Broncos Position Groups That Got Better and Worse in Free Agency

The first two weeks of NFL free agency are in the books. For their part, the Denver Broncos mostly stayed on the sideline, though they did re-sign or tender 17 of their own free agents.

The signal? The Broncos believe in their 14-win roster from last season, which had them one Bo Nix injury away from the Super Bowl.

The Broncos are mostly running it back, but they did suffer a couple of key losses, and they did make two outside acquisitions, one through trade, the other through free agency. When the Broncos finally entered the new-league-year fray, they absolutely did so with aplomb. More on that shortly.

If we're analyzing the Broncos' roster as a whole, though, where have they gotten better and where have they gotten worse? Let's start with one area that is most definitely worse.

Worse: Defensive Line

Eyioma Uwazurikie, Sai'vion Jones, and Malcolm Roach — Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike (96), defensive end Sai'vion Jones (95) and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) reacts after a fumble recovery during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Broncos let John Franklin-Myers walk out the door, as he signed a lucrative contract with the Tennessee Titans. With him went the 14.5 sacks he totaled over the past two seasons.

The Broncos have yet to do anything to offset Franklin-Myers's departure, which signals that they either a.) believe in Eyioma Uwazurike and 2025 third-rounder Sai'vion Jones to plug the hole or b.) they're scouting the draft hard for a potential reinforcement.

It could be A and B. The Broncos might be confident in the tandem of Uwazurike and Jones, while looking for a defensive trenchman in the draft they can develop for the long-term.

However, there's no question that if the Broncos had to go to war tomorrow, their defensive line is lesser than the one that finished the 2025 season.

Better: Wide Receiver

The Jaylen Waddle trade settled the stomachs of those Broncos fans whose worry and anxiety were beginning to get the best of them. The Broncos gave up some premium draft capital (a first and third-rounder) to get Waddle, but the bang should be worth the buck.

Waddle upgrades the Broncos' receiver room tremendously, giving the offense a fast, explosive playmaker and a football player with the type of team-first character that will fit in well with Sean Payton's culture. It also relegates the likes of Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr., and Pat Bryant to a rotational depth role, but that's only because Waddle is leaps-and-bounds better.

Nix had to be smiling from ear to ear when the Waddle news broke last Tuesday.

Worse: Safety

The Broncos let P.J. Locke defect to Dallas, but they also signed former Cincinnati Bengals safety Tycen Anderson last week. Anderson is an intriguing player whose upside on defense has barely been tapped into, but Locke was a starting-caliber guy the Broncos had already developed.

Now, similar to defensive line, the apparent weakness of the safety depth chart could be mitigated by the rise of Devon Key. He seems poised to be the safety to get the first shot at replacing Locke as the No. 3.

If the Broncos are right about Key — who is an All-Pro special teams ace, let us not forget — then this position could end up being a wash. As it stands, though, Anderson is not a sufficient replacement to Locke's proven presence as a depth guy, special teams contributor, and valuable starter when the need arises.

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