Broncos’ Free-Agency Plan Raises Concerns for Bo Nix

Since the 2018 season, all but one team that has made the Super Bowl was active in free agency. The Denver Broncos, who made the AFC championship game and seemed poised for a Super Bowl berth before Bo Nix got hurt, have yet to add an outside free agent.

The Broncos have brought back their own guys, which keeps their floor up and preserves continuity, but doesn’t get them over the hump.

Just look at the latest Super Bowl. The Seattle Seahawks brought in Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, and Demarcus Lawrence, all big splashes that played a major role in getting them there. The New England Patriots brought in Robert Spillane, Milton Williams, Harold Landry, Morgan Moses, Carlton Davis, and so many more.

Yes, both teams were helped by their two most recent draft classes, but those big splashes were difference-makers for the Seahawks and Patriots.

Is it About the Money?

The Broncos' re-signing running back J.K. Dobbins was fine, but to be the starting back? Let's not ignore that Dobbins, who has been in the NFL for over 100 games, has played in 47, with 30 career starts.

The $10 million average per year the Broncos gave him was fine, but the $13 million per year Travis Etienne got was ‘crazy,’ despite Etienne playing in all but two games of his career. Etienne wasn’t the starter in eight of those games, five of which were his first five NFL games.

Denver has also brought back tight ends Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, and Lucas Krull, all contributors to a bottom-five tight end room in the NFL last year. The Broncos passed on younger, better talent because they cost about $1.5 million more per year on average than Trautman.

Trautman is extra frustrated about the criticisms of his blocking ability, but he was a bottom-five blocking tight end last year across every blocking metric.

Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton are back at linebacker, while Dre Greenlaw is being released. Greenlaw is evidence that not all big signings pan out after being added just last year. There were multiple issues with the Broncos' linebacker room last year, as it was exploited as the weakest unit on defense, even though the unit was great overall.

Running it back just because the Broncos got close to the Super Bowl isn’t good enough or the brightest idea. There is no guarantee the Broncos would’ve made the Super Bowl with a healthy Bo Nix, let alone won it. Nix is on a rookie contract, so now is the time to take those shots to raise the ceiling with veteran additions, rather than sit out the action for $1.5-$3 million per year.

Free Agency Has Greatly Impacted the Broncos

While Denver has established itself as a team that doesn’t go wild in the first wave of free agency, with Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers as its two exceptions, it has done well in the second wave, which has now passed. Zach Allen and Talanoa Hufanga were among those second-wave signings that made a huge impact on the team.

The third wave has been about the Broncos finding steals over the years, mainly Malcolm Roach, but it's also nearing its end, and yet Denver still seems determined to bring only its own guys back. With how close Denver got, it was a signal to be aggressive, not run it back.

The Broncos now have to hit on whatever they do from here on out. When the draft rolls around, they're setting themselves up to have to take instant-impact players.

The Takeaway

The Broncos won 14 games last year, with a lot of comebacks and one-score games, but those close calls could just as easily have swung the other way. With a first-place schedule coming their way as well, the Broncos' 2026 season is going to be that much tougher than the third-place schedule they faced last year.

Running it back, as the Broncos seem poised to do, is a questionable choice at best.

Time will tell whether it works out for the Broncos, but the outlook isn’t great.

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