Broncos' Free-Agent Haul Among NFL.com's Best, Echoing the 2014 Class

The Denver Broncos made some waves in free agency, but could this class rival the great 2014 counterpart?

Chad Jensen | Mar 27, 2025

JACKSONVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) runs with the ball during the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 17, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fl. / David Rosenblum / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

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Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos' free-agent splashes have made some waves around the NFL. Outside of some skepticism over the injury theme of all three of Denver's big free-agent signings, the team has been lauded for its offseason maneuvers thus far.

The exciting thing is that the Broncos aren't done. Armed with a full complement of selections, the draft artist that is GM George Paton (look at his resume since arriving in 2021) has the ammunition to further bolster the roster and add playmaking ability on both sides of the ball.

The NFL draft is at the end of April. We're not there yet, so to satiate Broncos Country's hunger, let's examine why Brooke Cersosimo was the only NFL.com analyst on a panel of seven to pick the Broncos as having the best offseason so far and how it could echo the team's 2014 free-agent haul. First, what she wrote.

"There are a number of teams worthy of this title, but I'll look to a team in the AFC West. Fresh off their first playoff appearance since the 2015 season, the Denver Broncos have moved full steam ahead on their rebuild centered around quarterback Bo Nix. They signed a much-needed playmaker at the tight end position, bringing in two-time Pro Bowler Evan Engram," Cersosimo wrote. "But the attention paid in free agency to the defense is what will really elevate this team in 2025 and beyond. They re-signed D.J. Jones and nabbed two studs from San Francisco, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga. Both are returning from injury but have the talent and experience to be major game-changers for a Vance Joseph-led unit that ranked third in scoring and seventh overall in 2024."

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Health-willing, the Broncos took some big steps forward this offseason. But remember, no division titles or Super Bowl rings are won in March.

But we can look back to the 20-teens to see how the right infusion of veteran talent, combined with solid drafting and the presence of a franchise quarterback, can catapult a team to the next level. In the case of the 2014 Broncos, then-GM John Elway was coming off the bitterly disappointing Super Bowl XLVIII blowout loss to Seattle.

Yes, the Broncos offense needed some reinforcements, but Elway primarily focused on upgrading the defense. In came DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, and Aqib Talib for the defense, along with Emmanuel Sanders for the offense.

All four free agents would go on to not only garner individual accolades as Broncos, but also help bring home the team's third Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl 50, vindicating Elway the GM, and giving rise to the iconic, "This one's for Pat!" moment at the post-game victory podium.

The impact of that free-agent class was felt immediately in 2014, but it all came together for the Broncos the following season. That was easily the Broncos' best free-agent class of the 21st century, but if the team gets a little luck by way of the injury bug, the 2025 group has the chance to rival it.

The difference is the competive window Denver finds itself in, compared to the 2014 team. Back then, Elway had a true sense of urgency because Peyton Manning was getting older by the day and was obviously at the tail end of his career, starting his Denver tenure in his 15th season.

The current Broncos have a budding franchise quarterback in Nix, who, obviously, isn't as proven as Manning was in 2014, but has a decade left to go in terms of his prime competitive playing window. In other words, the 2025 free-agent class could have a longer-lasting impact if Nix continues to grow, since he's only entering Year 2.

The primary impact of that 2014 class had fizzled by the end of 2016. The 2025 class could hit harder and last longer, so long as Nix himself shows the requisite growth and staying power as a bonafide NFL quarterback.

Back then, Denver had John Fox at the controls. When the Broncos didn't advance beyond the Divisional Round of the playoffs with that free-agent haul, Elway fired Fox and quickly hired his best pal Gary Kubiak in January of 2015.

The 2025 Broncos have a Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton — a West Coast Offense guy, like Kubiak. Payton is out to prove he can win it all again outside of New Orleans, and his presence is the single biggest predictor of Nix's continuing success.

Time will tell just how impactful this 2025 free-agent class will be. But if Paton can pair these free agents with a home-run draft class, the Broncos will be poised to shake up the AFC this coming season.

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