The Denver Broncos were carried by its defense in 2025. The team is expected to pursue offensive playmakers to solve its stagnant and inconsistent unit.
The Denver Broncos had an impressive and successful season, finishing 14-3 with an American Football Conference Championship appearance.
Although the Broncos came up short and lost 10-7 to the New England Patriots in a heartbreaker, the fan base can be excited for more of this in the future. Denver has a great team, even with several key defenders headed to free agency.
The Broncos need to bring in an offensive playmaker or two, but ESPN’s Jeff Legwold thinks the biggest need for Denver is inside linebacker, especially with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad hitting the open market.
“Though much of the team's fans want playmakers on offense, the need is at inside linebacker,” Legwold wrote Friday. “Alex Singleton, the Broncos' leading tackler and a team captain, is poised to be an unrestricted free agent, as is Justin Strnad, who started eight games last season and played 16.
“Toss in that Dre Greenlaw, who signed as a free agent last March, played in only eight games because of thigh injuries as well as a one-game suspension, and the position is the biggest hole on the depth chart. The Broncos met with inside linebackers at the combine, but they'll have to take a long look in free agency as they try to re-sign Singleton and Strnad.”
Singleton was the heartbeat of this defensive unit and Strnad was a reliable playmaker in coverage, so it will be tough to see them sign with new teams, but that seems like it could be the reality. If one of them returns, though, it would be Singleton.
He excels as a run stopper and led the team in tackles with 135, 29 more than safety Talanoa Hufanga. It would be a huge loss for Denver, but at 32-years-old, it may be the end of the road for him as a Bronco.
Although Legwold thinks inside linebacker is the most important need for the Broncos this offseason, he expects adding offensive playmakers at the running back and tight end positions to be the headline of free agency.
“Expect [Sean] Payton to push for offseason moves to improve the offense's big-play impact, especially at tight end and running back. Denver's tight ends had only three touchdown receptions last season, and none averaged more than 9.2 yards per catch.”
Evan Engram, who signed a two-year deal with Denver last offseason, was expected to be Coach Payton’s “joker” who could do it all on the field but it didn’t really work out in 2025. Bringing in a tight end who is more involved as a blocker but still has offensive upside seems like a priority for an offense that was stagnant and inconsistent last season.
RB J.K. Dobbins is an unrestricted free agent but was outstanding before going down with a season-ending foot injury in Week 10. He had 772 yards and four touchdowns on 153 carries, easily on pace to hit the 1,000-yard threshold for the first time in his career. Both sides have mutual interest in a return, so it seems like that’s the route general manager George Paton and Payton will pursue.