Broncos Offseason Primer: Positions of Need & the Free-Agent Field

Our preview of the Denver Broncos' 2025 offseason continues with an examination of the roster needs and potential free-agent options.

Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos general manager George Paton before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos should be in a better salary-cap position than they were in the 2024 offseason. The Broncos also have a young quarterback in Bo Nix on a cheap contract.

One would think the Broncos would be aggressive in free agency this coming offseason. However, as I mentioned in the last offseason installment, the available cap space could be taken up by players the Broncos will retain through different means to get the roster up to 51 players.

But the other factor to consider is this: How good are the available free agents and do they fit what the Broncos want?

Broncos fans should take note that the team is focusing on younger players. That means, when it comes to free agency, the team is not likely to pursue available free agents who are 30 years or older, with the possible exception of keeping their own players.

Let's go back to the positions that the Broncos will need to address and look at what the potential field of free agents may look like. I won't go over every player but make general observartions about the field as it currently stands.

Tight End

Among potential free agents, the tight ends who have seen the most playing time are mostly players who will be at least 30 years old next season. One exception is the New Orleans Saints' Juwan Johnson, who will be 29, but he still may be at the age at which the Broncos are less inclined to pursue him.

As for the younger tight ends, most of them have played less than half the offensive snaps so far this season. Perhaps the Broncos think one of them will be a better fit in their offense, but there's no guarantee of that.

Consequently, you aren't likely to see the Broncos spend big here. Most likely, the Broncos will look at the draft.

Left Tackle

I wouldn't rule out Garett Bolles re-signing with the Broncos even with his age. However, if the Broncos decide to go with a younger player, there will be some risk invovled.

When you look at notable younger players poised to be available at the position, Jedrick Wills has missed a lot of time this season while Dan Moore Jr. and Alaric Jackson have been average. Other notable free agents are older players such as Ronnie Stanley and Cam Robinson.

I believe it's for the best for the Broncos to keep Bolles, but if they plan to go younger, they need to be careful not to overspend here.

Linebacker

On one hand, there could be some intriguing players who hit free agency at this postion. On the other hand, the Broncos have to be careful not to overspend, especially given past trends.

It may be tempting to go after somebody like Nick Bolton or Jamien Sherwood, but they are likely to seek deals that put them closer to the top of the market. But few recent signings for big money have paid off — and almost none have played at the level of Fred Warner, arguably the best inside linebacker in the NFL.

The Broncos have focused more on value at the position, which is a good strategy. It's worked reasonably well with Alex Singleton. The Broncos could get good value from keeping Justin Strnad on a deal similar to Singleton's.

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Wide Receiver

The good news is that there will likely be plenty of young wide receivers who will hit free agency. However, the question will be how the market takes shape and how many of these players will be worth top contracts.

There will be temptation to pay big money to Darius Slayton, Tee Higgins and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, but it may be better to focus on players who may not be big names but might be more productive in the Broncos offense.

Signing somebody like Elijah Moore or Josh Palmer to a 'prove-it' type of deal might be the better way to go. If the player works out, you can reward him with a larger payday. If not, you can move on without much issue.

Defensive Line

The free-agent field here has a mixture of younger and older players who have played at least half the snaps. This might be the position the Broncos could focus on, assuming prices don't get too high.

The Broncos will want somebody who provides good run defense but can help out with the pass rush and take some attention away from Zach Allen. Speaking of Allen, that's a big reason why the Broncos don't want to overspend here. The Broncos may want to extend him, as he'll enter the final year of his deal in 2025.

Backup Quarterback

It goes without saying that the Broncos shouldn't spend a lot of money here. The Broncos have their starter for 2025 in Nix and don't need to pay the salary that a bridge quarterback will demand.

The focus here should be on either quarterbacks who have spent the bulk of their career as backups or on a younger QB who might benefit from working with Sean Payton and his staff for a year.

Re-signing Zach Wilson could be an option. Another could be to look at Trey Lance or Mac Jones. Regardless, the Broncos don't need to spend much at this position.

Running Back

This past offseason, several running backs garnered big paydays, and it's paid off for those teams. Derrick Henry has shown he has plenty left in the tank, Josh Jacobs has shown no ill effects from the large number of carries he had with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Saquon Barkley has sparked the Philadelphia Eagles to the point he's in the MVP conversation.

It's fun to think about the Broncos having similar success, but if they go looking at free agency, they shouldn't make a big splash for the sake of doing so. The fact is, the three backs I mentioned all signed deals that didn't re-set the market at the running back position.

If the Broncos see a running back they like, that's fine, but they shouldn't re-set the market. Instead, the Broncos need to keep the cost reasonable to ensure a better chance for a good return on the investment.

Cornerback

It's easy to think about Levi Wallace's outing against the Cleveland Browns and how Jerry Jeudy made him look silly. However, that's just one game and Wallace has played reasonably well otherwise.

The thing to keep in mind about cornerback depth is that the player is depth for a reason: Because that's his ceiling. Cornerbacks who are considered strong as depth players are likely to want a chance to start somewhere.

While Wallace probably won't be re-signed, the Broncos will most likely look at younger players who will be cheap. But there should be plenty of options for the Broncos to consider.

Special Teams

When it comes to punters, it may be for the best for the Broncos to keep Riley Dixon.  If not, there are a handful of punters who will hit free agency that the Broncos could consider.

With long-snappers, most likely the Broncos will keep Mitchell Fraboni. As for a special teams gunner, it remains to be seen whether Tremon Smith stays or if the Broncos believe in one of the players currently under contract.

It goes without saying the Broncos won't spend big here. You can always find punters and long-snappers who can get the job done without having to commit a lot of money.

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