The Denver Broncos were sitting atop the AFC and were one step away from the Super Bowl before the walls and ceiling came crashing in. Over the course of the following two months, the Broncos did not add anyone in free agency, had odd end-of-the-year pressers, and the vibes were effectively at the floor. When the Broncos needed goodwill the most, they finally found it in a new top wide receiver.
The Broncos took a franchise-altering swing in bringing in Sean Payton to fix their franchise, and he has saved the Broncos from the cellar of the entire league. After moving on from Russell Wilson, the Broncos took a major swing in taking on the most dead-cap in NFL history to correct a horrible mistake. The Broncos took one of the more polarizing quarterbacks in recent draft history in Bo Nix, a swing that has turned Denver into a perennial contender.
Yet again, the Broncos are taking a major swing, and it is their biggest since bringing in Nix. Denver has added Jaylen Waddle to their roster, giving Nix a true top wide receiver that he otherwise had not yet had in the pros. Waddle is their biggest swing since taking Nix two years ago, and it could bring a Lombardi back to the Mile High City.
The Broncos have taken their biggest swing since drafting Bo Nix in 2024
The Broncos sent out the equivalent of a first-round and fourth-round selection for Waddle, who has three years left on his contract now with the Broncos. Waddle is the most talented Broncos wideout since the days of prime Demaryius Thomas catching passes from Peyton Manning, a duo that won the Broncos a ring. If Nix and Waddle can have a similar connection, it could result in the same for this duo.
Interestingly, for the Broncos, the addition of Waddle himself doesn't present itself as too much of a risk. He is by far the fastest player on the Broncos offense, and has been a steady hand for Miami's offense in recent years. The risk with Waddle falls in how much the Broncos gave up for him in draft capital, something that the George Paton Broncos have not done much of since the disastrous Russell Wilson trade.
The Broncos no longer have a first-round selection and will now have only a second-round selection in the first three rounds. The Broncos are putting off bringing in top-end draft talent, but will instead pencil Waddle into their WR1 position for the next three years. Denver needs this to work, and it could result in a parade through downtown.