The overreactions today have been incredible. I had my fair share of crash outs too, because, as fans, we get tied up in this player or that player. Then when it all kicks off and the results are so anticlimactic the natural response is to overreact. That said, its the evening now and things are winding down for the first day of legal tampering and level headedness is returning.
It’s also important to note that the Denver Broncos were only one of four teams that have not yet made an external addition
to their roster so far. All four won at least 11 games last year and one of them is the reigning Super Bowl champion.
So not all is lost, Broncos Country. Sit back, relax and let’s see what George Paton and Sean Payton do next.
Broncos daily recap
This recap will be a bit longer, since we need to cover the moves Denver made over the weekend too. The biggest effort was towards retaining as many of their free agents as possible. They were not big spenders on the open market and focused instead on bringing back their guys.
Broncos re-sign linebacker Justin Strnad to a 3-year deal worth $18 million dollars
The Broncos locked in one of their breakout defensive stars with a three-year, $18 million contract that includes $10 million guaranteed. Strnad stepped up in a big way in 2025, racking up 58 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and eight quarterback hits in 17 games while filling in for injured teammates. This deal keeps a homegrown talent and fifth-round gem in Denver through 2028.Broncos re-sign tight end Adam Trautman to a three-year deal
Denver brought back their reliable blocking tight end on a three-year, $17 million deal with $9.5 million guaranteed and incentives that could push the total to $18.5 million. Trautman has been a key cog in Sean Payton’s offense since being traded from New Orleans, and the two sides hammered out a deal in just a matter of hours. He also chipped in 20 catches for 195 yards as a receiver last season.Broncos are restructuring the contract of G Quinn Meinerz and creating roughly $11 million dollars of cap space
The Broncos made a smart financial move by restructuring All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz’s deal, converting his $16.85 million base salary into a signing bonus and freeing up roughly $11 million in cap space. Meinerz’s new base salary drops to $1.2 million with a $15.6 million signing bonus. This gave the front office the ammunition it needed to make moves in free agency.Broncos re-sign tight end Nate Adkins
The Broncos quietly brought back their versatile restricted free agent tight end on a one-year deal. Adkins may not grab headlines, but he does a little bit of everything — blocking, catching, lining up at fullback, and contributing on special teams. The tight end room now features Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Adkins, and Caleb Lohner heading into the offseason.Broncos re-sign QB Sam Ehlinger to a 1 year deal worth $2 million dollars
Ehlinger is back as the Broncos’ QB3, and it sounds like he wouldn’t have it any other way. He reportedly turned down offers from other teams’ active rosters while sitting on Denver’s practice squad last season, and both Sean Payton and OC David Webb have spoken highly of his development. Ehlinger returns behind Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham on a modest one-year deal.Broncos re-sign RB JK Dobbins to a two-year deal
Dobbins is staying in Denver on a new two-year deal after a 2025 season that showed just how explosive he can be when healthy. He was averaging 5.0 yards per carry and had piled up 772 yards and four touchdowns before a foot injury ended his season prematurely. He’ll pair back up with RJ Harvey in what should be one of the more dynamic backfields in the AFC.Broncos re-sign LB Alex Singleton to a two-year deal worth $15.5 million with $11 million guaranteed
The heart and soul of the Broncos defense is staying put. Singleton, who made an inspiring return from cancer surgery, led the team with 135 total tackles while playing all 16 regular-season games. He’s the defensive captain, wears the green dot, calls the defense, and is beloved in that locker room. Bringing him back alongside Strnad gives Denver one of the better inside linebacker duos in the league.Broncos release linebacker Dre Greenlaw
The other side of the Singleton signing: Denver is moving on from Greenlaw after just one season. He signed a three-year, $31.5 million deal last March, but injuries limited him to just eight games. The release saves the Broncos roughly $6 million in cap space while leaving $4.3 million in dead money. With Strnad proving he can fill the role at a fraction of the cost, this became an easy decision. A reunion with San Francisco could be in the cards for Greenlaw.
Quote of the Day
General Manager George Paton were adamant about bringing back several of their pending free agents and it seemed like maybe they’d try to get a few guys, but they ended up getting a bunch of them.
Under the radar
Through all of the angst from the loudest of Broncos fans on X, Nik Bonitto and P.J. Locke came out to lay down the law on Alex Singleton. The team loves him and his fit on defense is understated.
The FEED happenings
Can’t say the Raiders ain’t trying! – MHR Feed
MHR member This Horse Loves Coffee pointed out some of the big moves the Las Vegas Raiders made today. The hit rate on free agents isn’t always great and the Raiders swung for the fences everywhere. They also now have the third-highest paid offensive line in football. If it works out, no one cares, but bad teams that spend in free agency often end up remaining bad teams.
Broncos history
It’s free agency, so what better time than to revisit one of the greatest free agent hauls in NFL history. The 2014 Denver Broncos free agent class: DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and Emmanuel Sanders.
Found this great post from DenverBroncos.com from three years ago detailing that 2014 effort to push the Broncos back into championship contention. That class would factor in incredibly a year later as they went on their 2015 Super Bowl run. All four players were dominant at their positions and helped spearhead one of the greatest defensive runs in NFL history.
Not quite the 2014 epic start to free agency we hoped for, but the Broncos are clearly following a plan here. It’s not like they are cap constrained, so this was clearly a decision they made to bring back their guys. Free agency is over by any means either, so stay tuned!
