The Denver Broncos brought in tight end Evan Engram last offseason but he didn't cut it this year, opening the door to find his replacement.
The Denver Broncos had high hopes for two-time Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram when they signed him to a two-year, $23 million contract in March 2025.
The infamous “joker” role was supposed to be filled by Engram and head coach Sean Payton envisioned that he could thrive as that guy – a player who can do anything and everything on the field, whether it’s receiving, rushing, blocking, etc. Basically, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.
But Engram just didn’t have that kind of impact with the Broncos in his first season. He was targeted 76 times and caught 50 passes for 461 yards and one touchdown in 16 games. He averaged just 28.8 yards per game, the second-lowest total of his career. Engram also rushed just once for seven yards, so it’s clear Payton wasn’t sold on him being that guy during the season.
Engram is known for being a reliable pass-catcher and showed how good he is in that area with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023. He was quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s top target, catching 114 of 143 passes for 963 yards and four touchdowns with a career-high 79.7 catch percentage.
Engram is a possible cut candidate this offseason, but Denver wouldn’t save that much cap space by cutting him – cutting him before June 1 would save $3.8 million and $6.4 million if he’s cut after June 1 – so it may be more likely that the Broncos hold onto him but still bring in another tight end to be used more as a run blocker than a receiving tight end, since that isn’t really part of Engram’s game.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz made a list of the perfect free agent acquisitions for all 32 National Football League teams and named former Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Cade Otton as Denver’s man.
“Tight end is a clear need for the Broncos, so why not sign a bigger name such as David Njoku?” Schatz wrote Friday. “Because the Broncos already have a receiving-first tight end in Evan Engram, and they need a No. 1 tight end who is also a strong run blocker. That's Otton. He's also useful as a receiver when needed, with 1,172 receiving yards and five touchdowns over the past two seasons.”
After achieving a career-high run-blocking grade in 2024, Engram graded in the 50s this season and finished with an overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 56.9, the third-worst in the NFL. Otton was graded fourth-worst overall (57.4), but his work as a run blocker is widely recognized.
Adding Otton would bring a completely different element to Denver’s TE room and would take some responsibility away from Engram, allowing him to focus primarily on being a reliable target for QB Bo Nix.