The Denver Broncos have had their end-of-season meetings to address and categorize the top areas of the roster to address in 2025. According to head coach Sean Payton, those areas are categorized in three separate tiers: Must-haves, Needs, and Wants.
When it comes to the wide receiver position, many fans in Broncos Country have felt like the position group falls directly into the "Must Have" category because of the young players at the position and their (sometimes rough) development in 2024. But Sean Payton doesn't seem to agree that receiver is the top priority this offseason.
In a very revealing interview with Kay Adams on the Up And Adams Show, Payton revealed that the one true "must have" this offseason is the "Joker" position on offense -- a running back or tight end with elite receiving skills. The wide receiver position -- specifically a veteran wide receiver -- falls into the "need" category.
So, it's still an area the team knows they need to address, but Payton also stated that he didn't feel like that was an area of the roster that was as big of a need as people perceive.
Broncos HC Sean Payton on his team NEEDS this offseason 🤔👇@heykayadams @SeanPayton @Broncos | #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/mZlmjyxLFP
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 5, 2025
Broncos excited about their young group of wide receivers in 2025
Payton's actual comment regarding receiver was, "I would say we're stronger there than some would think."
He went on to talk about Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin, and in a separate answer he gushed about the progression late in the season for Marvin Mims as the team applied the simple logic that Mims is an All-Pro return man, and they need to figure out how to get him "return opportunities" on offense. Meaning they needed to find the way to get the ball in his hands in space, and they did that well.
There's no need for the Broncos to scrap the idea that Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin can become key pieces of this offense going forward. There's no reason to believe that Mims can't continue to progress. I think a lot of Broncos fans would be shocked to find out that Payton is being genuine in his comments here, not just pumping fluff.
Does that mean the team isn't going to add at receiver? Not at all. Payton still said that the "veteran wide receiver" falls into the "need" category, which is the second-highest priority behind must-haves. It still makes a ton of sense for the development of the young receivers on the roster to bring in a veteran like Cooper Kupp or maybe even add someone in free agency like Chris Godwin or Tee Higgins.
What doesn't make sense is bringing in the Tim Patrick or Josh Reynolds types. The Broncos clearly indicated that they would rather go with younger players than spin their wheels with the mid-level veteran types. The type of veteran receiver this team needs is someone established and experienced in big games. And if it's not in the "must have" category, you figure it might end up being a relatively inexpensive type of move compared to a free agent like Higgins. Maybe even Godwin, who is coming off of injury.
This Broncos team and quarterback Bo Nix in particular needs a receiver who has proven to be reliable in this league. And ideally, someone who could pair with Courtland Sutton and the younger guys to give this Broncos team a group of receivers to be truly feared.
But giving up on the young players is not part of the equation.