The Denver Broncos might not be done with adding to the roster, but they may have been too late to help this key position.
When Evan Engram was cut, the Broncos were able to 'win' a bit of a free agency battle with the Los Angeles Chargers and sign the veteran tight end on a two-year deal. Signing Engram was a huge get for the Denver Broncos, as he is a huge missing piece to that room.
Now yes, Engram is only here on a two-year deal, so the Denver Broncos surely got a legitimate tight end prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, right? Well, not exactly. Denver saw a run on tight ends in the second round, and I truly believe they weren't prepared for that, as they didn't grab a tight end until the seventh round in Caleb Lohner. In addressing the media on Tuesday, Sean Payton further indicated that Denver could look to add to this position.
Sean Payton indicates Denver Broncos could add another player at tight end, but...
The Broncos are clearly wanting to sign another tight end...
Sean Payton: “We’ll continue to pay close attention to the fullback wire, tight end”
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) August 19, 2025
Just recently, a former Broncos' tight end hit the free agency market, but he was quickly signed by the Cincinnati Bengals, so you have to wonder if Denver missed out on a great opportunity there, as Noah Fant is now with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fant is entering his age-28 season and was a part of the trade package heading to the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson. Yes, Fant doesn't offer much as a blocker, but maybe Denver just wanted another viable player at the position? If they do, they missed out on signing Fant.
And when you look at the contract he got, this was a massive whiff by Denver's front office, as Fant's contract contains just $1 million guaranteed. Yes, just one million dollars.
Sure, you might think that Noah Fant had no interest in returning, which would be a valid argument, but money talks, right? In my opinion, the Denver Broncos should have signed Noah Fant when he unexpectedly hit the free agency market.
It would have been another reunion as well, as Denver obviously brought Vance Joseph back to be their defensive coordinator. Money talks, and the Broncos have a totally new regime in place. Did they miss the mark by not signing Noah Fant?