Denver Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton’s aggressive approach to free agency yielded several high-value players and has drawn rave reviews in NFL circles.
It continues a trend from this past season.
ESPN’s Mina Kimes lauded the Broncos as one of the few rosters in the NFL that is “good” and left with few glaring needs or avenues to address them after free agency.
“What I love about the Broncos and the position that they’re in is they can now draft from really not a place of desperation,” Kimes said on the “Mina Kimes Show with Lenny” on March 26. “They addressed so many of their needs like linebacker, tight end.
“It’s not prohibitive from them improving, or adding, or getting younger and cheaper at those needs. But it gives them a lot more optionality.”
“They were one of my free agency winners. I absolutely loved their signings some of the players that they added on both sides of the ball,” Kimes said.
“There’s probably like two or three teams where I was like, ‘Whoa, there this is actually a really good roster.’ And I felt very acutely like that when I did this for them. I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I didn’t think – I don’t know why – but I didn’t notice how good and how deep they were at multiple positions, and they’re a really good football team.”
Payton identified several needs before free agency, and the Broncos addressed most of them.
Broncos Rank 7th in Free Agency
GettyDenver Broncos general manager George Paton speaks to the media during the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Broncos signed several players in free agency. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and tight end Evan Engram headlined the group.
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak ranked the Broncos’ free agency haul as the seventh-best in the NFL.
“I loved: The continued building on the defense. By any metric, Denver’s defense was one of the best in football last season,” Solak wrote on March 26. “Good on the Broncos for trying to bolster a strength.
“I didn’t love: The Engram signing … It’s not a bad deal since the financial commitment isn’t huge. I’m just less enthusiastic about it than most are.”
Engram has embraced his potential role in the Broncos’ offense under Payton.
Solak is not alone in questioning Engram’s viability as the mismatch-creating weapon, but the rest of the Broncos’ free agency has otherwise been well received. Denver also retained several of their own key free agents, including defensive lineman D.J. Jones and fullback Michael Burton.
Broncos Have ‘2 Needs’
GettyFormer North Carolina Tar Heels RB Omarion Hampton #RB09 speaks to the media during the NFL Combine.
Kimes and guest Sam Monson both pointed to running back and wide receiver as potential needs for the Broncos. Kimes and Monson did not consider either item particularly glaring, though.
Running back, receiver is what I had as the two main needs, but not out of total desperation,” Kimes said. “They’re going to draft a running back. I think the question is when. They would be a potential [Omarion] Hampton team, for sure. But they could also wait because this is … an exceptional running back class.”
Hampton has become an increasingly popular speculative target for the Broncos, who own the No. 20 overall pick of the draft.
His versatility is viewed as a good fit for Payton’s Broncos post-free agency.
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