5 Free-Agent TEs to Give Broncos Another Mismatch Weapon

The Denver Broncos have had trouble with their tight end room for a while, and their attempts to improve have fallen short so far. The Broncos added Evan Engram in free agency a year ago, but he didn’t improve the room to a point where Denver is good to go for the foreseeable future.

In fact, Engram struggled so much that there is speculation Denver might cut him, though that seems unlikely given the financial constraints. The Broncos also have multiple tight ends whose contracts have expired in Nate Adkins, Adam Trautman, and Lucas Krull.

The Broncos did take a long shot on seventh-rounder Caleb Lohner in last year's draft, but he only had 57 snaps of football in college. Denver kept him on the practice squad through the year as the team worked to develop his basketball background into a great tight end.

Denver's biggest issue with the tight end room is blocking, which was a major detriment to its running game last year. The Broncos need to find an in-line tight end who can be a threat as both a blocker and a receiver to change the math for opposing defenses.

Tight ends in the draft often take a few years to come along, with some exceptions, and this isn’t a great draft class for those dual-type in-line tight ends. If Denver wants to improve in that area, then it will need to add a veteran tight end through free agency.

Let's examine the five best options.

Cade Otton | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Otton doesn’t make a lot of sense to pair with Engram, as he worked mostly in the slot for the Buccaneers and has similar issues as a blocker. The slight difference is that Otton works better as an in-line receiver than Engram, but the blocking is still lacking.

If the Broncos do cut Engram, Otton would make more sense as a receiving weapon to create the mismatches Sean Payton looks for. Otton isn’t the athlete Engram was, but Engram didn’t look the same this past season, and Otton is significantly younger.

Dallas Goedert | Philadelphia Eagles

Geodert has had a lengthy NFL career and was once a great blocking tight end, but he has fallen off over the past couple of years. However, he's such a threat in the red zone and as a receiver, working in-line, in the slot, or even out wide, that he can be a good piece to create mismatches against the defense.

The way Goedert wins as a receiver is different from Engram, and they could work together. Denver could also bet on Goedert stepping it up as a blocker after taking a step back in this area the past two years. Even with his downplay as a blocker, Goedert is still a better blocker than most of what Denver trotted out last season.

Daniel Bellinger | New York Giants

The first tight end who could have a lot of confidence and trust placed in his blocking. Bellinger isn’t a great blocker by any means, but he is above average and better than what Denver got out of the room last year. He can work as an in-line tight end who can change the math.

While Bellinger hasn’t done much as a receiver, with only 19 catches last year, he had a lot of flashes of being a threat with more usage. There is some risk in production, but Bellinger is young and likely won’t cost much, which could be great for the Broncos.

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David Njoku | Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) runs with the ball during an NFL Week 10 game between the New York Jets. — Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) runs with the ball during an NFL Week 10 game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Njoku has made it clear that he won’t be returning to the Browns, and with his contract voided, he will hit the open market. Denver has been linked in rumors to Njoku for a few years, and with him hitting the open market, it would make sense to go after him.

Last year, Njoku didn’t have the impact in the passing game that he had in previous years for the Browns for multiple reasons, but there is still plenty left in the tank for the soon-to-be 30-year-old. His blocking isn’t great, but it's good enough to work as an in-line tight end and help change the math.

Kyle Pitts | Atlanta Falcons

It doesn’t seem likely that Pitts will actually hit the open market, but if the Falcons don’t tag or extend him, Denver should look at parting ways with Engram and signing Pitts. Pitts isn’t a blocker or an in-line player, and does his best as a big slot player. The issue is, he's going to cost a lot after the career year he had.

Denver could use more dynamic playmaking in its passing game, and Pitts can bring that more than the other tight ends on this list, on the Broncos' roster, or in the draft. It would be a move to get Payton his mismatch weapon to open up the passing game.