Why the Broncos didn’t fit as a contender in the Cooper Kupp sweepstakes and what’s next for Sean Payton’s team at receiver

The Broncos have made a series of splashes so far in free agency.

With wide receiver Cooper Kupp, however, they mostly stayed out of the pool.

The former All-Pro and 2021 receiving triple crown winner on Friday agreed to a three-year contract with Seattle, multiple outlets reported. Kupp himself also acknowledged the move on social media.

That, however, after multiple days of Denver — among several other teams — being linked as a possible suitor for the 31-year-old.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter went as far as to tell Altitude radio that, if Kupp had his way, he might well like to play for Sean Payton and the Broncos. Sources told The Post that there was indeed a sense Kupp was interested in Denver.

In the end, though, those sources maintained that the interest didn’t flow both ways. At least not enough to get into a bidding war.

The Broncos never positioned themselves like a team planning to take on a contract in the realm of the reported three years and $45 million Seattle committed to. And Kupp, given his long history of production, never figured to be available at the bargain basement price that might have looked attractive to the Broncos.

Denver, of course, had already hit on four other substantial deals in free agency — for their own defensive tackle D.J. Jones and additions in safety Talanoa Hufanga, inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw and tight end Evan Engram.

Though the details of three of those deals remain unknown at this point, Denver likely has worked its $40 million-plus in cap space down somewhere in the mid-to-upper single digits.

They could have made room for Kupp by restructuring contracts, releasing a player or two or using several void years in Kupp’s deal to minimize the 2025 cap hit. The club, however, has followed what general manager George Paton said after the season in terms of being conscious of maintaining long-term flexibility.

“We could be really aggressive, but I think we’ll have a more measured approach and still upgrade our team,” Paton forecasted for this stretch back in January.

A year ago, Denver was more reserved in free agency but aggressive in kicking a substantial amount of cap accounting down the road to swallow the first $52 million of Russell Wilson’s record $85 million in dead money. Then over the past year they’ve agreed to major extensions with RG Quinn Meinerz, LT Garett Bolles, CB Pat Surtain II and OLB Jonathon Cooper. They have more extensions to work out with Allen, WR Courtland Sutton and OLB Nik Bonitto.

They are just getting to a point where there’s light at the end of the Wilson dead cap albatross and they appear to have a limited appetite for kicking cap charges down the road when they don’t have to.

What will be interesting, however, is what Denver does or doesn’t do next at receiver. Payton has been publicly bullish about his group of Sutton and a young trio featuring Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they brought Lil’Jordan Humphrey back, but they could also explore veteran options less expensive than Kupp.

Or, they could add another young player to the mix during next month’s draft and bank on Sutton and Engram to be the productive veterans leading a fleet of otherwise young players.

Either way, a bidding war for Kupp’s services never fit the bill for the team’s offseason approach.

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