The Denver Broncos are poised to be a player when NFL free agency opens in March. Currently sitting in the middle of the pack in terms of cap space in 2025 (34.7 million), the Broncos don’t have many bloated contracts in the coming years, and while the team still has $32 million in dead cap allocated to Russell Wilson, the books are fairly clean.
That should allow Broncos GM George Paton and the front office to be as aggressive as they wish to be in acquiring talent on the open market. It certainly doesn’t hurt to also be backed by the wealthiest ownership group in the NFL.
The Broncos have a fairly stable roster build underway. With answers at quarterback, No. 1 wide receiver, both offensive tackle spots, edge rusher, and a star cornerback, Denver won’t necessarily need to break the bank by hunting for massive contracts at premium positions.
With immediate needs at nose tackle, running back, tight end, linebacker, and safety, the Broncos should be able to pay multiple players who project as key contributors going forward.
According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, the Broncos are ideal fits for two of the top 50 free agents this offseason: Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones. Let’s start with what Bowen wrote about Bolton.
“Bolton would be a big upgrade for Vance Joseph’s defense in Denver. Bolton fits with the Broncos as a downhill thumper against the run — he had 11 tackles for loss last season. In coverage, Bolton lacks elite second-level range, but he has four career interceptions,” Bowen wrote.
Considering that Alex Singleton is 31 years old, is coming off of a season-ending ACL injury, and enters the final year of his contract, and 2023 third-rounder Drew Sanders has not emerged as a viable starting linebacker, spending on a 24-year-old free agent to amplify and stabilize the spine of the Broncos defense would be fantastic.
Bolton may not be a superstar at the position, but he’s a known quantity and does his job very well. Given his durability, play on the field, and youth, he should command a large contract for the linebacker position.
As far as upgrading the running back room and signing Jones, Bowen laid out his rationale.
“Jones has the traits that Denver coach Sean Payton wants at running back. He’s a slasher in the run game and has the dual-threat traits to catch the ball out of the backfield and produce on screens. Javonte Williams is also a free agent, and the Broncos need a true RB1 to take this offense to another level,” Bowen wrote.
Ideally, Jones wouldn’t be the No. 1 running back in Denver this upcoming season. Any expectations from a 30-year-old running back will likely leave Broncos Country uninspired and wanting.
However, given the historically heavy utilization of the running back position by Payton and the depth of talent at the position in the 2025 Draft, Jones could be a serviceable addition to the room. Jones would also help ensure that the Broncos could survive if they don’t land a running back early in the draft. But he wouldn’t be so pricy or impactful as to keep the Broncos from adding a running back as early as the No. 20 overall pick in the draft.
The Broncos could go numerous ways in free agency. The team needs to add running back and tight end talent to help improve two of the worst positional groups on the roster.
The Broncos will also be on the hunt to improve the spine of the defense with starting nose tackle D.J. Jones hitting free agency, a linebacker partner needed for Singleton in 2025, and perhaps a replacement for safety P.J. Locke.
The Broncos have options, cap space, and cash. Denver may not throw around the most guaranteed money given out in free agency history as it did two offseasons ago, but the team certainly will be aggressive in adding talent in a few short weeks.
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