The major waves of free agency are over, but that doesn’t mean the Denver Broncos are done building.
A couple dozen big names are still on the market, and the Broncos have enough wiggle room under the salary cap to snag one. Here’s who could tempt the Broncos on offense…
Quarterback
It’s tough to imagine a world in which the Broncos change their quarterback room, but I’ll try to build a scenario.
Tannehill is the best quarterback on the market. He has starting experience. There’s a chance—a small chance—that if the Broncos bring him in, he’ll be their best option.
Maybe the Broncos have seen enough of Zach Wilson and would rather build a deeper room at the game’s most important position. I’d be shocked, though.
Running Back
Dalvin Cook, 28
Cam Akers, 24
Kareem Hunt, 28
A handful of backs are still available. They might all be out of gas, though.
Cook hardly received any touches for the New York Jets last year after four consecutive Pro Bowl seasons in Minnesota. Maybe he could return to form in a functional offense.
Akers built a promising rookie season in 2020 and held his own in 2022 after bouncing back from a torn Achilles. He struggled in 2023 before tearing his Achilles again. Could the former second-round pick recover again?
Hunt rejoined the Cleveland Browns after Nick Chubb’s season ended with a torn ACL. He provided value as a short-yardage back but his best is clearly behind him. However, his versatility could catch Sean Payton‘s eye.
The Broncos will probably cut a running back better than any currently on the market, so there’s no need to add another.
Wide Receiver
Michael Thomas, 31
Hunter Renfrow, 28
Thomas was Payton’s top receiver with the New Orleans Saints for four years, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy since 2019. His per-game and per-target efficiency have both dropped over the past four years, but there’s still plenty to like. For example, his 44.8 yards per game over 10 games last year was by far the worst of his career, but it would have put him on pace for 762 yards in a full season. While that number is nothing special, it would have trailed the Broncos’ leading receiver, Courtland Sutton, by 10 yards.
Thomas isn’t what he was, but he’s still a solid starter at worst when healthy. Of course, you can’t expect him to stay healthy at this point in his career. The Broncos probably shouldn’t add Thomas, but keeping an eye on him in case of an injury is a good idea. In a pinch, could he replicate his start to 2022, when he had three touchdowns in the Saints’ first two games of the year… but only played one more game all year?
Renfrow is a more consistent option. While his numbers have slipped in the past two seasons, circumstances play a major role. The Las Vegas Raiders brought in Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers in recent years, both of whom eat up snaps in the slot. Last year, Renfrow was only on the field 35% of the time.
Renfrow is a pure slot receiver. There’s no reason to play him on the boundary. While that limits his value, he’s a good fit with the Broncos. Denver has just about every type of receiver except a shifty slot option who finds space underneath. Michael Bandy impressed this spring in that role, but he’s a long shot to make the team.
While the Broncos probably won’t add a receiver, there’s a much better case to be made than for a quarterback or running back.
Tight End
The tight end market is picked over. I think Graham makes the most sense for Denver… although he probably doesn’t have much left in the tank.
Current reports suggest that Graham will either return to the Saints or retire. Given that Payton drafted Graham and helped him grow into one of the league’s best tight ends, I think he could convince Graham to come to Denver if he wanted to.
Graham sat out the 2022 season and then caught six passes for 39 yards in 13 games in 2023. You might be able to squeeze a few hundred yards out of him if you really wanted to, but the real value would be adding a five-time Pro Bowler to the team to help out the younger tight ends. (And, honestly, Adam Trautman fills that role well.)
If more options existed on the free-agent market, I could see the Broncos looking for an upgrade. Given what’s available, I’d be surprised if they made a move.
Offensive Line
Williams made his name as a guard in Dallas before flipping to center for the Miami Dolphins the past two years.
Given the state of the Broncos’ center position, Williams could be a major upgrade. While Alex Forsyth or Luke Wattenberg could pop if given an opportunity, Williams is a proven start in the interior.
But there’s a catch: the former second-round pick is coming off a torn ACL. He may not be ready to play right now, and there’s a chance he misses the start of the season. While Williams would give the Broncos one of the league’s top offensive lines on paper—and he’d probably come at a discount—is it worth risking the injury or taking opportunities from the in-house options?
