apt headed to Canton? Is it Von Miller? Or is determination different subordinate retired determination who has a shot?
— Matt, East Colfax

Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware is first-time eligible successful 2022 and helium is already appearing connected the database of players who could beryllium selected. Ware would autumn into the aforesaid class arsenic Manning and Lynch — helium built the instauration for his Hall of Fame resume with different squad (Dallas) earlier finishing with the Broncos.

Manning and Lynch played 4 years apiece with the Broncos and Ware played 3 seasons, posting 21 1/2 sacks and winning a ringing for Super Bowl 50. Ware doubly led the league successful sacks and had 8 double-digit sack years.

What are the likelihood the Broncos look to prime up an wrong linebacker aft the last roster cuts? If not wrong linebacker, is determination different presumption you deliberation they mightiness spell bargain buying to adhd depth?
— Joe, Aurora

The roster churn has already started to assistance the Broncos get done the preseason games. Injuries person thinned retired the antiaircraft enactment and wrong linebacker truthful additions person been made. Whatever they bash this month, it volition beryllium bargain buying via veterans chopped by their teams and consenting to motion for the minimum oregon young players disconnected the waiver ligament who are connected their rookie contracts.