Denver Broncos fans aren’t particularly worried about the team’s upcoming offseason needs right now, but rest assured that both GM George Paton and coach Sean Payton discuss this on a near-daily basis. At least one of those needs has already been pinpointed by deadline moves, but there are definitely more to come that were flagged by ESPN in a piece written by multiple contributors.
Tight end is the most glaring one that was sort of addressed at the deadline, but obviously the signing of street free agent Marcedes Lewis doesn’t really fit the team’s needs beyond this season.
Lewis is a nice piece as a blocker who fits for the moment, but the team’s current best receiving option, tight end Evan Engram, is 32, and backup tight ends Adam Trainman and Nate Adkins will both be free agents. Given how much Payton loves to use tight ends in the short passing game, it’s safe to assume that the Broncos have a list of possible draft choices that's up and running.
Linebacker is another position to watch. Alex Singleton is the big free agent name, especially since he’s coming back from surgery after a bout with testicular cancer. The options there may be more limited than they look at first, especially given the big deals that were given to linebacker Nik Bonitto, receiver Courtland Sutton and defensive end Zach Allen.
Assuming he returns to the lineup, Singleton is headed for his third 100-tackle season in four years, and replacing that production won’t be easy. Denver’s dynamic pass rush needs a reliable tackler who can post big numbers, so that’s another key need.
The third need that’s become all too familiar in the last couple of weeks is at running back. J.K. Dobbins has struggled with health through his entire career, and while the uncalled hip-drop tackle that caused his foot injury wasn’t his fault, the current situation indicates that it might be unwise to rely exclusively on a single running back for production in the ground game.
Running backs RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie probably aren’t the answer, even thought Harvey has shown considerable promise this season. McLaughlin stepped up and had a moment against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, but his limitations quickly got exposed, especially given the current state of the Broncos’ offensive line. There’s a need there for a bigger back who can provide depth and contribute on the ground when necessary, and that’s currently on the offseason to-do list going forward.