Even before the Denver Broncos made a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle, it was impossible to accuse them of being inactive during the first week of NFL Free Agency.
Although the "run it back" mentality wasn't unanimously beloved by the fan base, the Broncos worked to re-sign 17 of their 21 in-house free agents before making a single move to add someone from the outside. And when they did, it was a big one.
Running back JK Dobbins was one of those 17 players brought back by the Broncos, and his return is obviously huge for the team. When healthy, Dobbins was among the top five in every major rushing category last season, on his way to the best year of his NFL career (on pace for over 1,300 yards). Dobbins recently did an interview with NFL Network talking about the offseason the team has had, and he made a pretty great point: The team really doesn't lack anything right now.
JK Dobbins gets Broncos fans excited about the 2026 season with latest comments
"We got an embarrassment of riches with talent on this team."#Broncos RB JK Dobbins joins The Insiders on @NFLNetwork to talk about re-signing in Denver, his road back to the field, and his team's newest addition. pic.twitter.com/5DBauauB4x
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 24, 2026
"I think we're gonna do some things that, people -- they won't expect it. And then we got another guy that just came in, in Jaylen Waddle...you know what I'm saying? Pick your poison. We got Courtland Sutton, we got the young Pat Bryant, we got a great O-line, we got everything, right? We've got an embarrassment of riches on this team of talent."
- JK Dobbins (via NFL Network)
Dobbins is right, and the point he's highlighting here is a great distinction that needs to be talked about more.
While there was some frustration over individual moves the Broncos were making (re-signing Alex Singleton and Adam Trautman), nobody was making the assertion that last year's team wasn't actually good. The Broncos were undoubtedly good -- great, even -- last season. They won 14 games and beat the Bills in the Divisional Round. They would have likely beaten the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game had one of a few things gone their way, including Bo Nix never getting hurt.
There's no doubt that continuity is a good thing when it comes to this Broncos team. It's not like they are bringing back a bunch of hacks who have struggled to find their footing. But the fact that the team is good is precisely why so many in the fan base were pounding the table for an impact addition.
You want to add impact players to an already great roster to get yourself over the proverbial hump.
And Dobbins recognizes that. The Broncos have, with just the one move to add Jaylen Waddle, taken a great team and increased the margin for error substantially. The level of talent has increased, and Waddle can be the tide to raise all boats in the harbor.
A healthy JK Dobbins also can't be understated in the impact he would make on this team. Imagine how much better the Broncos would have been in the second half of last season with Dobbins in the fold. Imagine if he had kept up or even improved upon the pace we saw from him in the first 9-10 games of the season.
Haivng a healthy Dobbins and now Jaylen Waddle in the fold offensively will make life a lot easier on Bo Nix, who has had a ton of pressure on himself to make plays. And in many ways, that will also benefit the team going forward. But now, something else has been unlocked, and it's not just Dobbins who senses it. The entire team is hungry to finish their unfinished business in 2026.