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ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 06: Denver Broncos General Manager George Paton listens as new Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton fields questions from the media during a press conference at UCHealth Training Center on February 06, 2023 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos seemed, maybe more than any other NFL team, ready to make a huge splash on Day 1 of free agency. They went out and did pretty much the opposite.
There were no flashy signings. No big moves. And, some would say, no improvement.
In the NFL, if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. And to some, the Broncos got worse by their inaction, aside from bringing back several role players, including inside linebacker Alex Singleton and oft-injured running back J.K. Dobbins.
The Locked on Broncos podcast called out the Broncos for their underwhelming showing following a 14-3 regular season and coming just a hair’s breadth from making it to the Super Bowl after a 10-7 home loss to the New England Patriots.
From Locked on Broncos: “The Denver Broncos vowed to be ‘aggressive’ in the 2026 offseason, and they fumbled badly on Day 1 of NFL free agency in that regard … it’s the worst case scenario. It’s a nightmare scenario … it’s not necessarily the roster that’s being assembled, it’s the process of how the Broncos are going about it. It’s being sick of the ‘almost’ part of it … of saying they almost got this guy or the price was too high on this guy. The Super Bowl is at stake … when it comes to building a championship team you have to be as aggressive as you can possibly be when it comes to improving that roster, which was a couple of plays away from making it to the Super Bowl. Just a Bo Nix injury away from making it to the Super Bowl.”
Biggest News on Broncos: Losing 2 Defensive Starters
The biggest news about the Broncos on the 1st day of free agency ended up being not who they brought in but who walked out the door.
First, the Broncos saw a dominant interior defensive lineman go to another team as John Franklin-Myers signed a 3-year, $63 million free agent contract with the TennesseeTitans.
ESPN gave the Titans a “B+” for signing Franklin-Myers — one of their highest grades in free agency after Day 1.
“If the Titans plan to play Franklin-Myers mostly as defensive tackle, which is a question given how Saleh deployed him in the past, then he would make an incredibly formidable interior pass-rushing duo with All-Pro Jeffery Simmons, who was probably the best defensive tackle in the league last season,” ESPN’s Seth Walder wrote. “Franklin-Myers was always going to get a haul given the limitations of the rest of the free agent defensive tackle market. But I think he could have cost even more … He and Simmons could be an elite tandem.”
Second, the Broncos made the decision to release inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw after signing him to a 3-year, $31.5 million free agent contract in 2025.
“TheBroncos just saw $85 million in dead money come off the books and got within one game of the Super Bowl last year,” Predominantly Orange’s Lou Scataglia wrote on his official X account. “They have a franchise quarterback on a rookie deal and EVERY reason to get aggressive to improve the roster. Cutting Dre Greenlaw after extending ALEX SINGLETON is as backwards as it gets. Really rough start for the Broncos.”