The Denver Broncos haven't been too active this free agency, but the team did agree to terms on re-signing several key free agents.
National Football League free agency is officially underway and free agent deals that were signed during the “legal tampering” period are real.
The Denver Broncos weren’t too active in terms of agreeing on contracts with external free agents during the past two days, but that doesn’t mean Denver didn’t do anything at all. In fact, the Broncos re-signed several key free agents over the last 48 hours.
It did lose a key defender in defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers, who agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal with the Tennessee Titans, because the organization wasn’t interested in dishing out the hefty $20 million average annual value price tag. Safety P.J. Locke also moved on, agreeing to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys. The Broncos released linebacker Dre Greenlaw to free up salary cap space, too.
While those losses will hurt Denver in some capacity, the players that are returning are arguably more important to the team’s success. Franklin-Myers was incredibly reliable and impactful in two seasons as a Bronco, but the team has depth at pretty much every defensive position, hence why losing Locke and Greenlaw also doesn’t hurt the team that much.
The Broncos re-signed running back J.K. Dobbins to a two-year, $20 million contract ($8 million fully guaranteed), linebacker Alex Singleton to a two-year, $15.5 million deal ($11 million fully guaranteed) and linebacker Justin Strnad to a three-year, $18 million contract ($10 million fully guaranteed).
Dobbins was an integral part of Denver’s offensive identity as a run-heavy team prior to his season-ending injury in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was on pace to shatter the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career, but that milestone evaded him once again.
“Dobbins led the team in carries (153), rushing yards (772) and runs of at least 10 yards (21) even though he didn't play after Week 10 due to a foot injury,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote Wednesday. “The Broncos shunned the most productive backs in the market to retain Dobbins.”
Singleton had an interesting but great season in his fourth with Denver. He played 16 games, but the one game he missed was due to having testicular cancer surgery. It was a scary situation, but he overcame it and played a pivotal role down the stretch. He had what he believes was his best season – 135 total tackles with three quarterback hits and four pass deflections – in 2025.
“The 32-year-old figures to lead a group of inside linebackers that will include a draft pick or two this April, but his knowledge of the defense is so detailed Broncos inside linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding said ‘it's like having (defensive coordinator Vance Joseph) in the huddle.’”
Strnad has been a reliable backup plan for the Broncos for two consecutive seasons and provides a lot of value as a special teamer. The team loves how the 30-year-old has developed and stepped up for an injured Singleton in 2024 and Greenlaw in 2025, proving to be an important piece of the defense when needed.
“So, his deal is a low-risk, high-return affair even if the Broncos add to the position in the draft.”
If nothing else, these moves are important for the locker room, especially after a tough ending in the American Football Conference Championship last season. These are glue guys who are essential to the Broncos organization.