The Denver Broncos have made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and are clearly in a position to continue that ascension. After years of dysfunction, this franchise is building toward something special, and 2025 could have absolutely ended in a Super Bowl win had Bo Nix not gotten hurt.
Fortunately, the Broncos are going to be in a great position to rebound nicely in 2026 and return to their post atop the AFC. One underrated area the team can explore to improve the roster would be with teams that are forced to cut players due to financial reasons.
These predicted cap casualties by Bleacher Report may have 'Broncos' written all over them in 2026.
Bleacher Report predicts notable roster cuts, and many could help the Denver Broncos
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicted seven 'shocking' roster cuts for the 2026 offseason, and many of the players listed would fit the Broncos.
At tight end, Gagnon predicted that TJ Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings and Cole Kmet of the Chicago Bears could be cut. Hockenson has been one of the more complete tight ends in the NFL for years now but did average a career-low 29.2 yards per game this year.
He's not yet 29 years old but seems to be on a bit of an athletic decline. However, a fresh start might help turn things around. Kmet has also been a solid all-around tight end for years with the Chicago Bears. He's a bit younger than Hockenson and could fill a similar role on the offense that Hockenson would.
Both players are competent blockers and receivers, and that's something Denver simply does not have at tight end. If either is cut, the Broncos would be making a huge mistake not pursuing one of them, period.
Along the defensive line, Gagnon predicted a couple of major cuts who could help the Denver Broncos; Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants and Vita Vea of the Tamp Bay Buccaneers. Both Lawrence and Vea are nearly 350 pounds and just flat-out massive space-eaters.
For a couple of years now, it has felt like Denver gets a bit soft up the middle of the defense, and that could be a downside of having this high-flying defensive line that racks up a ton of sacks. In the off chance that one of Lawrence or Vea gets cut, the Broncos should also pursue that type of addition.
Getting bigger and more stout in the middle of the defense would help this entire unit, especially later in the season, and especially against the run.
Sure, Denver's defense has been elite for two years now, but many of us have seen a bit of a falloff from this unit later in the season. The Bronocs defense is a bit undersized overall along the defensive line, so adding more mass would greatly help things.
If any of these four listed players were to get cut, the Broncos would have to jump on the chance to sign one or more of them. Sure, this roster is in a great spot overall, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways for it to be improved.