3 Broncos Observations on NFL's 2025 Free-Agent Pool

As the Denver Broncos prepare for the 2025 offseason, they're likely to explore free agency to fill needs, along with the draft. The question will be what positions are best addressed in free agency and what positions are best addressed in the draft.

I'll be going over the top 10 players at each position who are set to become unrestricted free agents in the coming weeks. In each case, I'll consider what the Broncos are likely to do at the position in question.

But here are a few general observations I can make when it comes to the free-agent field and how it's likely to impact the Broncos' approach.

1. Broncos May be Active but Not Aggressive

It's easy to think that the Broncos will be scooping up every free agent they can because they have Bo Nix on an inexpensive contract relative to what veteran starters make, but I'm skeptical that's going to happen.

First, the Broncos have plenty of draft capital, including their first and second-round picks. They had no first-round pick in 2023 when they were aggressive in free agency and they lacked a second-rounder in 2024. Now they have picks in both early rounds, meaning it's not as important to pursue free agents.

Second, they have two players of their own who are eligible for extensions: defensive end Zach Allen and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto. And third, this isn't that strong of a free-agent field. It has a few notable names but the majority aren't players who can truly move the needle.

It's more likely the Broncos will pick one or two free agents to pursue, work to sign them and, once that's done, sit back and wait. That way, they don't overpay for middling talent.

2. There's Not a Lot to Like at Skill Positions

If any area of the Broncos needs the most help on offense, it's at the skill positions. And it's those positions in which the free-agent field isn't that strong.

At wide receiver, everybody will talk about Tee Higgins should he hit the open market. After that, though, you have aging players or receivers who might have potential but need to come at a lower price point.

The running back group is pretty weak — there isn't somebody like Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry who can truly move the needle. And at tight end, the best players are the ones who are at least 30 years old.

Offensive tackle has some good names who are about to hit free agency but the Broncos don't need one. That might mean the Broncos can get value at skill positions — just don't expect it to be a splashy signing.

3. Defense has Some Names but Not at Premium Positions

When one looks at the Broncos' biggest needs on defense, the two that stand out are off-ball linebacker and safety. The good news is there are some notable names that are set to become unrestricted free agents.

However, these are the positions in which it's not necessarily wise to spend top dollar. In fact, we've seen the Broncos change their philosophy with safeties, after they cut Justin Simmons (who was among the highest-paid safeties in 2023) and replaced him with Brandon Jones on a cheaper salary.

There will be several notable names at linebacker but, while there are talented players, are they necessarily ones who should be paid at the top of the market? It wasn't that long ago we saw off-ball linebacker prices go crazy, but few have paid dividends that made those contracts worth it.

It's possible the Broncos could be aggressive in getting a linebacker, but at safety, it wouldn't surprise me if they are more cautious.

Bottom Line

Fans shouldn't panic if the Broncos don't go crazy in free agency this time. A team shouldn't spend lots of money just to show it can — it needs to spend money wisely.

It was one thing for the Broncos to do it in 2023 when the free-agent field was good, they lacked draft capital and they needed to find out if Russell Wilson could do better with a better roster around him.

But even as Nix is on a low-cost deal relative to other QBs, the Broncos need to be smart about free agency and recognize the field for what it is — a field with a few good players but not a strong field, and one that is lacking at the biggest positions of need.

We'll go over the top free agents at each position in the coming days so people can get an idea about who is likely to hit the open market. That will give fans an idea about what to really expect from the Broncos' free agency approach this time around.

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