Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Zach Allen GETS PAID, Nik Bonitto Next for Denver Broncos

Starting point is 00:00:00 But Denver Broncos defense has gotten a lot stronger with long-term security. Zach Allen gets a massive, well-deserved contract extension. What does this mean for the Broncos defense going forward? We'll tell you that and much more on today's episode, Locked-on Broncos. You are Locked-on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Broncos country, what's happening? Welcome to another episode of Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast,

Starting point is 00:00:34 part of the Lockdown Podcast Network where you know it is your team every day for all your Broncos news content coverage analysis more. This is the place to be every single day all year long. So a special shout out to all the everydayers out there in Broncos country. Thank you for making us your first listen. However you choose to do so. And if you're not yet in every day or become one, hit that subscribe of that follow button, wherever you get your podcast or on YouTube. So you never miss out on what's going on with your favorite team, including breaking news episodes. I'm Cody Roark.

Starting point is 00:01:00 Broncos reporter for Mile High Sports. joined as always by Sarah Bedinger, site expert over there at predominantly orange.com. We have a bonus breaking news episode here this morning for Broncos country right before Saturday's practice. The Broncos and Zach Allen have agreed to terms on a contract extension. We'll talk about the extension. We'll tell you the numbers of that deal and what it means for the Broncos. And we'll also go through whether or not this opens up the door for Nick Benito and John Franklin Myers to get deals next here on today's show. Sir, right before practice, man, we're scrambling.

Starting point is 00:01:29 Bonus episode. Big news, though, the Broncos like to keep. us on our toes. Zach Allen, finally getting that well-deserved contract extension. Absolutely. Zach Allen is going to be hitting the practice field with a little extra pep in his step, isn't he? He got $102 million in total money from the Denver Broncos, 69.5 million in guarantees, which is very nice and puts him above Milton Williams, Cody. So the highest paid NFL defensive tackle as of today is Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs, deservedly so. He's a very good player at 31 million per year. But Milton Williams just got a really

Starting point is 00:02:05 nice deal from the Pats in 2025 free agency, a contract that's value at 26 million per year with 63 million in guarantees. Zach Allen gets 25.5 million per year with 69.5 million in guarantees. So the Broncos putting a little extra in his pocket while also paying, are paying top of the market value here in 2025, but this is a deal that is going to age exceptionally well because you're paying top of the market value from five months ago for somebody that is going to eventually count way less and less of a percentage against the salary cap. You and I talk about that all off season. The percentage of the salary cap is what really matters going forward. And so you're paying previous 2025 value for a guy whose contract is going to kick in in the coming years. So

Starting point is 00:02:55 that is just genius structuring by the Broncos and Zach Allen gets what he wants nearly 70 million guaranteed money. I mean, like I said, he better have an extra little bit of pep in his step out there at practice. Well, I think what he's set to make around what, 13.25 or 13.5 million this year. That essentially gets added on to it, which it's a four-year extension worth $102 million. When you factor in what he's going to make this year, essentially it makes a five-year

Starting point is 00:03:21 deal worth around $113 million. So hey, very good deal here by the Broncos, getting one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, a well-deserved contract extension where really, I mean, they took care of Patrick Sertan last year in the season before he won defensive player of the year. And then the market has changed. So really all these deals that the Broncos are making, they're locking in elite level players. And, you know, they're doing it. They're kind of setting the tone. And then other teams are trying to break that overall market, which makes the Broncos look like they are getting absolute steals of deals, which that is the case here.

Starting point is 00:03:53 And you got guys in unselfish culture, like Cortland Sutton said, kind of leaving money on the table because he wants other guys to get paid. Zach Allen gets his deal. We're very excited about that. Here's why he got the extension, though, Sarah. You talk about his impact. I mean, eight and a half sacks for him in 2024, which was a career high. He missed one game last season with a really kind of a weird injury.

Starting point is 00:04:15 We weren't sure he's in a walking boot. And then the next week he's playing on a short week notice. So just a tough dude, an Ironman played over 9664 snaps defense. for the Broncos last season. 89% of overall defensive snaps, which is absolutely crazy. If you didn't miss that one game, it would have been 100% of the defensive snaps more than likely at this point.

Starting point is 00:04:35 But eight and a half sacks, there's that impact there. But what stands out to me, the pressure rate of what Zach Allen brings to the table, 47 QB pressures last season, 29 quarterback knockdowns. This is a guy that was absolutely worth paying. And of note, this is his second deal with the Broncos,

Starting point is 00:04:53 which is something I don't think a lot of people are talking about. Right. He was back in 2023 Free Agency, kind of a highly contested addition by the team, right? Because the Broncos let go of Dremont Jones and then signed Zach Allen. And folks are saying, well, you just downgraded and paid the same amount of money to a different guy. And obviously, that wasn't the case. I mean,

Starting point is 00:05:14 Draymont Jones is now, I think, trying to make it as an edge player with the Tennessee Titans, while Zach Allen has become one of the premier interior defensive linemen in the NFL. So not just the connection with Vance Joseph, excuse me, but the Broncos Pro Scouting Department understanding that this guy was on a positive trajectory. And I don't think we can really discount either the fact that he got to work with J.J. Watt for the last couple of years that he had in Arizona. And how much being around veterans like that, we know how much it impacted Von Miller to have Demarcus Ware around him and teaching him the ropes of what it looks like to go about a Hall of Fame business. Zach Allen has clearly learned a ton from a guy like JJ Watt.

Starting point is 00:05:54 Maybe taking a little step back this year on the snaps, though, Zach. We're not going to see a thousand snaps for Zach Allen, most like this coming season. But he's a stud. I mean, I think the only other player with 40 quarterback hits in the last like almost 10 years is Aaron Donald. So Zach Allen is in rare company from the last, I know it's since 2018. Cody, I saw a post from Andrew Mason that said that since 2018, only two guys. on the interior defensive line. I've had 40 QB hits.

Starting point is 00:06:24 It's Zach Allen and Aaron Donald. That's incredible company to be a part of here. And look, I see it every day firsthand, how hard Zach works. I mean, Sean always says this all the time, right? In his press conferences, you know, with Zach, what you're getting on play number one is what you're getting, if he's on the field on, you know, for play number 46 or play number 50 of a defense.

Starting point is 00:06:42 This is a guy who never wants to come off the field. And I agree with you. I don't want to see Zach Allen playing a thousand snaps this year because that means that the Broncos defenses would be on the field way too much. And with the additions that they've made and how strong that they've gotten there, it'd be nice for that number to be maybe a few hundred snaps lower because the Broncos are taking care of business. They're forcing more three and out, it's getting more takeaways. Let's hope that's the case here.

Starting point is 00:07:04 And Zach Allen is going to be a major, major part of that here. Broncos country, want to know your thoughts here on the extension here on this bonus episode of Locked on Broncos. But we're not done yet. As we highlighted, Zach Allen's deal, does it open up the door for Nick Benito and John Franklin Myers to get deals done before the regular season approaches. We'll share our thoughts on that much more here on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. Today's Lockdown Broncos is brought to our friends over there at Monarch Money. Ever wish managing your money felt easier.

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Starting point is 00:09:34 Order transfusion flavored five-hour energy shots today. Zach Allen got the bag. But if the Walton Penner family ownership group is cutting checks, there's got to be some guys on deck here. And the Broncos, they have a couple of players specifically Nick Benito and John Franklin Myers, who could be up next. We'll tell you whether or not they're going to be getting deals in the near future on today's bonus episode, Lockdown Broncos in Broncos Country. Thanks so much for rocking with us every single day.

Starting point is 00:10:03 You know your boys, Cody and Sarah will have you covered, whether it's breaking news, whether it's a Saturday camp day, you know we got you covered. So hit subscribe if you haven't done so already wherever you listen to podcasts as well as on YouTube so you don't miss a single episode of the show. Zach Allen, obviously, now that Cortland Sutton has already. got his deal. Zach Allen, Cody was arguably the biggest dominole that needed to fall. You and I talked about just the importance of getting this deal done in terms of the Broncos keeping around a guy who's done everything to earn a contract like that and keeping around

Starting point is 00:10:37 guys who have really grown in your system. And you mentioned it. It's his second contract already with the Denver Broncos. He's only been playing for the team for two years. That's crazy. But the Broncos obviously see the value in what he brings to the table. Now we talk about another guy who has been with the team for the last three seasons, but has really only been playing for two. That's Nick Benito, the second round pick back in the 2022 NFL draft, the team's top pick in that class. Is Nick Benito going to get a deal during training camp now, Cody? Have you, have you been feeling that way or have you been feeling like this is one of those things that's kind of percolating behind the scenes yet needs more other players around the league

Starting point is 00:11:15 to get deals done? Where do you view Nick Benito as being like, what's the timeline on him being next in line if he is that. It's a great question because I think you and I initially, we were discussing it in the off season, how we anticipated this contract situation is going to go for the Broncos. We said, okay, Cortland Sutton will probably get done first. Zach Allen will probably get done second. That's come to fruition here. And I know I have said before that I feel like, I feel like Nick Benito's maybe in season or could be something that just goes into next off season here. But obviously, we know the Broncos. They're going to have that remaining $33 million of dead cap off the books next year. They're going to have a lot more salary

Starting point is 00:11:50 cap space to work with and they got Bo Nix and a rookie deal. I imagine the Broncos with Nick and I think just so much of it will probably be to turn on the language. So what does that look like? We know T.J. Y just got over that $41 million per year where he's at. You know, Nick's got some leverage, obviously with what he's been able to do for the last two years. Nick was in the defensive player of the year conversation last year without his impact in a couple of games. The Broncos probably don't make the playoffs and probably don't win a couple of games there. So you've seen that Nick Benito rise, which has been nice for two years now. And now that bill is due.

Starting point is 00:12:24 And he deserves to get paid here. Part of me thinks that the Broncos could get this done before the regular season. And with in mind that the way that they can maybe structure it is it's beneficial because they know they're going to get more salary cap next year. I don't know what that looks like right now because spot track over the cap. They have different numbers. And certainly now the Zach Allen extension is going to change what that looks like, obviously going forward.

Starting point is 00:12:46 I can see this one getting done before the regular season. and also maybe even during the season. But I'll tell you this about Nick, what we're watching. Nick is bringing the heat. He has been a force of nature here for the Broncos defense off the edge. Offensive tackles are having a very, very hard time in one-on-ones. Garib Bulls can't corral him. He's too fast.

Starting point is 00:13:06 Like Nick looks stronger. He looks faster. And I think he's got a lot of motivation right now to get a deal done. And I think if the Broncos, if they take their time with this and Nick gets off to a very, very hot start, That price tag is going to increase significantly, and that plays into the favor here of obviously Nick Benito. It really does. And you look at the market for Edge guys right now, it's very, there's a huge gap between like

Starting point is 00:13:33 the top of the line players in the league, players like Nick Bosa, Max Crosby, Daniel Hunter, Miles Garrett, T.J. Watt, like those guys are all making $34 million per year or more on their current deals. and their fully guaranteed money is upwards in the realm of 50 plus million and above. So there's a huge gap between those guys and then the next level, which is players like George Carl Laftus of the Chiefs just got a new deal. Cody at $22 million per year with $32 million fully guaranteed and then $64.7,8 million in total guarantees. I think that's the comparable that we're looking at right now.

Starting point is 00:14:11 And what we're staring at is a, okay, situation. here for Nick Benito. Do you want to, if we're talking about like a shootout, like an old Western style shootout, it's like, hey, Broncos, do you want to pay me now at George Carlaptis level or do you want to risk me getting up to that Nick Bosa level, right? I mean, that's the, that's what we're talking about. If he has one more big year, statistically speaking, the Broncos will be in the realm of having to franchise tag or pay him at the top of the market value as opposed to paying him what we're

Starting point is 00:14:38 seeing Carlavis get, Andrew Van Ginkle, players like that that are getting upwards of 22 to 24 million per year. So Broncos could get a deal done. I would assume Cody at that price because you don't often see guys that are upset about their contract discussions going on Twitter and congratulating their teammates for just getting more money. So to me, I feel like with Nick Benito doing that for Zach Allen, I feel like things are probably going pretty well for him behind scenes. Well, yeah. And on top of that, this is such an unselfish group of guys. And that's what I say. like if the Broncos locker room dynamic was what maybe what it was in 2020, 2022, 23, I would say, okay, it's probably not happening here.

Starting point is 00:15:20 Nick Venito is a big reason that has changed because remember that interview, Nick did, he said, you know, when I came in at the end of the year, we're out of the playoffs. Guys are, you know, in the huddle saying one, two, three, Cancun. He said, I'm not built like that. That's, that's not me. I don't like it. That's not what I want to be a part of.

Starting point is 00:15:33 Nick has changed the culture as well. He's been a big part of that. That unselfishish, I think, trickulates throughout the entire Broncos's locker room. It's just a different vibe with this team. if the Broncos can find a way to extend him, which I agree. Like I think the appeal here is, all right, Nick's going to get paid good money. You get a car loftest level deal. That's great money here for Nick Benito.

Starting point is 00:15:52 And you have the chance down the line. The market is going to change where you can make even more down the line if you are the Broncos, if you are Benito. And once again, if that's in the realm of extending him while he's already on this new deal that's coming up in the next handful of years, he has the chance to make a lot more money, which is great. And I think it's favorable to him. It's also favorable here to this Broncos. team. But Broncos, country, want to know your thoughts. Do you think something will get done with

Starting point is 00:16:16 Nick Benito or even John Franklin Myers, who's also in the mix here at defensive end for the Broncos? He's in the last year of his deal. He's looking for it. Will he get one? I think Nick Benito probably takes the priority right now. And then we'll see where things are at here, with JFM going forward. But we're heading off to Broncos practice. We'll have a bonus episode for you as well, recapping Saturday's scrimmage. So make sure you stay tuned and locked in here on Lockdown Broncos.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Zach Allen GETS PAID, Nik Bonitto Next for Denver Broncos

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