The Truth About the Broncos’ 2026 Vision Was Hidden in Plain Sight

There have been plenty of questions about why the Denver Broncos have barely brought in any players from outside the team for the 2026 season. Thus far, the Broncos' only acquisitions of players who played elsewhere in 2025 are the trade for former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and the signing of former Cincinnati Bengals safety Tycen Anderson.

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However, to fully understand what the Broncos are doing with their team-building approach means looking back at past offseasons to see the behavior of general manager George Paton, particularly when Sean Payton was named the new head coach.

Understanding the behavior of the Broncos' front office requires a look at the team in each of those offseasons and who was added to the roster. It has to be more than whether the Broncos spent more; it's about how they spent the money.

Let's go back and look at each of those seasons to see what we can uncover.

2021

Dec 12, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) passes the ball in the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Paton's first year with the Broncos came before the team's sale to the Walton-Penner ownership group and with Vic Fangio entering a "win or else" season as head coach. Paton took over after former GM John Elway gave up personnel decisions in what would be his final year as a Broncos executive.

Noteworthy signings from other teams were cornerbacks Ronald Darby (an unrestricted free agent) and Kyle Fuller (a street free agent). Darby got $30M over three years while Fuller signed for one year at $9.5M, not far removed from the salary he was set to make with the Chicago Bears before he was released.

The Broncos placed the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons and signed him to a four-year deal worth $61M. They also re-signed interior defender Shelby Harris for three years at $27M. Later on, they acquired quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, who agreed to pay the bulk of Bridgewater's salary.

The pattern early on was clear: Paton was trying to show he was willing to pay players fairly, rather than haggle too much like Elway often did. But it's worth noting that the two most notable free agents from other teams played a premium position: cornerback.

It's also worth noting that when it came to the most notable trade, Paton bought low and viewed Bridgewater as the "QB for now" but not necessarily the long-term guy.

2022

This was the only year that Nathaniel Hackett served as head coach. While his tenure was a story unto itself, before the offseason started, the big story was Paton making a big splash.

That would be the trade for Russell Wilson, in which the Broncos gave up first- and second-round picks in 2022 and 2023, plus players Shelby Harris, tight end Noah Fant, and quarterback Drew Lock.

Paton wasn't done, as he was active in free agency, with the most notable contracts given to interior defender D.J. Jones (three years, $30M) and edge rusher Randy Gregory (five years, $70M).

With Wilson, Paton took a big swing at a premium position, acquiring a player who had a successful career to that point.

In free agency, Paton sort of balanced paying players fairly with a focus on premium positions. Jones, who is more of a run stuffer than a pass rusher, got more money than he might have otherwise, while Gregory's pass-rushing ability got him a significant sum, but didn't put him at the top of the market.

2023

Sean Payton's first year with the Broncos saw quite the free agency haul, highlighted by the signings of interior defender Zach Allen, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, and offensive guard Ben Powers. Allen, a quality pass rusher, got $45.75M over three years. Powers, an offensive guard, got $51.5M over four years, and McGlinchey, an offensive tackle, got $87.5M over five years.

Other free-agent signings were for less money, such as running back Samaje Perine getting $7.5M over two years and special teams player/cornerback Tremon Smith getting $5M over two years. Alex Singleton, a linebacker, got $18M over three years after getting the veteran minimum from the Broncos the year before.

The Broncos made McGlinchey one of the highset-paid right tackles at the time, while the money for Allen and Powers wasn't as high though still significant. But of the three significant signings, two of them played premium positions, McGlinchey at offensive tackle and Allen as a pass rusher.

2024

Brandon Jones (22) of the Denver Broncos during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders , — DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 06: Brandon Jones 22 of the Denver Broncos, during a game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO on November 06, 2025. | Kevin Langley / Icon Sportswire / IMAGO

The Broncos were quiet in free agency this time around, but it's worth noting they released Simmons and replaced him with a less expensive safety, Brandon Jones at $20M over three years. Otherwise, the Broncos were focused more on cheaper signings in free agency.

But then came the extensions handed out to three Broncos 2021 draft picks: cornerback Patrick Surtain II got $96M in a four-year extension, offensive guard Quinn Meinerz nabbed $72M in a four-year extension, edge rusher Jonathon Cooper landed $54M in a four-year extension, and offensive tackle Garett Bolles received $82M in a four-year deal.

The pattern was now starting to shift as the Broncos focused more spending on their own players. The dead money from Wilson's contract after he was released before the offseason didn't prevent the Broncos from committing significant money to their own players.

Furthermore, three of the players played premium positions: cornerback, offensive tackle and pass rusher. With Meinerz, the driving factor to pay him a lot likely had more to do with him being drafted by the Broncos and playing well for three different head coaches.

There was a notable trade for interior defender John Franklin-Myers at the cost of a sixth-round pick. JFM was a quality player, but the Broncos were able to buy low, so while he was a key acquisition, it wasn't a big swing, though it netted the team a starter and 14.5 sacks over two years.

2025

Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw — Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (9) and Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

The Broncos were more active in free agency than 2024, though not as active as in 2023. Their notable signings did get a fair amount of money, though none reached the top of the market.

Tight end Evan Engram got two years at $23M, safety Talanoa Hufanga got three years at $39M with a max value of $45M, and linebacker Dre Greenlaw got three years at $30M.

Meanwhile, the Broncos handed out more significant contract extensions to current players: wide receiver Courtland Sutton for $92M over four years, rush linebacker Nik Bonitto for $106M over four years, and Zach Allen for $102M over four years. Again, the dead money from the Wilson deal didn't stop the Broncos from paying two top pass rushers and a quality wide receiver, both premium positions.

The Broncos extended more players before the end of the season, including defensive tackle Malcolm Roach and center Luke Wattenberg, with Wattenberg getting four years at $48M. Again, the Broncos took care of a player who had been drafted by them and became a quality starter.

The Takeaway

Now look at the 2026 free agency period, and it's mostly been about retaining players from last year, with none of them hitting the top of the market, and for those who got multi-year deals, none play a premium position. And the big splash came in a trade for Waddle, who plays wide receiver, a premium position.

In other words, we may be seeing the Broncos' true strategy unfolding, as it's now more focused on taking care of their own while remaining willing to pay a higher price, particularly for a premium position.

Meanwhile, when it comes to a big swing, the Broncos have done it twice under Paton at a premium position: the trades for Wilson and Waddle. Other trades were for much less and more about getting players who their teams, at the time, simply didn't want any longer.

But the Broncos weren't wrong to take big swings at premium positions because that's where they should come, whether they work out or not. Taking big swings at a position like running back, tight end, or linebacker isn't as wise, even if a team has a pressing need at the position.

What we are seeing unfold may be the real strategy under Payton and Paton: Pay more for premium positions, but reward your own guys, particularly when they show they're among the best at their positions.

Not every move may be for the best, but by focusing on keeping their own players and limiting big swings to positions that truly move the needle, the Broncos have set themselves up for a better chance of success.

The other key is to draft well, and we know that's happened because of the 2021 and 2022 draft picks who have been retained. We'll see what happens with the 2023 draft class, but it wouldn't surprise me if one or two are kept.

There will be questions to answer about the Broncos once quarterback Bo Nix is eligible for an extension, but the approach they have taken is becoming clearer. One doesn't have to agree with every move — or the lack of moves thereof — to recognize that taking care of your own, using free agency judiciously with selective big swings, and drafting well are the keys to success.

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