Denver Broncos release DE Garrett Nelson

Denver's decision to release Nelson earns a D+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a move that reflects the roster math behind a preseason cut rather than an indictment of the player himself. At $885K total compensation on a minimal contract, this was a depth-piece arrangement with no meaningful dead-cap consequences—the kind of transaction that costs the front office nothing to unwind. Nelson carried the salary floor of a reserve defensive end, suggesting his role was always contingent on making the final 53-man roster, and the CVI penalty here stems not from overpayment but from the reality that even modest deals to fringe contributors carry inherent inefficiency when the player doesn't stick. For Denver, sitting at 14-3 and the AFC's top seed heading into the regular season, this cut signals the team's confidence in its current defensive rotation and willingness to clean house on unproven depth. The underlying value question—whether $885K was well-spent on a player who didn't survive the cut—tilts negative, but only marginally; this is the cost of roster construction in the preseason, not a management blunder.