RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Denver Broncos have what many feel is one of the most complete overall rosters in the NFL. But in addition to putting together a great pool of talent, general manager George Paton has done a tremendous job of putting his roster together in a cost-effective fashion.
What makes the NFL so unique and so difficult to win championships is the salary cap. The teams that navigate their spending well generally yield good results, while the teams that hand out bad contracts and don't handle the cap well are usually high on the board in the draft.
Tom Blair of NFL.com recently took a crack at making a 53-player roster using the 2026 salary cap number of $301.2 million. He filled every position by looking for the best possible bang for his buck, just as any NFL general manager should be doing.
In the end, Blair used nearly all $300.3 million to build his team, which included five Broncos players. This will illustrate to you how good a job Paton has done putting his roster together in Denver, particularly the offensive line.
5 Denver Broncos make All-Cap Team
1. Jaylen Waddle, WR ( $4.8 million )
2. Garett Bolles, LT ( $8.4 million )
3. Luke Wattenberg, C ( $3.5 million )
4. Quinn Meinerz, G ( $9.2 million )
5. Nik Bonitto, Edge ( $8.4 million )
The Los Angeles Rams tied the Broncos for the most players on the team with five (Myles Garrett, Kobie Turner, Puka Nacua, Warren McClendon, and Omar Speights). It's a bit of a surprise to see Nik Bonitto as the only representative of the Broncos' defense, which should be one of the best in the league again, but it's impossible to ignore the inclusion of three offensive linemen.
Not only did Garett Bolles, Quinn Meinerz and Luke Wattenberg all make Blair's squad, but they're all starters on the team. Three of the five starters on the offensive line belong to Denver.
That helps to explain why that unit has become such a strength for the Broncos. Coach Sean Payton made rebuilding the offensive line a focal point, and he has done so. It's a strong Mile High Salute to what the Broncos have done to see five players on this unique All-Cap Team.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 5 Broncos made NFL.com’s list of best salary-cap bargains
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