Denver, CO

Bo Nix’s True Value to Broncos Revealed by New Metric

Published

6 days ago

September 20, 2024

Bo Nix’s True Value to Broncos Revealed by New Metric

Every year, teams want to get the most out of their players, particularly if they’re paying them a lot. The Denver Broncos are no exception.

Veterans tend to get big contracts, particularly if they are elite players. But the more you pay these players, the more teams should expect to get in return.

Meanwhile, players who are on a draft pick contract — the first contract they receive in their NFL career — get paid a lot less than most veterans. They are often a way to get great value relative to what they are being paid.

Over the Cap developed the ‘OTC valuation metric‘ to give fans an idea about whether or not teams are getting their money’s worth for their players. The OTC valuation metric does not represent what a player should be expected to get in a contract, but is more about the value teams get relative to what the player is currently being paid.

In other words, this metric illustrates what a player might be worth at the moment based on how he’s performing.

OTC keeps track of player evaluation for each week, but each player’s season evaluation can be found on their page at the site. Let’s look at some highlights regarding a few Broncos.

OTC valuation: $18.2M

Nix is getting about $11 million this season, with the bulk of that in a signing bonus. That’s roughly what you would expect to pay for a bridge QB. As for his valuation, the Broncos are getting the value of a bridge QB in return.

Of course, this is based on a two-game sample, so it’s possible Nix’s valuation will increase if he improves. While it would be unrealistic to expect him to reach the level of Kyler Murray (who is valued at more than $43M after two games), it would be nice to see Nix’s valuation rise into the $20-$25M range by season’s end.

OTC valuation: $16.8M

Allen continues to deliver on the three-year deal he got from the Broncos last offseason. He’s getting about $16M this year and delivering exactly what you would expect.

At the rate he is going, Allen is easily the best free agent signing from the 2023 haul. It will be interesting to see if he keeps this up because if he does, it may be worth asking whether the Broncos think about an extension for him next season.

OTC valuation: $22.9M

Cooper had a strong Week 1 but wasn’t as good in Week 2. Still, he’s easily the best edge rusher the Broncos have and is delivering excellent value on his rookie deal, even after he got proven performance escalators that increased his 2024 salary to a little more than $3.1M.

Among players with multi-year deals that are expiring, Cooper is delivering the most in return. If he can be consistent with his play, there’s a strong case for extending him.

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OTC valuation: $14M

Here we have an example of a player whose valuation doesn’t translate to the money he will receive. Reynolds will earn $4.5M this season but that’s about what you would expect to pay for a role player like him.

What’s good about Reynolds is that he fills the role, so he delivers a lot in return. He is exactly the type of free-agent signing to make because he won’t cost a lot of money when compared to other players but will excel in his role.

OTC valuation: $9.5M

McGlinchey played reasonably well in Week 1 but regressed in Week 2 and is now on injured reserve with an MCL sprain. He hasn’t yet given the return the Broncos would expect from the deal he signed last offseason.

Because McGlinchey will miss some time, his valuation will decrease because when a player misses time with injuries, that’s less value the team gets in return. While the signing hasn’t been a disaster, it hasn’t yielded the expected return.

OTC valuation: $4.5M

Bolles is in the final year of the four-year extension he signed back in 2020. Last year, the Broncos got good return on the money he was due. This year, though, early returns haven’t been good.

Of course, Bolles is playing through an ankle injury. However, if he’s going to get extended, he will need to improve his play.

He’s getting $16M this year and could be in line for that salary in free agency. If Bolles wants to get that from the Broncos, he must improve.

We’ll look again at OTC valuation after four weeks to see where key players stand and where the Broncos are getting the most bang for the buck.

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Denver, CO

Broadway in downtown Denver shut down for more than an hour during morning rush, but nobody knows why

Published

28 mins ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Broadway in downtown Denver shut down for more than an hour during morning rush, but nobody knows why

Broadway shut down for more than an hour during morning rush

00:22

Slow traffic on Broadway isn’t unusual on weekday mornings, but Thursday was particularly frustrating for drivers as they approached the state Capitol. Despite a sign warning of only an approaching left lane closure, it turns out the entire street was closed between Colfax and 14th Street.

Broadway was closed from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Denver police officers routed drivers east and west on Colfax to get around the closure.

Broadway was shut down in downtown Denver but nobody seems to know why.

CBS

CBS News Colorado asked the Denver Police Department why Broadway was closed, but the media relations unit told us they had no calls for service and that perhaps the closure was due to an event. CBS News Colorado checked with the Civic Center Conservancy, but they were unaware of any events on Thursday morning.

DOTI, which is Denver’s Department of Traffic and Infrastructure, has not yet responded to requests for information. Neither has RTD, which operates the Civic Center Station a block-and-a-half away.

Colorado State Patrol has jurisdiction over the state Capitol, but they also had no knowledge of the closure.

CBS News Colorado will continue to seek answers, but it’s looking like this closure may remain a mystery.

Laura Phillips

Laura Phillips is the Managing Editor at CBS News Colorado. She oversees the station’s daily news coverage and works closely with the reporters.

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Denver, CO

Broncos 2024 NFL power rankings tracker: How national experts rank Denver entering Week 4

Published

11 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Broncos 2024 NFL power rankings tracker: How national experts rank Denver entering Week 4

It took six games, but the Broncos finally won a game in September under head coach Sean Payton.

Denver beat Tampa, 26-7, on Sunday and for the first time all season, every aspect of the team seemed to be clicking. The defense came up with a season-high seven sacks and a pair of takeaways. And running back Tyler Badie may be the answer to the team’s stagnant run game.

Now, can they replicate that performance against the Jets on Sunday?

Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 4:

The Athletic (No. 28) | Last week: No. 30

“Bo Nix was Sunday’s best rookie quarterback”

“And he’s been the second-best this season. The competition is not as tough as we imagined it would be in April, but still. Nix is second among all quarterbacks this season in rushing (107 yards) and was efficient from the pocket Sunday as Denver got its first win. With Caleb Williams’ struggles, Nix is behind only Jayden Daniels in terms of rookie quarterback value so far,” Josh Kendall writes. See the full rankings.

Bleacher Report (No. 27) | Last week: No. 30

“The first two professional starts for rookie quarterback Bo Nix of the Broncos were rough. But Sunday in Tampa, the former Oregon and Auburn standout gave Denver fans some signs of what the future might hold under center in the Mile High City.” See the full rankings.

CBS Sports (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Sean Payton showed he owns the Bucs with Todd Bowles as coach. That was a clinic. Bo Nix is getting better,” Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.

ESPN (No. 27) | Last week: No. 30

“Coach Sean Payton admitted it has been difficult finding a running back rotation that works, especially if Tyler Badie’s flashes are a sign of something bigger. Badie leads the team’s backs with 86 yards on only 10 carries, while Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin are each averaging just 2.2 yards per carry. Much like we saw from Badie in training camp, he patiently waits for openings before popping a big run — such as the 43-yarder in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers. But Payton has said he typically leans on two-back rotations, whether it’s ‘right, wrong or indifferent.’ Trying to kick-start an inconsistent run game with three backs has proved challenging,” Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.

NFL.com (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Bo Nix played his best NFL game, top to bottom, and he looked remarkably comfortable at times — especially compared to the more chaotic feel the offense had in Weeks 1 and 2. The offensive line protected Nix well, and he made quality snap decisions and delivered very catchable balls more often than not. The run game did just enough, thanks to Nix’s scrambling, Jaleel McLaughlin’s miracle TD early and Tyler Badie’s fine work in the fourth quarter. And how about Denver’s defense? Patrick Surtain II clamped down on Mike Evans, and the front pressured Baker Mayfield relentlessly, to the tune of seven sacks and 18 pressures, per Next Gen Stats. Mayfield threw 33 times, but the longest pass play Denver allowed was for just 13 yards. This win was much-needed after the Broncos let a pair of close games slip away to start the year,” Eric Edholm writes. See the full rankings.

Pro Football Focus (No. 28) | Last week: No. 27

“The Broncos got off the mark in the win column with a competent and convincing win against the Buccaneers, with rookie quarterback Bo Nix earning a 74.1 grade. The defense has been equally impressive through three games and is eighth in EPA per play allowed (-0.173),” Thomas Valentine writes. See the full rankings.

Pro Football Talk (No. 21) | Last week: No. 29

“Well, now things are getting interesting,” Mike Florio writes. See the full rankings.

Sports Illustrated (No. 27) | Last week: No. 31

“I appreciated Sean Payton’s willingness to take the ball off the coin toss and place the game on Bo Nix’s shoulders. Nix has had by far the most ruthless start for rookie quarterbacks in terms of opponents — Seattle, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and the Jets in Week 4 — and he has turned in two close losses and Sunday’s win,” Conor Orr writes. See the full rankings.

USA Today (No. 22) | Last week: No. 30

“Maybe they’re due a little more respect after facing three teams with a combined 8-1 record, the lone loss the Broncos’ shocking shellacking of the Bucs on Sunday,” Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.

Yahoo! Sports (No. 28) | Last week: No. 30

“Running back Tyler Badie had 70 yards on nine carries Sunday. Javonte Williams has 52 yards on 24 carries through three games. Bo Nix had a nice breakout Sunday. He still needs support from the run game, and maybe Badie will be the next man up for that job,” Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.

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Originally Published: September 26, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.

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