As the Denver Broncos get into the meat of their offseason program, plenty of roster questions loom for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Even at this point in the offseason, it's difficult to know exactly how the team is going to look when they take the field in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
Will the Broncos make any surprise trades between now and the start of the season? It might not be out of the question, especially if the team is doing any sort of forward thinking financially.
The Broncos have a very interesting roster situation at the tight end position, specifically. With two new rookies coming in, along with Sean Payton speaking very highly of second-year player Caleb Lohner at rookie minicamp, is it possible that we could see veteran Evan Engram traded before the start of the season?
There may be a number of reasons to at least think it's possible.
Denver Broncos might still have reasons to consider trading Evan Engram before the 2026 season
Anytime you're looking at a situation like this, it first has to make sense roster-wise. It also has to make sense financially. If the team doesn't have solutions on the roster or any sort of financial relief, there's absolutely no reason to trade a player like Evan Engram.
But the reality of the situation is that Engram's first year in Denver was a massive disappointment. And that wasn't just from the fan's perspective, but from Engram's as well.
Asked #Broncos TE Evan Engram how his role this year ended up being different from the vision pitched when he originally signed.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) January 26, 2026
“I mean, a lot of the stuff that was different was out of my control. I can only do the most with the opportunities I get.”
Full response: pic.twitter.com/QbVxaClEeU
"I mean, a lot of the stuff that was different was out of my control. I can only do the most with the opportunities that I get. There were times where I had opportunities, there were times where they were a little slim. That's one of the biggest things I learned, is always stay in the moment. Being ready when my number's called...There were some tough moments in there. I felt like I wanted to always contribute more...A lot of that stuff is out of my control, and I kind of had to stop trying to figure out what that was and just focus on what I was asked to do."
- Evan Engram (quote from January 26)
When Engram initially signed with the Broncos, he signed a two-year deal that included $5 million of his 2026 salary in guaranteed money. Trading Engram sometime after June 1 would save the Broncos $11.47 million of 2026 cap space, which is obviously a substantial and significant amount.
Not that the Broncos are currently hurting for cap space, but the thing that often motivates trades is twofold, like we previously discussed: You have to have financial motivation and roster motivation.
The Broncos re-signed Adam Trautman this offseason to a 3-year contract, and then used two picks on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to select Justin Joly of North Carolina State and Dallen Bentley of Utah. If the Broncos feel like those young players are ready, they also have Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull who have a ton of experience in the offense to fall back on.
Trading away Engram would probably limit the Broncos' upside at the position for the 2026 season, but it might open up the opportunity for some of the young players to get more snaps as rookies.
Again, the Broncos are not in dire need of salary cap space right now, but that doesn't mean they won't be forward thinking with some of the veteran contracts on the roster as the offseason progresses. A player like Evan Engram could be a help this season if the team actually utilizes him properly, but they also have to be mindful of the idea that he might not be around after this season.
Is it worth the possibility of $11.47 million to utilize on future contracts and extensions if you're planning on giving the starter snaps to Trautman again, and have young players you want to invest in?
That's not to say that trading Engram this offseason is a mandatory move for the Broncos, but if the team feels players like Joly, Bentley, Caleb Lohner, and others like Nate Adkins or even Lucas Krull are ready to contribute behind Trautman, there are plenty of reasons it makes sense.
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