ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – As the Denver Broncos closed their first set of organized team activities this past week, their roster was at offseason maximum of 90 players and they had signed seven of the eight players in their draft class when defensive lineman Adam Gotsis agreed to a deal.
Gotsis, the Broncos’ second-round pick, signed the customary four-year deal for a rookie not selected in the first round, with a $1.064 million signing bonus and just over $2 million in guaranteed money overall. Gotsis’ deal also means the Broncos are, according to NFL Players Association figures, now $6.568 million under the salary cap – for their top 51 contracts – at the moment.
Quarterback Paxton Lynch, the Broncos' first-round pick, is the team’s only unsigned rookie. They traded up five spots, from No. 31 to No. 26, to select Lynch.
While many of the first-round picks have signed -- the deals under the current collective bargaining agreement are slotted and somewhat predictable -- there are a cluster of players in the latter part of the first round who have not signed.
At No. 22, Josh Doctson (four years, $10.05 million) has signed, as has the No. 23 pick, Laquon Treadwell (four years, $9.93 million with a $1.806 million signing bonus). And at No. 29, defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche signed a four-year, $8.6 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals.
Lynch’s deal might be slightly more difficult to hammer out, given that he’s a quarterback with the potential to be the Broncos’ starter within his first contract. Both sides have expressed optimism a deal will get done and history has shown it should be finished before the Broncos close out their on-field work in June.
Last season, linebacker Shane Ray, who was the Broncos’ first-round pick in the 2015 draft, signed his rookie deal on June 1. In 2014, first-round pick Bradley Roby signed his contract on June 10. The Broncos have their second set of OTAs this week and will have their mandatory minicamp June 7-9.