Broncos Get A Solid Grade For Offseason Moves Following Post-Minicamp Assessment

The Denver Broncos had a fairly quiet offseason, which wasn’t surprising given that they’re coming off a 14-3 season that almost saw them going to the Superbowl. Seth Walder of ESPN gave the Broncos a B for their efforts, and he made some intriguing points along the way. 

Walder’s breakdown was based on the decisions the Broncos actually made, which he split up as follows:

Biggest move: Trading for WR Jaylen Waddle

Move I liked: Re-signing LBs Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad

Move I disliked: Re-signing RB J.K. Dobbins  

His comment on the Waddle trade was that, “It's a move I can understand more than most trades of this caliber, given the Broncos' limited window with Nix's rookie contract.” 

He also stated that the Broncos receiver position group needed augmenting, although we won’t know until we see the new alignment on the field if this is actually true given the way the Broncos have been talking up their younger receivers. He also noted that “Waddle is currently on a below-market deal in terms of the cash the Broncos need to pay him,” which is certainly a fair point that hasn’t been emphasized all that much. 

What Walder ignored was the blowback that’s just starting from those young receivers. Marvin Mims Jr. was the first to speak out, as he lobbied for an extension he almost certainly knows he’s not going to get, and Troy Franklin also acknowledged the reality of getting fewer opportunities with Waddle now in the fold. It’s going to be up to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb to keep this group happy, and it’s not going to be an easy task at all. 

It’s not hard to like the decision to re-sign Singleton and Strnad given how much the Broncos value both players, and Walder also pointed out that letting go of John Franklin-Myers made sense given what the Tennessee Titans were willing to pay him at an AAV of $21 million.  

Walder considered the decision to give Dobbins a two-year, $16 million contract with $8 million was an overpay given the running back’s injury history, and that’s a familiar argument that’s probably true. But a lot of the running backs available in free agency were overvalued and unexciting, so the decision to stick with Dobbins makes sense in that context. 

The Broncos are a tough team for this kind of assessment, given that they made few moves but still have a lot of uncertainty until we actually see what quarterback Bo Nix looks like on the field.