Broncos target top free agent running backs, eyeing Kenneth Walker III and Travis Etienne to bolster their offense for young quarterback Bo Nix.
The Denver Broncos fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance with a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Still, there are high hopes for Denver after a 14-3 regular-season finish, an AFC West division crown, and a No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The Broncos enter the offseason looking to add talent to the offense to help young quarterback Bo Nix, and two positions that could use an upgrade are running back and wide receiver.
The WR room includes Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton, but adding another playmaker would be wise for Denver.
At the running back spot, rookie RJ Harvey dazzled in a surprising year, but veteran J.K. Dobbins was injured again, although the Broncos could bring him back in 2026.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports gave an update on the Broncos' RB search with free agency approaching, and it seems highly likely that the Broncos add a RB of some sort.
"The Broncos are poised to make a splash at running back next week. Denver is the reason why the Jets used the franchise tag on Breece Hall rather than the transition tag, according to sources, making sure Denver wouldn't get the opportunity to put together an offer the Jets would refuse to match," Jones wrote.
Jones mentioned Jets general manager Darren Mougey, who was in Denver before, as well as Broncos running backs coach Louis Ayeni, who recruited Hall to Iowa State.
The Jets decided to use the franchise tag on Hall, the former second-round pick, with hopes of inking him to a long-term contract, so that takes Denver out of the running for now.
Some other options in the free-agent market include Seattle Seahawks star Kenneth Walker III, who won the Super Bowl MVP award but was not tagged by the Seahawks.
Jones calls the Broncos an "obvious landing spot" for Walker, but he also mentioned Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne.
Etienne also did not receive the franchise tag, and he and Walker are expected to be the top running backs in the market this time around.
Etienne has a little bit of Alvin Kamara to his game in the sense that he can catch passes out of the backfield. In four years with the Jaguars, Etienne had 168 receptions for 1,338 yards with seven scores, and he is coming off a 1,107-yard rushing season with seven touchdowns in 2025.
Walker can also catch passes, but coming off a Super Bowl MVP, he might command more money in free agency, although it remains to be seen how much cash teams will throw at the RB position this time around.
Nonetheless, in one way or another, the Broncos should be busy in the RB market when free agency begins.