Defensive end Derek Wolfe signed a four-year contract extension with the Denver Broncos on Friday.(Photo: KUSA)
ENGLEWOOD—The quest to keep the No. 1 defense
intact has begun.
The Denver Broncos signed defensive end Derek Wolfe to a four-year, $36.7 million contract extension Friday. The deal includes a $12 million full guarantee in signing bonus and salary for the 2016 season.
Another $5.5 million becomes guaranteed in the seventh day of the 2017 league season. Included in the $36.7 million package is a $31,250 bonus for each game he is active on the 46-man game-day roster, or $500,000 a year if he plays in 16 games.
“This year, Derek’s developed into one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in football,’’ John Elway, the Broncos’ general manager said.
Wolfe had 5.5 sacks this season, plus a team-most 9 tackles for loss. He was the first of the Broncos’ two, second-round draft picks in 2012. The other was quarterback Brock Osweiler.
Wolfe had 6.0 sacks as a rookie, but suffered from seizure-like medical issues during his second season of 2013.
He was suspended from the first four games of this season for violating the league’s performance-enhancement policy but finished strong as he registered all 5.5 sacks in the Broncos’ final seven games.
Next up for the Broncos is trying to re-sign free agents-to-be Von Miller, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan on defense and Osweiler and running back Ronnie Hillman on offense.
Miller figures to receive the franchise tag by the March 7 deadline, which would then give the Broncos until July to sign him to a long-term extension. Osweiler and Jackson will be the Broncos’ top priorities before the 2016 free-agent market opens March 15. Each of those three players will command contracts well north of $10 million a year.
(© 2016 KUSA)