The Broncos continue to build their offensive line depth by adding former New Orleans Saints players to their roster on Monday.
They fulfilled both requirements by agreeing to sign experienced interior lineman Calvin Throckmorton to a one-year deal, which was announced Monday afternoon.
In 2020, Throckmorton was not selected in the draft but joined New Orleans as a free agent. After a year on the practice squad, he played 14 games for the Saints in 2021 and six games in 2022. Later in 2023, he played nine games for Carolina and seven for Tennessee.
During his first four years in the professional league, the 27-year-old has appeared in 46 games and started 27.
In Denver, he provides support to the interior group, which has uncertainties at center and mostly young players behind starting guards Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz.
At the NFL owners meetings last week, Payton mentioned that Alex Forsyth and Luke Wattenberg are the team’s top choices to replace Lloyd Cushenberry at center. The team also re-signed reserve Quinn Bailey to a one-year deal.
Similar to Forsyth, Throckmorton played college football at Oregon. Although he played various positions in college, including center and tackle, he has primarily been a guard in the NFL.
Throckmorton is the second offensive lineman that Denver has signed in free agency, alongside 26-year-old tackle Matt Peart from the New York Giants.
Neither player has a guaranteed starting position at this time, but the Broncos need to be realistic about the likelihood of facing injuries on the offensive line as they did in 2023. Given the history of using different starting lineups, the typical NFL season is expected to fall between the two extremes experienced in 2022 and 2023.
Throckmorton is the sixth outside free agent that Denver has signed this spring.
Payment based on performance.
Receiving a bonus is usually well-received.
Two Broncos players received significant bonuses on Monday. Meinerz and outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper were among the top 25 recipients of performance-based pay in the NFL, which is calculated based on a formula that considers salary and playing time.
Meinerz received $747,505 on top of his $1.095 million base salary (No. 22 in the NFL), while Cooper received $738,916 in addition to his $940,000 base salary (No. 25). These bonuses do not affect the team’s salary cap.
Meinerz, a third-round draft pick in 2021, emerged as one of the league’s best guards in his third professional season and played all 17 games despite a mid-season hospitalization for an elevated heart rate. Cooper, a seventh-round pick in 2021, also played all 17 games in 2023 and achieved a career-high of 8.5 sacks. Also included in the top recipients for the Broncos are Nickel Ja’Quan McMillian, cornerback Fabian Moreau, and defensive lineman Jonathan Harris..
The Broncos kept enhancing their offensive line depth and continued to add former New Orleans Saints to their roster on Monday by signing Calvin Throckmorton to a one-year contract.
Meinerz, a 2021 third-round draft pick, blossomed into one of the NFL’s best guards in his third professional season and started all 17 games despite a mid-season hospitalization for an elevated heart rate. Cooper, a seventh-rounder in 2021, started all 17 games in 2023 and logged a career-best 8.5 sacks.
Also among the top Broncos recipients: Nickel Ja’Quan McMillian, cornerback Fabian Moreau and defensive lineman Jonathan Harris.
