The 2025 season is over, lockers have been cleared out, coaches fired, press conferences concluded, and all eyes in Denver now move to how they will handle the spring and summer heading into the 2026 season. The Broncos fell short of their goal, a Super Bowl, but have enough reason to believe that they might have gotten there if Bo Nix did not break his ankle against the Bills. The Broncos aren't fans of excuses and are ready to build again.
There are plenty of reasons as to why the Broncos fell just short of a conference championship, whether they were glaring issues or minor concerns. With newfound cap space from the Russell Wilson dead cap hit officially being off the books, Denver is in a position to spend. With that being said, they need to spend wisely to be able to fix these issues.
Not all of the moves Denver made last spring produced the results they were looking for. In fact, some of those moves have only prolonged the questions surrounding those positions. With the start of the off-season less than two months away, the Broncos need to take a long look at a few key spots before they get to work.
The Broncos need to examine these three positions before the off season begins.
3. Inside linebacker
Three Broncos played virtually all of the team snaps at inside linebacker this year, and two are pending free agents. Unless the Broncos bring back Alex Singleton or Justin Strnad, Denver will, by default, have a new second backer next to Dre Greenlaw.
Strnad has stated that he will be looking for a contract this spring that would make him a starter; at that level of guarantee, it might be enough for the Broncos to look elsewhere, whether through free agency or the draft. From a locker room perspective, it would be interesting to see if the Broncos could bring back Singleton in a reduced role as their third backer - he is an emotional leader of this team
What he went through this season with his testicular cancer diagnosis clearly showed a level of perseverence and dedication to the sport that the Broncos coveted. It would not be a shock if Alex Singleton came back in a reduced role.
2. Tight end
The unfortunate reality that the Broncos must face this spring is that a few of their more high-profile free agent signings did not pan out. The first year in Denver for Evan Engram was not all bad, but his role on the team was much more minimal than many expected.
With how much Sean Payton likes to use multiple tight ends, Denver should look into bringing in another pass-catching threat. Between the draft and free agency, they’re figured to be several names available that fit this mold.
David Njoku and Cade Otton are the top tight end names on the free agency market. Otton is a more complete tight end with blocking and receiving ability, so his fit with the team would likely be solid.
1. Running back
For the first half of the season, the Broncos had one of the best running back rooms in football. Once JK Dobbins went down for the count, their production from that group was among the worst. RJ Harvey’s production remained fairly steady, but the rest of the running back group could not make up for Dobbins’ output.
This can go one of two ways for the Broncos: bring back Dobbins and add a much more capable third running back, or let Dobbins leave and sign another true top running back who has a better track record of staying healthy. Top free agents at the position include Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, and Rico Dowdle.
Yet again, there appears to be a ton of capable running backs, whether from the NFL Draft or free agency. The Broncos have endless options at this position.