Free agency was quite a while ago, but the Denver Broncos free agency strategy was something that not many fans are going to forget. The Broncos were actually, at one point, the only team in the NFL to have not signed an external free agent.
They ended up signing special teamer Tycen Anderson later on, but that was it. Obviously, the mega-trade for Jaylen Waddle and the team re-signing many of their own players was activity during free agency, but there wasn't any sort of free agency splash like many teams make.
Many identified the Broncos having extended a plethora of their own players as the de-facto free agency period. And that isn't totally wrong - Denver pays a ton of their own players and is not afraid to retain their own guys on big-time deals. Well, the Broncos still did, at the time, have cap space to sign a notable player or two, and the front office's refusal to do this could rear its ugly head during training camp.
Why didn't the Denver Broncos sign ILB Kaden Elliss in free agency?
We talked about Kaden Elliss in the days leading up to free agency, as the potential fit almost made too much sense. Not only was he a former Sean Payton draft pick with the New Orleans Saints back in the 2019 NFL Draft, but his brother is Broncos EDGE rusher Jonah Elliss.
It's clear that Payton does like taking from the Elliss family tree, and the older Elliss would have filled a gaping hole in the middle of the defense, as he is better than both Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, who the Broncos re-signed in a clear 'run it back' mentality at that position.
It is a bit disappointing that Elliss didn't get signed, as he's a supreme pass-rushing inside linebacker, and with Vance Joseph clearly prioritizing the rush in Denver, adding another viable rusher would have not only made a current weakess a bit of a strength, but it would have also added to an existing strength.
Elliss returned to the Saints this offseason on a three-year deal worth $33 million, with $23 million guaranteed. Yes, that is a notable deal, but it's similar to the deal that they gave Dre Greenlaw last offseason.
Elliss has not missed a game in each of the last four seasons, and he's had at least 100 total tackles three years in a row. He's also added 19.5 sacks, 36 tackles for loss, and 42 quarterback hits since the start of the 2022 NFL Season.
While not great in coverage, Elliss is a reliable player - he stays on the field and maximizes what he's good at. It really is a shame that the Broncos didn't make this happen, as the family and coaching connection, along with the obvious position fit, would have made this one of the more logical signings by any team.
The Broncos made two moves of note at the position, drafting Red Murdock with the final pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and signing undrafted free agent Taurean York. While both players are exciting, they were a seventh-round pick and an UDFA for a reason, so expectations may need to be tempered there.
Overall, the Broncos had their chance to fix this issue, and with training camp approaching, let's hope that it doesn't become a bigger issue than it already is.
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