The Denver Broncos might have some solutions to the roster problems of other contending teams around the NFL as we approach the 2025 regular season. Last year, the Broncos were one of the teams everyone was laughing at for their rough roster situation, and now they appear to be a roster everyone's going to be monitoring closely at roster cut-downs.
Because of the Broncos' depth, teams with injury issues or otherwise might be giving GM George Paton a lot of calls in the coming days.
One particular position group that seems to be of interest for a number of teams around the league is the wide receiver position, where the Broncos suddenly have an over-abundance of players on their 53-man roster.
Could Broncos meet Vikings wide receiver need before 2025 season?
With Jordan Addison suspended and multiple injuries, the #Vikings are seriously exploring veteran receivers in the trade market, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 20, 2025
All-Pro Justin Jefferson (hamstring) is on track for Week 1. His early-season running mate may not be on the roster. pic.twitter.com/9dRToHdgvY
Pelissero is one of the most connected people in the league to the Vikings, so he might already have an idea of what's going on and just can't say it yet. The Vikings' depth chart at receiver is ugly outside of Justin Jefferson, and getting someone to take some pressure off of him could be essential.
Even though Pelissero's report indicates the Vikings are after a "veteran" receiver, you can't help but wonder if someone like Broncos second-year receiver Devaughn Vele could end up being a possibility there. Vele isn't technically a "veteran", but he is 27 going on 28 this year.
The Broncos have Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Trent Sherfield as depth options behind Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims. With the way all of the young guys have played in the preseason, it's tough to imagine the Broncos making any of Franklin, Bryant, or Sherfield inactive on any given week. Those guys should all have roles offensively, and Sherfield is expected to be an ace on special teams.
Vele's role has come into question since the Broncos held him out of the team's second preseason game. He was one of the top players on the team last year in targets and receptions, but every young player has to prove themselves year over year. Vele missed the team's mandatory minicamp with a leg injury and has missed parts of training camp as well.
And the fact that we didn't see him in the second preseason game is not exactly cause for concern, but certainly didn't help his case with both Franklin and Bryant having huge games against Arizona.
The Vikings might be looking for someone more experienced than Vele, but the Broncos could be quietly shopping last year's 7th-round gem.