The Denver Broncos have had a pretty active first week of free agency. Let's dive into some winners and losers of FA thus far. Denver is absolutely going to be making more free agency signings, but the first week is usually the busiest for most NFL teams.
Denver agreed to terms with a trio of great free agents in Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and now Evan Engram. Unfortunately, not everyone is a winner when free agency deals are made, which sounds weird.
Let's dive into three winners and two losers from the Denver Broncos' first week of free agency.
3 winners (and 2 losers) from Broncos’ first week of free agency
Winner: Vance Joseph
Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is absolutely a huge winner of the team's free agency period thus far. He's got his starting defensive tackle back in DJ Jones and two top-10 players at their respective positions in Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga.
This unit was top-5 in the NFL despite not having players like Greenlaw and Hufanga, so the sky is truly the limit here. Now, on paper, you would struggle to find a legitimate weakness on this defense. I would expect a couple of depth signings here and there as the offseason rolls on, but getting two immediate-impact starters is going to make life a lot easier for Joseph.
Winner: Bo Nix
The team has only signed Evan Engram for the offensive side of the ball, but Bo Nix is still a big winner of the team's free agency period thus far. The Denver Broncos could end up coming away with Cooper Kupp if the price is right, and it truly would not shock me to also see the team come away with a free agent running back as well.
Well, Engram has caught nearly 500 passes in the NFL and has been among the best receiving tight ends since he entered the league back in 2017. If nothing else, Engram is a volume guy and is going to get a ton of targets on offense. Bo Nix now has a legitimate weapon and security blanket at this position.
Loser: PJ Locke III
When the Denver Broncos signed Talanoa Hufanga, that pretty much booted PJ Locke III out of the starting lineup for the team. For the sake of the defense, that's a good thing, but obviously, Locke is a loser here. He ended up being the full-time starter for just one season, and it seems like one was plenty enough.
He's a fine backup player and may end up remaining with the team, but he did allow a 125.8 rating when in coverage last year and allowed four touchdowns. Talanoa Hufanga is going to start next to Brandon Jones, so Locke's playing time is likely taking a huge hit as well.
Loser: Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have actually had a pretty terrible free agency period thus far, and the Denver Broncos are a reason for that. Before signing with Denver, Evan Engram actually visited with both the Broncos and the Chargers. Insider Mike Klis indicated that both teams had similar offers on the table for Engram...
And well, Engram chose Denver. Right there is a great example of why the Broncos could be turning into a desination for free agents. Sure, it may have boiled down to a money thing at the end of the day, but there are things that are now super appealing with the Denver Broncos.
And Evan Engram choosing the Broncos over the Chargers could make LA pivot to another plan at TE. It's a great thing that the veteran TE picked Denver.
Winner: George Paton and Sean Payton
How about this duo? They have been on a heater this last year if you ask me. George Paton and Sean Payton likely heavily collaborated on cutting Russell Wilson, drafting Bo Nix and signing the trio of free agents that Denver was able to land.
Furthermore, some of Paton's recent draft picks in Marvin Mims Jr, Nik Bonitto, and Patrick Surtain II all had major seasons. These two have totally turned the direction of this franchise around, and now is when it gets fun. They hit on the rookie QB, so now they get to reap the benefits of that.
I can only imagine how fun it must be to make free agency deals like the Broncos have done, and I would have a hard time believing that they are done with the moves right now. George Paton and Sean Payton are atop the NFL world at this point and could help propel the Denver Broncos into Super Bowl contention in 2025.