As the week has progressed, Broncos Country has seen its team play one song and one song only: “Run it back”. Looking at most fan engagement out in the wild, the most common thing I’ve seen is wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of clothes in dark places.
At some level, I’m with you all. I honestly expected some upgrades in free agency. I like to look at what the team does and try to make sense of it at some level, so let’s dig in:
The Broncos are embracing culture
One of my favorite things about what Sean Payton has done with
this team since taking over is that he’s been building the culture back up. Being a Bronco can and should mean something. Teams that feel an actual sense of brotherhood tend to be the teams that are perennial playoff contenders.
Regardless of what you might say about the roster’s talent level, I am a big believer that all the guys in that locker room are buying into the Broncos’ culture.
There is a value in keeping the team’s culture intact that is immeasurable. Bringing back together a team that showed their ability to go all the way, winning close game after close game through sheer will to make plays for each other, is a viable option.
It isn’t all roses
While George Paton has mostly signed back the team we saw in 2025, it is worth noting that some guys are gone. John Franklin-Myers is now a Titan. P.J. Locke is now a Cowboy. Dre Greenlaw will be a 49er this season. While Greenlaw didn’t seem to be a great fit, Locke and Franklin-Myers will be missed.
Going back to my free agency review, I put our ILB position now at a 3, with no changes to defensive linemen (4.5) and safety (3).
The biggest talent issue we have on the roster is easily Alex Singleton. I saw him chirping about wanting to go over the All-22 with fans, and I’m not sure that’s a wise move. He’s one of the poorest pass coverage linebackers I’ve seen who’s considered a starter. The stats show that, the eyetest shows that, and quarterbacks love to throw on him. He does know this defense well. That’s the big thing he brings to the table, which keeps Vance Joseph from needing to find a new guy that can handle that aspect of the game.
The Broncos also know they need to upgrade the running back room. Plans for both Breece Hall and Travis Etienne Jr. fell through. This left them with their B-plan, which is banking on JK Dobbins staying healthy and drafting a fresh set of legs. Of all the “more of the same” moves the team made, this is one I’m pretty fond of. If Dobbins finds a way to stay healthy through the whole season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he led the NFL in rushing. He’s that good.
The Broncos are in a championship window
It is worth noting that this team was one ankle injury away from being in the Super Bowl. The roster, as it stands, can compete with any team in the NFL. Every year, Bo Nix is getting better (which should scare our opponents, honestly). This young roster is going to keep improving as well.
I’ve had tons to say about the drops of many of our wide receivers, the lack of play-making from our running backs, and some bad angles being taken by young players on our defense. Every year, they get to work on their craft. The guys who keep putting in the time will reap the rewards by eliminating mistakes in the future. Sean Payton is an excellent coach who employs excellent coaches who look to upgrade the players that play for them each and every offseason.
Final thoughts
I don’t for a second think that the Broncos are done. I think what we’re seeing is that the team is interested in building a winning culture. While they had some excess cap space this year, they chose to reward the players who have been putting in the time with this young team instead of throwing it to guys who have been playing elsewhere.
I do think they will bring in some fresh players, but it will continue to be more of the reasonably priced free agents instead of the premier guys who sign in the first week of free agency.
As always, Payton is going to focus on bringing in smart players who can handle the systems they run. He’s also not going to bring in negative influences to the locker room.
As fans, we don’t always see eye-to-eye with what the team is doing. That is to be expected. That’s half the fun of being a fan. We get to say, “I told you so,” when moves don’t work out. We also get to say, “I guess they know more than we do,” when they do.
Hopefully, this year will see more of the latter. Hit me up in the comments and let me know what you think about our offseason so far.
