What is the ideal NFL Free Agency haul for the Denver Broncos in 2025? If you ask 100 different people that question, you're going to get 100 different answers. That is the beauty of the NFL offseason -- there is more than one right answer.
The Broncos may not be able to put together a haul like they had back in 2014 when they signed DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, TJ Ward, and Emmanuel Sanders in one offseason, but they can still put together a free agency haul that could help put the team over the top here in 2025.
This coming season will mark 10 years since the Denver Broncos have won Super Bowl 50. As fate would have it, Super Bowl LX is also being played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. If the Broncos want to get back to that stage, they don't need to "buy" their team, but they are going to need to have a strong free agency, there's no question about it.
So what does the ideal free agency look like for Denver?
Denver Broncos ideal free agency signings in the 2025 offseason
1. Nick Bolton, Linebacker
Not everyone working at this site shares this opinion, but I still feel like the Broncos' best option at the inside linebacker position in NFL free agency -- with Zack Baun off the board back to Philadelphia -- is Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton. Bolton has played the last four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and checks a lot of boxes for this team.
He's just 24 going on 25 years old. He's been consistently productive. He's played in big games. As with any and every free agent, you can poke holes in a guy's game because they're all hitting free agency for a reason. You might not be able to find Fred Warner in free agency every year, believe it or not.
It's expected that the Broncos are going to spend rather big at the linebacker position in free agency and if you are trying to put this puzzle together, not many guys make more sense than Bolton when you're talking about investing big money at the linebacker position.
Bolton has 32 career tackles for loss and really knows how to attack the line of scrimmage, but can he hold up in coverage? That's what everyone in Broncos Country will take issue with if big money is thrown Bolton's way.
2. Camryn Bynum, Safety
When it comes to the safety position, you can really take your pick for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos don't have to sign any certain free agent safety for this to turn out to be a good class or a good move individually.
Camryn Bynum is the 2nd-ranked safety according to the Pro Football Focus free agent safety rankings, and PFF was high on Brandon Jones last offseason. So that is perhaps worth taking into consideration.
Bynum is coming off of a career year with three interceptions and 104 total tackles. He took a major step forward in his overall game this past season in forced incompletion rate and run stop rate. He has the look of a truly ascending player at the position and he's only 26 years old. He could be a nice safety to pair with Brandon Jones for the Broncos on the back end and another player who can force turnovers.
Other safeties who could make sense for the Broncos would include Jevon Holland, Julian Blackmon, Trevon Moehrig, Andre Cisco, or even Chiefs safety Justin Reid.
3. Darius Slayton, Wide Receiver
Ask me again in an hour who the ideal wide receiver signing is for the Denver Broncos and I might have a different name for you. I could be convinced that the "ideal" signing is Chris Godwin, but if Godwin is going to cost $28M per year on a new deal, is it more "ideal" to split the difference and try to sign someone for half that price?
The Broncos believe in their young receivers, whether you and I like it or not. They know they need to upgrade this position in 2025 and Slayton accomplishes that. He's been in an absolutely brutal situation since coming into the NFL quarterback-wise but has managed to be consistently productive anyway. He also just turned 28 this year, so he's probably got a handful of good years left.
The Broncos might be able to get Slayton for three years, $45 million in total money and bring him to Denver to be a man coverage beater. Slayton has been a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in the past as well and the Broncos are always looking to add quality human beings to the team.
4. Kylen Granson, tight end
Nobody is going to be surprised if the Broncos go out and sign Juwan Johnson at the tight end position, someone Sean Payton has worked with in the past. But in terms of upside, is he the right fit? Johnson is going to be 29 this coming season and we kind of know what he is at this point. And don't the Broncos have that at home with Lil'Jordan Humphrey?
Colts fans aren't going to be sad to see Kylen Granson go after a disappointing four seasons for him with Indianapolis, but he might be the perfect player for the Broncos to go ahead and take a chance on. Granson has outstanding abilities after the catch and tremendous speed, explosiveness, and agility.
You never know what a change of scenery is going to do for a guy.
5. Bobby Brown III, defensive line
The Broncos are set to potentially lose DJ Jones in free agency and while Jones didn't exactly blow anyone away the last three years with his statistical production, he is outstanding when it comes to early down run defense.
The Broncos could potentially replace that and then some with Bobby Brown III, who would essentially be a re-do of the DJ Jones signing back in 2022. Brown has been ascending for the Los Angeles Rams and had 44 tackles and four tackles for loss for them this past season.
The defensive line was a major strength for the Broncos last season and they have to make sure there is no drop-off. Losing Jones in free agency would necessitate some type of move.
What other positions should the Broncos look into signing?
The Broncos will likely sign a backup quarterback, and the hope at this point is to bring back either Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson. If that isn't going to happen, then it wouldn't surprise me to see the Broncos bring in former first-round pick Mac Jones. Sean Payton liked him coming out of college.
How about this for an interesting option as well? The Broncos could sign Trey Lance in free agency and give him a shot to be their backup quarterback while also using him as a gadget player on offense. As highly contested as Lance was back in the 2021 NFL Draft class, it should be a criminal offense that nobody has utilized his running abilities in the NFL.
The Broncos could also go after a veteran running back and floor-raiser which could (but won't likely) be Javonte Williams. If they dip into other free agent options, we could see someone like Aaron Jones, Nick Chubb, or even maybe Najee Harris (although that wouldn't be ideal, to me).