Denver Broncos News & Rumors

Dobbins, 26, quietly set a career high with 905 rushing yards last season. Quickly usurping two-time teammate Gus Edwards, Dobbins played a central role in the Chargers’ reemergence. Of course, the ex-Raven’s checkered injury history depressed his market.

Having missed a whopping 47 regular-season games from 2020-24, Dobbins did not generate much free agency interest. Although the Chargers offered him a deal to stay, the Broncos had him on their radar since March. After a June visit, Dobbins joined a team that had already drafted a running back high.

ACL and Achilles tears derailed three Dobbins seasons, and he missed four games due to an MCL sprain last year. Dobbins’ rookie-year breakthrough brought a 6.0-yard average per carry, and his eight-game 2022 — after the ACL tear — produced a 5.7-yard mark. That came in a Lamar Jackson-piloted offense, but Dobbins’ Bolts season included a 4.6-yard average and a 12th-place finish in Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric (115). Injury absences should be expected, but Dobbins will see regular work alongside second-rounder RJ Harvey.

Re-signings:

• D.J. Jones, DT. Three years, $39MM ($26MM guaranteed)
• Jarrett Stidham, QB. Two years, $12MM ($6.99MM guaranteed)
• Matt Peart, T. Two years, $7MM ($3.25MM guaranteed)
• Justin Strnad, LB. One year, $2.88MM ($2.88MM guaranteed)
• Mitchell Fraboni, LS. Three years, $4.18MM ($1.7MM guaranteed)
• Michael Burton, FB. One year, $1.42MM ($125K guaranteed)

While not technically among the Broncos’ above-referenced extension contingent, Jones joined Allen and Sutton in receiving a lucrative third contract. The former 49ers starter played out a three-year, $30MM deal — one agreed to before Sean Payton‘s arrival — but collected a nice raise ahead of his age-30 season. Jones has been a durable player in Denver, missing only three combined games in three seasons. His interior presence has helped the likes of Allen, Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.

Not many Broncos regulars exited last season out of contract; Jones led the way and expressed interest in staying. Denver locked its nose tackle down the night before the legal tampering period, presenting him with an offer viable enough to preempt a second free agency foray.

Jones ranked second among interior D-linemen in run stop win rate last season, helping the Broncos morph from a defense that had given up 70 points to the Dolphins in 2023 to a No. 3-ranked unit last year. The Broncos will place a bet on Jones’ early 30s bringing more of the same.

Stidham has been one of the NFL’s most productive players during the preseason, and although he does not have a path to unseating Nix, the Broncos have liked what they have seen from their backup. Stidham has been with the team since Payton’s 2023 arrival, backing up (and then awkwardly replacing) Russell Wilson before serving as Nix’s QB2 throughout last season. Zach Wilson showed more arm talent during training camp last year, but Stidham held the backup job during the regular season.

A former Patriots fourth-rounder who briefly received consideration to succeed Tom Brady, Stidham is best known for replacing contract-related bubble-wrapped starters (Wilson, Derek Carr) in back-to-back seasons. The 29-year-old passer has generated internal praise and should again be a capable backup.

Strnad became Alex Singleton‘s fill-in last season, logging 676 defensive snaps after seeing zero from 2022-23. The special-teamer fared reasonably well, considering his lack of seasoning, and made 73 tackles (eight for loss) to go with three sacks. A fifth-rounder in John Elway‘s final draft as GM (2020), Strnad gaining experience last year may prove pivotal due to the health questions Greenlaw and Singleton bring.

Notable losses:

• Quinn Bailey, OL
• Cody Barton, ILB
• Zach Cunningham, ILB
• Riley Dixon, P
• Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR
• Tremon Smith, CB
• Javonte Williams, RB
• Zach Wilson, QB

Williams’ October 2022 knee setback — ACL and LCL tears — represents an unfortunate line of demarcation in the former second-rounder’s career. After delivering an impressive rookie season (1,219 scrimmage yards, seven TDs despite primarily being Melvin Gordon‘s backup), Williams has not been able to recapture that form since that knee injury in Las Vegas.

Although Williams spent the past two seasons as Denver’s nominal starter, he has not reminded of his rookie-year form. Yards-per-carry numbers south of 3.8 followed Williams’ rehab effort, and the Broncos were viewed as likely to move on after he led last year’s team with just 513 rushing yards. While the Broncos ranked first in run block win rate last season, Williams and Co. were unable to take advantage. After expressing interest in staying, Williams joined the Cowboys on a one-year, $3MM deal.

Barton competed with Jonas Griffith for a starting job last year but saw his run as the team’s three-down ‘backer, post-Singleton, lead to a significant raise. The Titans are Barton’s fourth team in four years; he has gone from Seattle to Washington to Denver to Nashville. Barton played for just $2.5MM last year. He became a more valuable piece as a three-down player, tallying 106 tackles and two interceptions. Barton earned a three-year, $21MM deal ($13.3MM guaranteed) off that season.

Zach Wilson fell out of Denver’s QB competition fairly early last summer, though his practice work did show arm talent neither Nix nor Stidham possess. Almost nothing else from Wilson since his NFL entrance as the 2021 No. 2 overall pick has indicated starter-level capabilities, and he spent the season as Denver’s third-stringer.

The ex-Jets starter still commanded an interesting contract, fetching a $6MM guarantee to be Tua Tagovailoa‘s backup. That is a positive development for Wilson, whom the Jets had to keep paying last year — as part of a salary split — to induce the Broncos to send them a sixth-round pick in a trade.

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 20: Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 60 (from Lions): R.J. Harvey (RB, Central Florida) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 74 (from Panthers): Pat Bryant (WR, Illinois) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 101 (from Rams through Falcons and Eagles)*: Sai’vion Jones (DE, LSU) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 134 (from Eagles through Lions and Eagles): Que Robinson (OLB, Alabama) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 216 (from Browns through Texans)*: Jeremy Crawshaw (P, Florida) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 241 (from Texans): Caleb Lohner (TE, Utah) (signed)

Going as far as to guarantee they would draft a running back, the Broncos did not end up making that their centerpiece pick. The team was interested in Ashton Jeanty, but a climb that far north from No. 20 would have presented a difficult cost for a team that had already traded three first-round picks (for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton) since 2022. Denver had not made a first-round pick since Patrick Surtain, and although steady rumblings of interest in moving up emerged close to the draft, the team stuck and addressed a position most viewed as a previous strength.

The team did show interest in potentially moving down. Payton’s HC career has never included a first-round trade-down, but the Broncos eyed TreVeyon Henderson — a player who would have been available late in the first round (the Patriots landed the multipurpose Ohio State product at No. 38). The Broncos were also connected to Ohio State slot Emeka Egbuka, but after Tampa Bay came away with the high-floor prospect at 19, Denver bolstered its secondary.

Employing the 2010s’ All-Decade slot cornerback (Chris Harris), the Broncos have observed the impact a dynamic corner can provide. Barron roved across the secondary at Texas, primarily playing in the slot from 2022-23 before a shift outside last season. Also seeing safety work with the ascending Longhorns, Barron (five 2024 INTs) won the Thorpe award given to Division I-FBS’ top DB. Ranking 10th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Barron brought a profile the Broncos viewed as too unique to overlook at 20.

Barron gives the Broncos options, as he could replace two-year contributor Ja’Quan McMillian in the slot or rotate between that position and the boundary. Riley Moss impressed before a late-season knee injury last year, pointing Barron to the slot in Year 1. Barron already being 24 — just one year younger than Surtain — is an underdiscussed catch here. How his age affects a path toward a second contract will be interesting, but for the foreseeable future, the Broncos will have two first-rounder corners rostered.

Regularly mocked Omarion Hampton at 20, the Broncos — as their reported Henderson interest conveyed — were interested in a more versatile option. Although Harvey was not viewed as a consensus Day 2 value, the Broncos made the Central Florida prospect their centerpiece RB move this offseason. Following Javonte Williams as a second-round RB drafted by George Paton, Harvey has a disparate skillset from the rugged four-year contributor. Harvey profiles as an Alvin Kamara-type prospect, and Payton — from Kamara to Darren Sproles to Reggie Bush — has frequently coaxed game-altering form from this genre of running back.

Ranked 99th on Jeremiah’s big board and 93rd on Dane Brugler’s The Athletic board, Harvey dominated mid-major competition with the Knights. He combined for 2,993 rushing yards from 2023-24, adding 38 rushing TDs in that span. Harvey will be asked to do more as a pass catcher — after not exceeding 270 yards in any college season — but he did average more than 12 yards per catch in each of his two dominant college slates.

Harvey will start his career as the Kamara to J.K. Dobbins‘ Mark Ingram, in the absolute best-case scenario, but his age is also notable. Like Barron, Harvey will play an age-24 season as a rookie. With RBs regularly entering drafts after their third college seasons, Harvey spending five years in college is atypical — especially for a second-round pick.

After hosting higher-profile receiver prospects, the Broncos added Bryant. The Illinois alum’s stock dropped after a 4.61-second 40-yard time at the Combine, but the rookie has impressed — to the point it influenced a trade at the position — during camp and in preseason games. Bryant caught 54 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and will have a bigger role post-Devaughn Vele. Possessing size Payton prefers at receiver (6-foot-2, 204 pounds), Bryant is the fourth wideout the Broncos have drafted under their current HC.

Two trade-down moves — swaps that allowed a third-round move-up (via the Panthers) and supplied an extra fourth (via the Lions) — preceded Denver trading up (via Philadelphia) for Jones, who is set to work as a backup D-end in Vance Joseph‘s 3-4 scheme. Jones arrives as a potential replacement for John Franklin-Myers come 2026; the 2024 trade acquisition has not engaged in extension talks yet. Backup D-lineman Malcolm Roach is also on track for 2026 free agency. Jeremiah ranked Jones 80th on his big board; the 280-pound defender tallied 4.5 sacks and eight TFLs at LSU last season.

Trades:

• Dealt WR Devaughn Vele to Saints for 2026 fourth-, 2027 seventh-round picks

Vele became a surprising rookie-year contributor in Denver, going from seventh-round pick to the team’s second-leading receiver (475 yards). The 6-foot-5 prospect played far more than Marvin Mims and logged more 2024 snaps than Troy Franklin despite going off the board three rounds later. An anticipated Mims usage increase to go with the Bryant draft choice and Franklin’s impressive camp showing led to the Broncos dealing Vele — even as three years remain on his rookie contract.

For a team that saw just one pass catcher eclipse 505 yards last season, this is somewhat risky. It highlights a belief Bryant’s arrival and Franklin’s improvement would marginalize Vele, whose skillset differs from Mims’ considerably.

The 6-5 target is also older than most players on rookie contracts. Vele, who served a Mormon mission while at Utah, will turn 28 before season’s end. As Vele will be 30 before his rookie contract expires, his NFL career stands to be shortened. Fetching a fourth-round pick for a player chosen 235th last year represents good value, and Vele will head to a Saints team with significant QB questions.

Other:

• Discussing extension with OLB Nik Bonitto
• Looked into acquiring WRs Deebo Samuel, Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs via trade, free agency
• QB Bo Nix underwent cleanup ankle surgery
• LB Drew Sanders suffered foot injury, expected to miss regular-season time; S P.J. Locke underwent spine surgery
• NFLPA collusion grievance revealed QB Russell Wilson pursued fully guaranteed deal in 2022
• Jets hired assistant GM Darren Mougey as general manager; Reed Burkhardt promoted as replacement
• TEs coach Declan Doyle became Bears’ OC; assistant O-line coach Austin King named replacement
• Lions hired pass-game coordinator John Morton as OC, added personnel exec David Shaw to offensive staff
• Hired Patriots’ Cam Williams as co-director of player personnel; A.J. Durso promoted to same level
• Rehired Jordan Dizon as director of pro personnel, elevated Kelly Kleine Van Calligan to VP of football ops
• Raiders hired Brian Stark as assistant GM, Mark Thewes as VP of football operations
• Fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica; Darren Rizzi added as replacement
• DC Vance Joseph interviewed for Raiders’ HC job
• Parted ways with ILB Greg Manusky, OLBs coach Michael Wilhoite
• Signed 13 UDFAs

Chosen with one of the picks obtained in the 2021 Von Miller trade, Bonitto has become Denver’s best pass rusher since parting with the Super Bowl 50 MVP. After a 13.5-sack season produced a second-team All-Pro honor, Bonitto became a clear extension candidate. It has been a few weeks since the Broncos paid Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen, but Bonitto buzz persists as the season nears.

If unpaid by Week 1, the former second-rounder would be tied to a $5.35MM base salary. While Bonitto may be OK waiting until Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson (and perhaps Aidan Hutchinson) make final alterations to the top of the market, seeing a guarantee influx — rather than Year 4 of a rookie contract — will be alluring. Bonitto, 26 next month, will not be a candidate to compete with Parsons or Hutchinson on a second contract, but the deals given to Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt raised the ceiling already. This market’s rise will boost Bonitto, who can command at least a high-second-tier extension.

The George Paton years have also not set Week 1 as a deadline for extension talks. The team paid Sutton and Tim Patrick during the 2021 season and extended Garett Bolles and Bonitto OLB wingman Jonathon Cooper last fall. Optimistic about an extension, Bonitto could be on that track as well. If the sides cannot agree on terms before season’s end, Bonitto will be one of the NFL’s best bets for a 2026 franchise tag.

It seemed for a while the Broncos would benefit from a veteran presence, particularly in the slot, as the team does not have a proven target there. However, it will likely be Evan Engram working regularly in this capacity in Nix’s second season. The team showed interest in Samuel but did not make an offer. The Broncos also did not see Kupp’s eventual $15MM-per-year price align with their valuation. Barring a pre-deadline trade, it will again be on rookie-contract WRs to complement Sutton this year.

Considering where the Broncos were in 2022, the team losing this much front office talent in one offseason highlights the climb the franchise has made in the years since. Mougey joined the Broncos early in John Elway‘s GM tenure (2012) and climbed the ladder during Paton’s two years atop the personnel pyramid, later staying in place as assistant GM once Payton arrived. The Jets have paired the 13-year Broncos with Aaron Glenn. Burckhardt, who has been with the team four years, will replace Mougey as Paton’s top front office lieutenant.

Denver lost two staffers to NFC North OC positions. This comes after the 2024 team jumped to 10th in scoring offense despite modest skill-position talent around last year’s sixth QB drafted. Doyle becomes an OC before 30, though the short-lived Denver tight ends coach will not call plays in Chicago. Both Doyle and Morton spent two years in their respective positions.

Morton, 55, will be tasked with replacing Ben Johnson in Detroit. Morton has one season — with the 2017 Jets — of OC experience. Davis Webb‘s quick coaching ascent now includes a pass-game coordinator title. Nix building on his rookie-year success will probably garner the third-year Broncos QBs coach OC interviews come 2026.

Rizzi, 55, coached the Saints’ ST units under Payton from 2019-21. He joins OC Joe Lombardi, senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael and O-line coach Zach Strief as ex-Saints staffers in prominent Broncos roles. Rizzi held an outside shot at the Saints’ full-time HC position, especially as candidates (Kliff Kingsbury, Joe Brady, Mike McCarthy) dropped out of the running. Kellen Moore taking the job, however, led Rizzi to Denver.

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:

1. Mike McGlinchey, RT: $23.78MM
2. Ben Powers, G: $17.43MM
3. Zach Allen, DL: $14.35MM
4. Courtland Sutton, WR: $13.9MM
5. John Franklin-Myers, DL: $10MM
6. Brandon Jones, S: $9.05MM
7. Patrick Surtain, CB: $8.37MM
8. Jonathon Cooper, OLB: $8.15MM
9. Alex Singleton, ILB: $6.91MM
10. D.J. Jones, DT: $6.6MM

Even as the Broncos have set themselves up as a playoff contender again, the AFC’s Chiefs-Bills-Ravens fortress remains imposing for outside challengers. A host of second-tier threats — the Texans, Chargers, Bengals and Steelers among them — also present challenges in a loaded conference, but the Broncos added talent in key areas and did not lose much this offseason.

Payton’s Super Bowl mentions notwithstanding, the Broncos winning a playoff game for the first time in 10 seasons would probably bring a successful season. Denver still has some time to build with Nix on a rookie contract, expanding options, but this roster features a host of veterans well into their careers. Sutton will join Bolles, McGlinchey and Engram as 30-something offensive starters this season. Part of a high-end O-line returning all five starters, Powers will play an age-29 season. While young standouts also appear on Denver’s roster, some of the age on the offensive side does create urgency for 2025.

If Payton and a better weaponry cadre boost Nix’s growth, the Broncos should have a more talented offense — on a defense-oriented roster. The Greenlaw, Hufanga and Barron additions on defense probably make it — should the ex-49ers shake off recent injury issues — the most talented Broncos unit since their Super Bowl-winning 2015 defense. Will this enhanced formula be enough to threaten the Chiefs in the AFC West and perhaps infiltrate the conference’s top tier come January?