The Denver Broncos have the blueprint to win the Super Bowl in the 2026 season, but there are some clear areas of improvement that have to be made. Fortunately, this team is in better shape than about 30 other clubs right now, so the front office might not have to strain all that much to get better.
Defensively, the main need is getting at least one notable, reliable linebacker in the building, and Kaden Elliss would make a lot of sense. The idea of signing someone like Elliss on day one and perhaps retaining Justin Strnad would really shore up the urgent needs on defense.
But as we all know at this point, the Broncos have to show a great deal of aggression on the offensive side of the ball, as that unit just not good enough. Outside of the quarterback and offensive line, there are largely massive areas of improvement, and tight end sticks out as being one of them.
The Denver Broncos should pounce on a free agent tight end this offseason
Tom Pelissero talked about some free agents who could get paid more than we think, and what he said about free agent tight ends could give the Broncos an idea of what they might cost per year:
"Over the past two seasons, Otton led the Bucs with 118 receptions and ranked second behind Mike Evans with 1,172 receiving yards; his three games of 80-plus receiving yards in 2025 tied for second-most among tight ends, behind only Trey McBride (four). Okonkwo led the Titans with career highs of 56 catches and 560 yards last season. Either, if not both, could end up signing contracts worth around $12 million per year."
Getting one of Cade Otton or Chig Okonkwo would be ideal. Otton is the more complete player, in my opinion. He's coming off his rookie contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is someone who can be an in-line guy, meaning he's a capable blocker as an extenson of the offensive line.
Otton has receiving upside as well, as Pelissero notes. He's hauled in nearly 120 passes the past two seasons and would be a great addition to the room. Okonkwo is not as good of a blocker in my opinion, but does have a higher ceiling as a receiver, which is significant. Okonkwo has also never missed a game in his career, so that high-end availability has to be considered here as well.
Overall, the Broncos would likely have to fork over about $12 million per season for one of these players, but that does feel like a solid price to pay for a potential long-term solution in the room. There's also another layer to this with Davis Webb calling the plays.
We could see more of an involvement from the tight ends in general with Webb now calling the shots, and you have to figure that he'll now at least have a voice in terms of personnel.