NFL Draft 2011: Denver Broncos Cut Williams and Bannan...Making Way for Fairley?

The Denver Broncos not only cut a lot of salary today; they literally cut a lot of man.

Jamal Williams and Justin Bannan were brought in to solidify the inside of the Broncos' 3-4 defense last season, but less than a year later they're on the market again.

John Elway and John Fox continue their purge of all things McDaniels, and while these cuts had a lot to do with money they also had a lot to do with performance.

Keep in mind that the Broncos are returning to the 4-3 defense next season, which is not the strong suit of either player. Still, even if it were, Denver's plan is clear: wipe the slate clean.

The question that must now be asked by Broncos fans: Has the team tipped their draft hand to the rest of the league?

It would seem logical that these moves pave the way for the Broncos to use their second pick on either Auburn’s Nick Fairley or Clemson's Da’Quan Bowers to fill the large gap that now exists on the defensive front. Nobody would argue those would be very safe choices for the Broncos with the second selection, but perhaps there are other options.

One possibility: a team below the Broncos now becoming very motivated to trade up in order to secure Nick Fairley for themselves, thus giving the Broncos more picks to work with in the draft process.

If that were the case, the Broncos would most likely be looking for a player like Kris Jenkins in free agency to help fill the D-line gap as they seek to patch up other holes in via the draft.

Long story short, the Broncos probably did nothing today other than save money by parting ways with two players they knew they'd soon be saying goodbye to anyway.

Still, the chess game that is the NFL offseason is in full effect, even if there's no guarantee next season will come.