The Broncos filled another offseason vacancy Wednesday, with general manager John Elway announcing the hire of Rich Hurtado as the team’s vice president of football administration.

Hurtado replaces Mike Sullivan, whose contract was not renewed after eight years with the organization. Hurtado will oversee the Broncos’ salary cap and overall football budget, and has 15 years of experience negotiating contracts as either a team executive or player agent.

He spent the last 11 years as an agent and executive for Creative Artists Agency, and also spent four seasons working for the Philadelphia Eagles in football administration from 2005-08. Broncos executive Matt Russell was with Philadelphia from 2006-08, a likely connection that preceded the hire. Related Articles Kiszla: After Broncos lose to Pittsburgh and begin another NFL season 0-2, veteran Shelby Harris sounds warning: “We’ve got to change the culture”

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Hurtado helped negotiate more than $2.5 billion in total contracts with CAA, working alongside agent Todd France, and nearly $1 billion in contract extensions in his career. That includes working with Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib (2014 free-agent contract), wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (2015 extension) and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (2016 extension). Hurtado will lead the club’s negotiating and structuring of all player contracts.

“Smart, prepared, tough negotiator, all-around good person,” an NFL executive said in a text message to The Denver Post. “Great hire.”

One of Hurtado’s first major negotiations for the Broncos will be with France, who represents free agent safety Justin Simmons. The Broncos could place the franchise tag on Simmons before the March 18 start of free agency and would then have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal.

Asked about the France-Hurtado matchup at the negotiating table, a second NFL executive said: “That should be interesting. Rich was really good at his job for CAA and a real stickler in negotiations.”

Prior to football, Hurtado graduated from the University of Florida in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in Decision and Information Sciences, and worked for eight years as a managing consultant at IBM. He received an MBA from Dartmouth College in 2006.

With Hurtado’s hire, Denver has one opening left to fill, after outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley left to become the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator.

Staff writer Ryan O’Halloran contributed to this story.