The Denver Broncos are surely going to have some tough roster decisions to make when the time comes later this offseason, and with OTAs right around the corner, the fringe players on the roster will now begin to get a chance to prove themselves to the coaches and to the front office.
This is really the one downside of having such a loaded roster, too. General Manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton are going to have to do some roster gymnastics to cut the group down to the final 53, and there is surely going to be certain players the team wishes they would have been able to hold onto.
Many of the positions on the roster are set in stone, but others are far from, and fans should absolutely key-in on a specific position on offense that could end up being the talk of the offseason for Denver.
Denver Broncos sudden surplus at tight end should attract the attention of fans
All of a sudden, the Broncos may have a notable surplus at the tight end position. The team got rather uninspiring production from the room last year. Evan Engram was a major signing at the time, but he finished with fewer than 500 yards and just one touchdown reception.
He has one more year left on his deal. Adam Trautman was the other player of note in this room, and while he's really not offering much of anything, his knowledge of the offense and solid ability as a blocker and occasional pass-catcher was able to land him a three-year deal from the team.
Denver then decided to double-dip at the position in the 2026 NFL Draft, taking Justin Joly out of NC State in Round 5, and Dallen Bentley out of Utah in Round 7. Even though both were late-round picks, each player does have the potential to be a future starter.
Joly's receiving ability could get him on the field rather early, but he also does have a solid blocking foundation as well. He's still just 21 years old, so there is clearly a huge reason to buy into his development. Bentley is a bit older - 25 - but he's already possessing two-phase ability, and he's likely close to his ceiling that he'd reach in the NFL, which could bring instant production to the room.
You might think that a potential tight end room featuring Engram, Trautman, Joly, and Bentley is likely, but Denver still has players like Nate Adkins, who has fullback ability, Lucas Krull, who is, if nothing else, an athletic freak, and Caleb Lohner, a former basketball player who Payton recently spoke highly of.
It's not necessarily a cut-and-dry solution here, either. There are a ton of different combinations here that the Broncos could end up going with, but keeping four tight ends is likely the number the team will end up at.
What is at least interesting is that both Trautman and Engram's contracts are tradeable after June 1st, so I guess there is always the potential that one of those players gets moved if the coaches feel strongly about the others in the room, but this position is a bit stacked at the moment.
There are also a ton of different skillsets present in this room, too, so when the coaches are figuring out who is making the final roster, sorting through the different types of players is needed, too.
I might be overthinking this, and the Broncos might already have in their minds that Engram, Trautman, Joly, and Bentley are going to be the four, and that might end up being a rock-solid solution.
The team could end up parting with both veterans at the end of the 2026 season and build a future room with Joly and Bentley at the front, giving them the 2026 campaign to adjust and develop behind two more experienced players.
No matter what the solution may end up being, this position is absolutely one to keep an eye on this offseason.
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