Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos have truly impressed during their 2025 campaign. With five games remaining in the regular season, to be going for their eleventh win certainly wasn’t something I had predicted. Nobody knows how the rest of the season will turn out, but I believe Denver’s success thus far gives them a lot of flexibility relative to how they approach roster building this spring.
When glossing over the Broncos roster, there aren’t many significant needs. The front office has done a tremendous job drafting and developing talent in recent years. Most importantly, they have rewarded a variety of homegrown players with contract extensions.
The foundations of the team, Denver’s offensive and defensive trenches, are phenomenally strong. Most every starter at those position groups will return for 2026. The exceptions being John Franklin-Myers who will likely cash in during free agency, as well as Ben Powers being a potential cap casualty at left guard.
Even with the most recent round of extensions, the Broncos have an ample amount of cap space next year due to the way they structured the new deals for Wil Lutz, Malcolm Roach, and Luke Wattenberg. With 41 players already currently under contract, it’s estimated they have nearly $40 million in space. You can shave off some of that due to the retention of key E/RFAs like Ja’Quan McMillian and Alex Palczewski.
Even so, Denver has the financial ability to make a big splash or two if they so choose. And why not? It’s a perk of having a quarterback on a rookie deal. If competing for Super Bowl’s is the goal, I fully expect the Broncos to be aggressive this offseason. Let’s talk about a few ways they could go about that.
Splash #1: Investing at inside linebacker and running back in free agency
At inside linebacker, Dre Greenlaw will return in ‘26 however both Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are free agents. It’s quite possible the Broncos opt to retain one of them for continuity purposes. However, if Vance Joseph winds up earning a head coaching gig, a new defensive play caller may be interested in going another direction.
The ’26 free agency class at inside linebacker appears to be strong. That’s good for Denver. Players like Quay Walker, Leo Chenal, Demario Davis, Devin Lloyd, Devin Bush, Kaden Elliss, and Quincy Williams are slated to be looking for new teams this offseason. It’s certainly an area I think the team could make a big investment in—if they so choose. Though it may be an area Denver could look at in the draft due to it being an exceptional class at the position.
Outside of inside linebacker, upgrading the running back position during free agency seems likely. Having a top-notch rushing attack is a must in order to compete in the playoffs and help take pressure off of Bo Nix. Could the Broncos opt to bring back J.K. Dobbins? Certainly. Though I’d like to see them be aggressive and come away with one of the top...
