Niner Noise
FanSided

Biggest winners & losers from 49ers’ record deal with Jimmy Garoppolo

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 05: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levis Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 05: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levis Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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ENGLEWOOD, CO – JANUARY 12: Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway fields questions from the media during a press conference to introduce Vance Josepf as the new head coach at the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre on January 12, 2017 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
ENGLEWOOD, CO – JANUARY 12: Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway fields questions from the media during a press conference to introduce Vance Josepf as the new head coach at the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre on January 12, 2017 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Loser: Denver Broncos

Like the Seahawks, the Denver Broncos don’t exactly enter this year with the best cap-space situation.

Per Over the Cap, Denver is just shy of $27 million under the salary cap. That’s not as bad as Seattle, but it’s not an ideal situation to be in. Especially considering the Broncos are a quarterback away from getting back into contention in the AFC West.

They can free up some money by trading/releasing expensive veterans like cornerback Aqib Talib. But if general manager John Elway was thinking his team could be a front runner for a free agent like Kirk Cousins, the situation only got more difficult.

Jimmy Garoppolo just drove the price tag on quality quarterbacks upwards. If Cousins was the target, having $27 million in cap space won’t be enough. Cutting Talib would free up $11 million, which makes things a bit better.

Yet it doesn’t exactly solve a lot of problems either. Especially if Denver gets caught in a bidding war for Cousins’ services.

If the Broncos lose out on a player like Cousins in free agency, Elway will be forced to turn to a second-tier option and/or the 2018 NFL Draft.

A craps shoot.