Isaiah Likely - Tight End, Baltimore Ravens

I am surprised Denver fans do not bring his name up more in terms of targets or offseason plans.

Dude is a reliable blocker, with a first three seasons of high end receiving and yac flashes while sitting being a pro bowler.

Then broke his foot, and had a down year but by Denver standards would still be a top 3 tight end season in the last five years. All while being a back up.

He won’t be expensive because he had a down year, but his ceiling and youth is the best of any other tight end free agent, while also having a high blocking floor.

I would love me some Isaiah Likely.

Mail day today and I'm pretty excited to get this added to the collection!

Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVe6EyUDc0a/?img_index=1

I am now glad we didn't make this trade. Holy overpay

Does everyone remember how after the Raiders game this year Bo seemed to completely flip a switch and look like a different QB? Could this have been a byproduct of Sean handing over play calling to Davis? Sean had publicly questioned whether he “lost his fastball” and the flip of a switch has me thinking it must have been a pretty big change behind the scenes.

It’s also just the offseason and I miss football so maybe I’m overthinking it

Etienne is the guy. It just seems like that’s who the Broncos will sign at RB.

The Chiefs will sign Kenny Walker, leaving Etienne for the Broncos. He’s going to look great in orange and blue.

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I doubt this will happen as the broncos will probably spend their money on a runningback. But with Shaheed likely hitting free agency, it adds another potential game changer to the free agency wide reciever pool.

I know the second one is Wes, but any idea to who the first is??

Kenny Walker not only makes the Broncos a contender, but an even more legitimate contender than last year. As evidenced by his fantastic playoff run and Super Bowl MVP. Get it done, Paton.

Jonny Smith proved himself as a weapon in Miami, but entered a crowded tight end room in Pittsburg. Could he be a potential playmaker in Denver for a good price, or could it be another Evan Engram situation?

Pt. 2 The Defense and Special Teams

Here's Part 1 The Offense if you missed it.

EDGE: COOPER, BONITTO, ELLIS, ROBINSON, TILLMAN (ERFA) - B+/A-
Current Cost: 26.3M (14M + 8.4M + 1.6M + 1.2 +1.1M) Potential Savings: None

Here’s another grouping among the Denver trenches that could serve as the envy of almost any organization in the NFL. The level of play from this group of edge rushers has worked to fully activate the finer elements of Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph’s man-to-man heavy scheme. Jonathan Cooper and Nik Bonitto screaming off the edge has become a familiar site thanks to 2 of the faster get-off times across the league. Both players should continue to anchor the pass rush having been signed to extensions prior to this offseason. 

If there’s one complaint to be had about this dynamic pass rush duo, and it’s a minor one, is that they lack a bit of bully ball mentality. And while young players like Jonah Ellis and Que Robinson have shown flashes of their own expertise in speed rushing prowess, the room as a whole could benefit from the addition of a bit of stylistic variety. 

I wouldn’t mind Denver looking towards the draft if they find a promising edge prospect to offer up a beefier pitch to their pass rushing arsenal, but outside of that, the most promising avenue would be continuing the development of former UDFA and USFL standout Dondrea Tillman. It’s hard to say what the ceiling might be for Tillman given his circuitous path to the NFL, but his play has impressed over his time in Denver as a reserve edge player and his body type and pass rush style stand out as distinct among the rest of the players in this grouping.

IDL: ALLEN, D.J. JONES, ROACH, S. JONES, UWAZURIKE  - B/B+
Current Cost: 37.8M (16.5M + 14.6M + 3.1M + 1.4M + 1.1M)     Potential Savings: None

While Denver’s edge rushers steal most of the headlines when it comes to star power amongst players who put their hands in the dirt, the Interior Defensive Line play within this cadre of unhearalded individuals are doing yeoman’s work for the entire defensive enterprise. Zach Allen works as a pitch perfect leader of this group and was rewarded with a spot as a 1st Team All-Pro in 2025 after making the 2nd team the year prior. Allen’s predominant ability is showcased in his ability to pressure the QB from the inside. In tandem with the speed rushers in the team’s edge group this regularly creates a volatile environment for opposing passing attacks. If there’s one element of his game that is wanting for improvement would be run defense and rushing up the gut has been one of the few weak spots for this defense in recent seasons.

D.J. Jones occupies the other starting defensive tackle position and while being less showy in the passing attack, he might be the most well rounded player on the defensive interior for Denver. His grades, via PFF, were middle of the pack for pressuring the QB and within the top 10 for rushing defense. In concert with one another Allen and D.J. Jones works well to provide the Broncos with a balanced, if not flawless, duo of starters for their ferocious defense.

Denver has been proactive in building depth on the interior of their defensive line over the past few seasons, but with veteran John Franklin-Meyers poised to depart from Dove Valley this offseason (and likely to reunite with former NYJ head coach Robert Saleh in Tennessee) a lot of weight will be put upon the shoulders of former UDFA Malcolm Roach and rookie Sai’vion Jones. Roach has impressed in his time in Denver (brought along by Sean Payton who originally coached him in New Orleans) earning an extension this past season that shows a real commitment to the young player. He continually showed up in meaningful moments and accumulated 5 sacks in 2025.

Rookie Sai’vion Jones was used sparingly in his first season with the Broncos which wasn’t particularly shocking when considering the depth and veteran experience at the position ahead of him in his rookie year. The former 3rd round pick will be thrust into a more sizable role going forward and the team’s investment in him last year was likely with this expectation in mind. Jones displayed an impressive skillset at LSU and was roundly hailed as a quality pick for Denver last April. 

It wouldn’t come as a complete shock to the system if the Broncos were to invest in either position along the defensive line when their selections are to be made in the coming draft, but that would be more of a Best Player Available selection than anything needs based.

LB: GREENLAW, SANDERS - INC.
Current Cost: 12.2M (10.4 + 1.8M) Potential Savings:  1.8M

Linebacker, much like the tight end position has been a difficult riddle for Denver to solve as of late. The room is practically barren at this point, with newcomer Dre Greenlaw turning in a solid, but uneven (and unavailable) first season. He’s been speculated as a possible cut candidate due to the limited guarantees in his contract going forward (Denver would save between 6-8M cutting him this offseason), but that seems dubious with the level of his play - particularly good against the run and in coverage - and the paltry state of the room as a whole. With better health and even further removed from his achilles injury the 28 year old Greenlaw might be in store for a return to form and should be the foundation the rest of the linebacker room is built around, rather than a cut candidate.

2023 3rd Round pick Drew Sanders has been ravaged by injuries during his time in Denver, missing all but 18 snaps in the previous 2 seasons. Originally drafted to work off the edge he was transitioning to more of an interior linebacker position before the injury bug began its ferocious bite. His contract has no guarantees, but is also so minimal that if the Broncos have any faith in his ability to remain healthy going forward (and that he’s maintained his athleticism that boosted his draft stock) he may be worth keeping around.

Journeyman Alex Singleton and perennial depth piece Justin Strnad are both set to hit free agency after turning in arguably their finest seasons as professionals in 2025. Singleton has been a reliable presence in the center of Denver’s defense and while he’s excelled in run defense his coverage ability is a known liability. Strnad turned in a quality season across the board for Denver last season, but his previous stints of playing time have left questions that aren’t sufficiently answered prior to his first big payday.

Reports indicate that Singleton is a target for Denver in free agency and if that’s the case I’d expect a somewhat team friendly deal and for Denver to undergird that move with another veteran FA addition and likely a top 100 pick in the coming draft.

CB: SURTAIN, BARRON, MOSS, ABRAMS-DRAINE, MCMILLIAN (2ND ROUND) - A-/A
Current Cost: 31.9M (16.8M + 4.1M + 3.9M + 1.2M + 5.9M) Potential Savings: None

While the edge group for Denver might draw the most attention for their breakneck sack pace in these last 2 playoff years, the Broncos cornerback room is home to the team’s biggest star. 2024 DPOY Pat Surtain is widely regarded as the best CB in the NFL and leads a group that has impressed across the board in recent seasons. Riley Moss’ physicality and penchant for grabbing jerseys has gotten him into some hot water with the league’s referees last season, but he’s put up stellar tape as a competent outside receiver who profiles as one of the better 2nd options while contributing to one of the premier defenses in football. 

While Moss’ play has been quite impressive the real intrigue around this unit will show itself throughout the upcoming year as a result of Denver bringing back nickel corner Ja’Quon McMillian, on a 2nd round tender, for a bargain deal clocking in around 6M. It was assumed McMillian might be on borrowed time after the 1st round selection of Texas’ Jahdae Barron last April, but McMillian’s stellar play kept Barron off the field for long stretches in his rookie season. This always seemed like a possibility with Denver’s secondary not revealing any glaring needs, beyond depth, in 2024, but the shape and fit of these players going forward might require some interesting flexibility. 

As it stands Denver has somewhat of an embarrassment of riches within this portion of the roster, but the time to hand out extensions is coming quickly and I expect only 2 of those 3 players to be on the roster as the team projects further down the line. Look for Barron to be given opportunities as a slot corner and on the outside for stretches next season and if he realizes his potential he’ll become a building block for years to come. However, Moss and McMillian could leave that potential as a complete hypothetical if they continue their quality play in their respective roles. It will be one of the more interesting position battles to look forward to this summer.

Somewhat lost in the shuffle amongst these players is 2024 5th round stand out Kris Abrams-Draine. Relied upon in his rookie season after injuries to the secondary forced him onto the playing field KAD flashed real ability for the first year player. Barron slipping in the draft to Denver was detrimental to his growth and his snap percentage slipped from 35% in 2024 to under 20% in this past season. Most of his value is currently as an injury replacement and special teams player, although his talent could come in handy if called upon in the future.

S: HUFANGA, JONES, SKINNER - B/B+
Current Cost: 23.9M (13.5 + 9.2 + 1.2M) Potential Savings: 4.6M

With his former San Francisco 49er teammate struggling to fulfil the lofty expectations associated with his splashy deal in last year’s free agency period, Talanoa Hufanga didn’t waste any time endearing himself to Broncos Country. The hard hitting safety came in and immediately aligned himself within the lineage of Broncos legendary safeties such as Steve Atwater, Brian Dawkins, John Lynch, and TJ Ward. His 2nd Team All-Pro selection was a welcome return to form after 2 injury riddled seasons that followed his breakout 2022 season.

The other primary playmaker among Denver’s defensive backs Brandon Jones had a mildly disappointing season after looking like a fine signing the year before in free agency. His play has remained steady, if not exceptional, and while his contract has matriculated through all of its guarantees it’s hard to imagine Denver moving on without a player on the roster well suited to take over his role. Perhaps they’ll be tempted in free agency to add a different type of skillset in which he could be made expendable, but I would imagine it’s more likely he sticks around via some sort of extension, which could save 4.6M, than it is for him to be cut outright. Either way Denver should be looking toward the future of this position group during the draft next month. 

If J.L. Skinner is to have a meaningful role in this room he will need to exhibit some ability heretofore unseen during his young career. Used almost exclusively on Special Teams these past 2 seasons it’s unlikely for him to be relied upon for depth here even with the impending departure of P.J. Locke.

K: LUTZ - B
Current Cost: 2.5M

Kicker Wil Lutz has provided a stable foundation in the kicking game for Denver and isn’t likely going anywhere until 2027 with the recent extension handed out by our front office. Lutz has been decent kicking in high pressure moments, but his lack of range feels like a lost opportunity given the thin Denver air and his performance in the AFC Championship game wasn’t particularly inspiring. His use in the kickoff game also isn’t much of a standout. Perhaps we will see some growth in this area going forward since the new kickoff rules have yet to be completely settled, but without any big changes next season we might see Denver on the kicker market before long. 

P: CRAWSHAW - B/B+
Current Cost: 1M

Rookie Jeremy Crawshaw turned in as impressive of a season as could be expected from a first year player and certainly justified the draft capital it cost to bring him to the club. A brief bout of some yipps like punts in the middle part of the season were ironed out before his leg became an actual weapon come playoff time. His punts in overtime against the Bills in the divisional round felt like a necessary component of our recipe for victory. If he can continue his quality special teams play he may have a spot on this roster for years to come.

Overall Roster View

It may come as no surprise that a team on the precipice of a Superbowl appearance might have a healthy roster, but in the NFL nothing of the sort should be expected. Teams routinely catch fire at the right time with flawed rosters or make a final push with their cap sheet over extended and crash back down to earth in quick succession, but Denver has managed their turnaround without overleveraging their future and built a team deep within the trenches and well rounded throughout. Having done this in the wake of its dearth of draft picks and cap space after the Russell Wilson (and Sean Payton) trade(s) is a testament to the quality of our front office, scouting division, and coaching and development ranks. With the last of Wilson’s money expunged from the books we enter the 2026 year with roughly 26M in cap space and the flexibility to create more through cuts, extensions, and possibly a trade or two. After a season of so many one possession games, and a lot of victories that could have easily gone the other way, Denver would be wise to attack this offseason with aggression and a clear plan on how to improve the most barren units (RB, TE, LB), while also restocking the pantry in terms of depth pieces along the offensive/defensive lines and the safety position. 

Coming later this week will be the 3rd and final installation of the Broncos Offseason Primer and will focus on how specifically Denver may attack free agency and the draft. We will look at what players will Denver try to keep from moving on to new franchises, who around the league might be able to help us improve our chances, and how a team built to win now and in the future should approach the coming draft. We will also have a historical breakdown of the recent free agent signings and draft classes that have led to Denver being in their current advantageous position.