The Denver Broncos faced a tough blow when standout center departed in free agency after the 2023 season, signing a 4-year, $50 million deal with the Tennessee Titans.
With $85 million in dead cap space looming over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the financially-strapped Broncos couldn’t retain all their key players, and Cushenberry’s departure became an unfortunate casualty of the offseason.
Despite this setback, Denver’s future looks promising. The team boasts a star rookie quarterback in Bo Nix and a solid foundation of talent locked in for the long haul. This stability was highlighted by two major moves ahead of the 2024 season: a 4-year, $72 million contract extension for Quinn Meinerz and a 4-year, $96 million extension for All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
Looking ahead, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggests the Broncos might address the gap at center by pursuing Atlanta Falcons’ Drew Dalman in free agency in 2025. Dalman has played just four games in 2024 due to an ankle injury—three early in the season and a Week 11 return against the Broncos.
“Drew Dalman should be on the Broncos’ radar if they want to upgrade the position,” Ballentine wrote. “He’s experienced his share of growing pains but has developed into a valuable asset for the Falcons’ offensive line. At 26, he’s entering his prime despite the limited action this season.”
Calculating What Dalman Might Cost in Free Agency
Drew Dalman has earned recognition as one of the top centers in the NFL, landing at No. 4 on Heavy.com’s “10 NFL Players Who Deserve to Get Paid in 2025” list by Daniel Arwas. He was the highest-ranked offensive lineman on the list.
“Over the past couple of years, Drew Dalman has quietly become one of the top centers in the game, earning an impressive 78.9 PFF grade in 2024,” Arwas wrote on November 8. “With his rookie contract expiring in 2021, barring injury or a major setback, Dalman can practically start counting his cash.”
Dalman, a two-time All-Pac-12 selection at Stanford, was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round (No. 114 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. After playing all 17 games as a backup during his rookie season, he became the Falcons’ full-time starting center in 2022. Football runs in his blood—his father, Chris Dalman, was also an All-Pac-12 offensive lineman at Stanford and played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1993 to 2000, earning a Super Bowl ring in 1994.
As for what Dalman might command in free agency, it’s tough to predict. According to Over the Cap, the top five highest-paid centers currently have an average contract value of $57 million, while the next five average $22 million. A possible benchmark could be the 3-year, $30 million contract signed by Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz in March 2024.
Wattenberg Hasn’t Made Most of Opportunity
Luke Wattenberg, who stepped in as Lloyd Cushenberry’s replacement for the Denver Broncos in 2024, has struggled to establish himself as the long-term solution. Despite starting eight games, his performance has been hindered by an ankle injury that sidelined him for four weeks, and he has underwhelmed overall.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) has graded Drew Dalman at 61.4 for the 2024 season. While he hasn’t allowed any sacks, he has been flagged for four penalties, showing room for improvement.
Broncos management may need to prioritize the center position in the offseason to support rookie quarterback Bo Nix. As Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report noted, “(The Broncos) have to go to work this offseason to make sure Nix has everything he needs to succeed. That could involve a change at the pivot where Luke Wattenberg just hasn’t secured the job.”
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