The Denver Broncos did not sign a single external free agent on day one of free agency, but there are still a ton of quality players on the market as free agency frenzy continues, so the team could also snag a player or two.
The Broncos have instead gotten to work retaining many of their own players in a clear effort to try and run it back in 2026. Had the team not lost its starting quarterback after the Divisional Round, this team may have won the Super Bowl.
Let's turn our focus to the free agency haul thus far and give each signing a grade.
Grading the Denver Broncos free agency moves thus far
J.K. Dobbins, RB, two years, $20 million
Grade: B-
This is a solid move, but the Broncos probably had a bigger fish in mind and clearly weren't aggressive enough in landing whoever it was. J.K. Dobbins was probably their plan B here, so we'll grade this re-signing as a B-. There is a ton of value with Dobbins, as when he was healthy in 2025, he was on pace to run for over 1,300 yards.
He averaged five yards a carry and had just one game out of 10 running for fewer than 50 yards, but given his injury history, we can't give this signing an A. It's important to note that this is essentially a one-year deal worth $8 million. In a similar way the Broncos gave themselves an out with Dre Greenlaw's deal, they did with Dobbins' contract.
Adam Trautman, TE, three years, $17 million
Grade: D
This is one of the siginings the Broncos made that just doesn't make sense. Adam Trautman landed a three-year contract and is constantly billed as a solid blocking tight end, but he struggled with that in 2025 and is really 'just a guy' at this point. Given that the tight end spot has been a position of weakness for years now, you would think that Denver would opt to not retain someone who has been in the room for three years now.
Alex Singleton, LB, two years, $15.5 million
Grade: F
Perhaps a signing that could be one of the worst that any team makes this offseason, the Broncos did indeed re-sign Alex Singleton, giving him a two year deal worth just under $16 million. This gets an F for obvious reasons. Singleton has unfortunately declined into a shell of his earlier days in Denver.
He's atrocious in coverage, doesn't offer much in terms of rushing the passer, and just can't move well laterally anymore. There isn't much reason at all for the Broncos to have done this deal with how many top free agent linebackers still exist on the market.
Inside linebacker was again a weakness for Denver, and with this move, they brought back the main weakness of the room.
Justin Strnad, LB, three years, $19.5 million
Grade: B+
This was a solid move. Justin Strnad has been a starter about half the time these past two seasons and is someone who really offers a ton of upside as a pass-rusher at the position. He gets into the backfield with ease and is as reliable as they come, hardly missing any game action.
Strnad is one of the more underrated players at the position, and it's nice that the Broncos at least brought Strnad back on a three-year deal.
Sam Ehlinger, QB, one year, $2 million
Grade: B
Sam Ehlinger is back with the Broncos on a one-year deal worth $2 million, and if the Broncos are leaning toward trading Jarrett Stidham, Ehlinger would be the leader in the clubhouse to backup Bo Nix. The main reason why this is a solid move is that the chemistry of the quarterback room will remain to a degree in 2026.
Bo Nix and Davis Webb are back for another year together, and if Stidham does return as the QB2, the Broncos will return their entire quarterback room, which is awesome.