The quest to upgrade gets more difficult every year.

The Broncos’ free safety position, for example. It’s not that the Broncos don’t think Rahim Moore is a fine player so much as there doesn’t appear to be enough room for him to fit into their budget roster puzzle.

Even with the Broncos’ salary cap payroll set at $150.066 million for the 2015 season, some spending discipline is needed.

Ordinarily, for an NFL team to maintain roster balance, it can allocate top market price to only two players in its four-starter secondary. The Broncos already are paying $9.5 million in average annual salary to cornerback Aqib Talib, $8.5 million to cornerback Chris Harris and $5.625 million to strong safety T.J. Ward.

Those are three defensive backs getting big money, or one more than the norm.

Moore, who is young at 25 and experienced as a three-season NFL starter, figures to command better than $5 million per year from an otherwise weak free- safety market. One potential suitor might be the Philadelphia Eagles, whose new secondary coach, Cory Undlin, held the same position with the Broncos the previous two seasons.

The Broncos, meanwhile, simply can’t pay top market value to all four defensive back starters. Unless general manager John Elway can’t resist making a play for the New England Patriots’ Devin McCourty — the best among those playing at one of Denver’s position of needs.

And so Moore, a second-round pick in the Broncos’ terrific 2011 draft, is headed for free agency. Money is one problem the Broncos have at free safety. The other is the lack of quality in this year’s free-agent market.

Pro Football Focus, Walter Football and 247sports all have McCourty as the undisputed No. 1 safety among unrestricted free agents and Moore at No. 2.

The consensus third-best safety is the Buffalo Bills’ Da’Norris Searcy, a one-year starter. Mike Adams, who turns 34 the same day Peyton Manning turns 39 (March 24), is ranked among the top five free-agent safeties.

The Broncos released Adams to free agency at this time last year. This is a safety market where demand is far greater than supply. Perhaps the Broncos can get a safety within the first two rounds of the draft. But the mocksters, agents and team executives seem to agree this is also a weak safety draft class.

Moore had a mixed run with the Broncos. He was benched as a rookie, then endured “The Stumble” as he misjudged Joe Flacco’s towering, 70-yard touchdown pass that cost Denver a second-round playoff game to end the 2012 season.

Moore admirably recovered in 2013 and was playing his best ball through the first nine games, only to go down in Game 10 with lateral compartment syndrome in his lower left leg.

He returned this past season to finish in a tie for eighth (with 18 others) with four interceptions, but he also had only six unassisted tackles.

Moore underscores how the draft might be overrated as it relates to a team’s ability to succeed long term. The Broncos’ 2011 draft class is considered among the best in team history. It included Von Miller, Moore, Orlando Franklin, Julius Thomas, Virgil Green, Nate Irving and Quinton Carter.

Four years later only Miller is assured of returning with the Broncos in 2015, as the rest are free agents.

Mike Klis: mklis@denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikeklis

Hired help at free safety will be hard to find



Three free-agent free safeties the Broncos might consider to replace rahim moore, who is expected to depart to the open market:

Devin McCourty, 27, Patriots

New England didn’t think he was worth $9.6 million tag. But if the Broncos cut Peyton Manning’s pay, they’d better use it.

Da’Norris Searcy, 27, Bills

Fourth-round draft pick in 2011, but he didn’t start until 2014.

Stevie Brown, 28, Giants

Off-and-on starter who made eight interceptions in 2012, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2013.