A move out of left field, the Denver Broncos added inside linebacker Daiyan Henley at the NFL Trade Deadline, in an in-division trade with the Los Angeles Chargers. At long last, the Broncos finally bring someone in of note at the position.
The linebacker room has been the weakest spot on the roster for multiple years now, but with Henley in the mix, it feels like that unit won't be a liability much anymore. Henley is in the final year of his rookie deal and turns 27 this year, so he is still young and a prime candidate for an extension.
He is also a team captain and wore the green dot for the Chargers, so this is a player who is every bit a foundational piece of a defense. Given the overall situation, the Broncos adding Henley may have just complicated their 2027 free agency plans.
The Denver Broncos may now have a tough decision to make when free agency rolls around
Henley is young, a good player at a position that hasn't been kind to the Broncos, can wear the green dot, is good in coverage, and can also play the run well. He is absolutely someone the Broncos should prioritze in the offseason, or perhaps before that, with a contract extension.
After missing out on a slew of viable linebackers last offseason in free agency and the NFL Draft, Denver does some course-correction here to bring in Henley. The also gave up a fourth and fifth-round pick in the deal, so it wasn't exactly pocket change.
If we lump in Henley as being someone the Broncos would want to prioritize with a contract extension, who of the other Broncos 2027 free agents would not get a deal? Of note, all of the following would be free agents:
-SAF Brandon Jones
-CB Ja'Quan McMillian
-CB Riley Moss
-WR Marvin Mims Jr
Other less notable free agents like Ben Powers and Evan Engram feel like players the team would not look to extend at this point. The four in the list above, though, can all be argued as being players who are crucial to what this team does, and if Henley does get a deal, who would the Broncos pass up?
This team has made it a priority to pay players - this is not a cheap franchise, as they've displayed time and time again that they'll pony up the money for those who are deserving of it. Brandon Jones is a do-it-all safety who has been a steal for the Broncos, but he's been banged up each year of his career. Ja'Quan McMillian might just be the most clutch player on the team and has been consistently great for years, so his path to a deal feels very likely.
Riley Moss has one of the toughest jobs in the NFL; playing opposite Patrick Surtain II, and while his penalties are getting rather annoying, he's also someone who has held his own given how may targets he sees. Marvin Mims Jr. is an All-Pro return man and has been a big-play receiver on offense, but his overall lack of a consistent impact on that side of the ball makes it rather hard to figure out his value.
There are reasons for an against a contract extension for a few of those players - McMillian getting a deal feels like the most sure-fire thing, but if the Broncos also want to ensure Henley stays in the mix, that probably makes it even more likely that one or two of Jones, Moss, and Mims do not get a deal and are on another team in 2027.
Add us as a preferred source on Google