This report just opened a very interesting door...

The Broncos are 7-2 and this week they did something that does not make sense. On Tuesday they traded for a linebacker, Deion Henley, from the Chargers, reportedly for a 2027 4th round pick and a 2028 5th. Then they went and restructured the contract of their starting safety, Talanela Afonga, and freed up $3.9 million in cap space. Here's the weird part, is that Denver was already under the cap before their move. So if you're not desperate for room, why make more? I think the answer is a lot bigger than one safety. Because that room isn't free, it's a loan from the future. Before we get on to all of this stuff here in today's video, ladies and gentlemen, be sure to subscribe to the channel, like the video, and help spread this channel and this video with Broncos fans from all over. Now, Talanoa Funga had $4.89 million of his 2026 salary, and then returned it into a signing bonus. And a signing bonus gets spread evenly across the rest of the contract, so this year, the cap hit drops, and the rest of it slides down the road. It's pretty much a payment plan, you walk out of the item today, the bill shows up a month after. His 2026 cap hit was $13.5 million before the move, it's now about $9.6 million. So if we run that math, you land on about $3.9 million, and SpotTrack reports in new room. And it is the cleanest move the front office has. The player doesn't lose a dollar, the cap sheet just looks a little bit lighter today. So where does the bill go? Into 2027, and then into a year that technically doesn't exist. His 2027 cap hit is $7.6 million, and in 2028, there is a $14.8 million hit. That one is a void year. The void year is a fake final season added at the end of a contract so bonuses can spread out, and he won't play it, but the money still counts. And here's what that does to Denver's options. If they cut Funga now, $17 million of his deal would stay on the cap sheet. That's more than $9.6 million he counts for this year, so after this move, he's not a flexible piece anymore. He's a commitment. Which is fine, because if he's the player they say he is, we'll have to check it out and see. In Week 3, Talanoa Funga picked off two passes and a 30-26 win over the Rams, and he was named Defensive Player of the Week. And defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said he finally caught the ball, and that he's trusting his leverage. Vance Joseph also said that when Talanoa Hufunga arrived. He was a spot drop player, not a man coverage guy, and that his coverage went from the weak part of his game to a strong one. And those two interceptions put him in the 93rd percentile among safeties this season. But then he got hurt, left the game against the Chargers on October 11th with an ankle injury, and he's missed four games since. And here's the twist. Denver didn't lose any of those four games. They won all four of them. In their first five games, the defense gave up 22.2 points a game. The four games without them, 18.8. Now, that does not mean they didn't miss them. Arizona and Carolina are not the Kansas City Chiefs, and Kansas City still scored 24. But what it does mean is that Denver is not restructuring out of panic. They're doing it from a position of strength. And the Broncos say he's one of the four starters coming back. After the bye, with Waddle, Moss, and Brandon Jones for the Raiders on November 22nd. So looking at the Deion Henley trade that is now dead, and how it died matters. On Tuesday, Denver had agreed to send the Chargers that 4th round pick and that 5th round pick for him, but the deal was pending a physical. And on Wednesday, per ESPN, the Broncos found the issue that one of his knees had arthritis, and late that night, they said the trade will not be finalized. And per ESPN, Denver then asked about a new version with different picks. The teams couldn't agree, and the Chargers posted welcome back day on. So Denver walked away from the linebacker it wanted on Tuesday. The front office checks the knee before they spend. But keep in mind, with Sports Illustrating saying that he could be circled back on by the Broncos as he is in the final year of his contract, and they could circle back for a 2027 free agency if the Chargers do not resign him. And remember that, because the room is still there, and he's not the only name. So Denver has the room, but how much? Spotchuk has the Broncos with $23.5 million of cap space. And with the Henley deal dead, that room is still there. They're still sitting at $23.5 million, ready to make what other move they want. And Sean Payton hasn't sounded like a man who wants to sit on it. On November 4th, he asked about the deadline, he said, we're not looking to sell. And look what's left on the schedule, and you'll see why. The Raiders on November 22nd, then Pittsburgh on November 27th. That's five days between games, and Hufunga is back. You need the depth to survive a stretch like that. And after Pittsburgh, it's Miami on December 6th, the Jets on December 13th, Vegas on December 20th, and Buffalo on Christmas. Then New England on January 3rd, the Chargers on January 10th to finish it off. That's eight games left after the bye. So the Hufunga restructure, Has Denver making room, even after Henley Steele fell through? Keep the cap flexible now, and push the price to a year that's easier to afford. But pushing the price only works if you know who you're playing next year, and that's where it gets complicated. To see what the list costs, look at 2027. Most of this roster doesn't have one. 41 Broncos have no money on the books next season. Together, they cost $59.6 million this year. And that's after the big names are paid. Nick Benito at $32.2 million in 2027. Corlin Sutton at $28.5. Jalen Waddell, $27.1. You add Garrett Bowles at $26.9 million to that. Quinn Miners at $25.5 million. And Pat Sertan at $16.9 million. And the top of the roster is locked up. And that's the point of restructuring. When your stars are already on the books, the room has to come from the middle of the roster. In the middle of the roster is a group of four starters who'd steals end at the end of this season. Those are Brandon Jones, safety, $9.3 million this year. Marvin Mims, receiver and returner, $6.1 million. Jaquan McMillan, $5.8 million. And Riley Moss at $3.9 million. All four hit the market in March. Now start with Jones because he's a safety. Hafunga is a safety. The Broncos just choose which one they're building around. Right now, Denver pays them nearly the Afonga counts for $9.6 million this year, and Jones for $9.3 million. That's almost $19 million between them on the two safeties. And Jones has 54 tackles this season, which is second on the team. Afonga has 23, but he's played five games. Sports Illustrated wrote in May that Jones is probably in the last year in Denver. Then you got Marvin Mims. Sports Illustrated says he should be extended, and the desk has him at 26 return yards from passing Delta O'Neal. for third on franchise in punt return list. But the two cores are where it gets hard. And in May, Sports Illustrated wrote that keeping both Moss and McMillan doesn't seem financially feasible. And Sports Illustrated says the extension this room is most likely for is McMillan's. He's on a one-year $5.8 million tender, and this would be the first run at free agency for him. Sports Illustrated calls him one of the league's best nickels. This season, he has three sacks. 7 pass breakups, and an interception from the slot. And teammates know it too. Riley Moss said he's got that clutch G. So here's how March could go. Denver has 4 expiring names to sort out. Jones, Mims, McMillan, and Moss. Henley could be a 5th if the Broncos do decide to chase him again in free agency, which I don't see why they wouldn't. Pastor Chan is already on the books for $16.9 million in 2027. Pay McMillan too, and that's 2 corners paid. That's why Moss seems to be the odd man out. It isn't about talent. It's about having three corners that pay. When a team can really only afford two. Mims is in a bit of a different case. His value is returns and few touches. So how much he's worth depends on how much Denver values a special team's weapon. And Jones is the hardest call because Denver just showed you it's building around Talanoa Hafunga. And of course, Henley being the wild card, the Chargers do end up letting him walk. He's a free agent. Denver could chase him, knee permitting, but it also wouldn't cost them picks in return. Here's my take, and I think there's a lot of people that agree with this, but let me know in the comments below. For me, I'm starting with a McMillan extension. You know, one of the two corners that you can sign seems like the best option right now, and I think he's the one to keep over Moss. You should probably let him go at the end of the day. And if that is correct, Talanoa Fufunga's restructure is a statement. It says Denver is paying for its defense now and trusting Fufunga to be part of it for 2027. Now, the risk is real, and a voidier means of Fufunga's money is still there in 2028, and that's the price of the room. But when you're 7-2, half game up in the AFC West, you borrow. So of those two, who do you keep? McMillan or Moss? Let me know in the comments below. If there's anybody else, also drop that down in the comments.