In your estimation, have the Broncos accomplished a lot or not enough so far in free agency?
— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.
Hey Ed, thanks for writing in as always, and thanks for getting us going this week.
There are a lot of different ways to approach this question, so here are two baseline answers before we dive fully into it:
• They accomplished a lot in free agency — essentially enough — but still have work to do to call the entire offseason a success and to feel good about closing the gap in the AFC West.
• They accomplished a lot in free agency, but not without accepting a full serving of risk.
Neither of those answers are inherently bad for the Broncos. Show me a full complement of free agency signings that plug every hole a team has and come without risk or question marks. It almost never exists in the NFL. There’s a reason players make it to the market. Sometimes, you can take advantage of just a full-on salary cap dump and make out like bandits. Denver did that last year in acquiring John Franklin-Myers from the New York Jets. But that’s more the exception than the rule.
If the Broncos can get mostly full, healthy seasons from new additions TE Evan Engram, ILB Dre Greenlaw and S Talanoa Hufanga, they’re going to be quite a bit better in several areas. It would be difficult to consider an injury or two among them a shocking outcome given their respective histories and the fact that it’s a brutal game.
But the contracts for all three are also structured to where an injury or a down year doesn’t hamstring the franchise. Engram’s a two-year deal. Greenlaw’s got three years but looking at the guarantees you can argue it’s a one-year, $11.5 million commitment. Hufanga’s three-year pact is more complicated but he’s the youngest of the trio and the Broncos basically committed to two years with him.
It looks so far, too, like the Broncos have been aggressive without forcing the issue too much. They clearly didn’t see a running back worth jumping out for early in free agency, especially after Aaron Jones returned to Minnesota on a two-year deal. They didn’t feel the need to rush to add to the receiver room and so far the veteran market has moved slowly.
So, does Denver still have needs? Definitely. Starting with running back. But there’s still plenty of offseason remaining, including a draft in which Denver’s got its first four picks to further complement the roster.
Aloha, Parker. No disrespect intended for Michael Burton, but is fullback really important enough to warrant a roster slot? The position has seemingly become obsolete with the evolution of tight ends in today’s game. Sean Payton refers to Evan Engram as the “joker” he has coveted. That characterization fits Burton, whom Payton occasionally called upon to rush or receive in short yardage, and, ultimately, to score. When on the field, for most snaps, Burton blocked and got beat during pass protection frequently. With the coming draft heavy on tight ends and running backs, is fullback really necessary?
— Alan Isbell, Wailuku, Hawaii
Aloha, Alan. Been a nice early spring here on the Front Range but Maui doesn’t sound half bad.
Not sure I agree with your assessment of Burton’s game, but until he re-signs, there’s an open question to your larger point about fullbacks.
In addition to Burton’s offensive workload, he’s consistently graded as among the Broncos’ best special teamers the past two years. So that’s a key part of the evaluation when you’re talking about a veteran playing at or near the league minimum salary.
In terms of the “Joker” conversation, the key distinction is that in order to qualify, you’ve got to be a real matchup problem for a defense in the middle of the field. Don’t think Burt will mind too much if we suggest he’s not exactly that. But he’s steady, the staff trusts him and he plays a position that Payton’s wanted at his disposal most of his coaching career.
What’s the alternative? Denver’s seemed to at least consider the possibility in the past that TE Nate Adkins can play some fullback. With Engram now in the building at tight end and the Broncos likely considering drafting another, Adkins could solidify his spot in Payton’s plan if he can handle some of both. Those roles plus special teams work would make him an unheralded but important roster piece.
Are we targeting Cam Skattebo?
— Royce Leeds, Lakewood
There are so many good running backs in this draft that it’s going to come down to what you prefer and then you’re going to be able to target a few from there.
Skattebo had an insane run at Arizona State and checks quite a few of the boxes Payton likes in a back. He’s got good feet and he’s tough to tackle. Remember, Denver’s offensive line is one of the better units in football. Part of what the Broncos missed in 2024 was the ability to make defenders miss at the second level and turn five yards into 15 or 40. Skattebo’s got a Ph. D. in breaking tackles. Another area the Broncos weren’t great: Rushing at or near the goal line. Skattebo’s really good there, too.
Not only that, but he’s big enough at 220 pounds and in two seasons at ASU he caught 69 passes — 45 for 605 last year.
Again, this running back group in the draft is so deep that any team can likely find at least a couple guys it likes. But from here, Skattebo looks like one who fits what the Broncos want to do.
Hey Parker, I love our moves so far in the offseason, but we still need to upgrade our receivers. Courtland Sutton is lovely, but we need someone to take that WR2 (or WR1) spot. Marvin Mims is a good piece, but I see him more as a “joker,” as Sean Payton likes to say. Do you think Devaughn Vele will take that next step this year? He turns 28 this year, so it’s now or never. Or do you think we’ll get someone in the draft, like Tetairoa McMillan, Matthew Golden or Jayden Higgins?
— Marshall, Parker
Hey Marshall, good question.
Most certainly, the Broncos are banking on steps forward from all of Vele, Mims and Troy Franklin. In the rosiest version of events, they each ascend and Nix has a versatile and dangerous set of young receivers to go along with Sutton, Engram and whatever Denver does at running back in the next month.
I tend to agree, though, that there’s another tempting version of events: They hit on a guy in the draft and that guy joins a young group and puts the Broncos on a course of being young, talented and also deep at receiver.
A lot of analysts at this point believe McMillian and Golden are likely first-rounders. Higgins could end up there, too. He’s really good. I’m no scout, but we’re probably talking about a different set of names entirely at No. 51 and beyond.
Every year in the draft nowadays there are dozens of receivers of varying sizes and shapes to consider. Two guys I’ve enjoyed watching so far who could be Day 2 or early Day 3 types: Utah State’s Jalen Royals and Arkansas’ Isaac TeSlaa. TeSlaa’s bigger than Royals — 6-foot-4 compared to 6-0 — but both have interesting skill sets and both put up impressive performances at the NFL combine. TeSlaa’s a former Division II receiver who played two years at Arkansas and Royals caught 126 balls for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns the past two seasons for the Aggies.
Who do you think improves the most next year, like Nik Bonitto did last season? I’m hoping it’ll be Riley Moss since he’ll be working nonstop opposite Pat Surtain II. But I feel like it’s gonna be Jonah Elliss. What say you?
— Mark, Arvada
Hey Mark. Great question and a fun one to ponder still more than five months from the opener. Obviously it takes a massive jump to approach what Bonitto did, going from middling production to All-Pro consideration.
But if we’re talking breakout players in general, Elliss and Moss are good selections.
My way-too-early pick, though perhaps the breakout started some down the stretch of 2024, is Marvin Mims Jr. He had 23 catches for 341 yards and five touchdowns over Denver’s final five regular-season games and perhaps finally solidified himself as a guy Payton and the Broncos need to feature offensively. Plus, he’s got nice symmetry with Bonitto as a second-round pick heading into Year 3 with confidence and what looks like an open road to major playing time ahead of him.
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