Broncos Dropped the Ball at One Position This Offseason

The Denver Broncos have done a fine job of building their roster and making calculated additions, with one exception. After multiple years of poor tight end play, the Broncos decided to largely run it back, with two late-round draft picks as the only offseason additions. 

The Broncos dropped the ball on improving their tight end room this year, and at this point, the free-agent market has dried up, so if they want to improve, it will have to come via trade. Denver could have had an opportunity in the early part of free agency, but decided to re-sign Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, and Nate Adkins instead of exploring other options. 

Trautman, who has some of the NFL's worst blocking metrics among tight ends over the last three years, was re-signed for three years at $17 million, with $9.5 million guaranteed. His deal basically cements him in Denver for two years. 

Missed Opportunities

Charlie Kolar and Daniel Bellinger, both of whom are better blocking tight ends than Trautman, signed three-year deals in the offseason, with Kolar getting $24.3 million and Bellinger getting $24 million. Denver saved $7 million in total by sticking with Trautman.

However, Kolar and Bellinger are more likely to prove themselves worth the cost. The Broncos could rue the Trautman re-signing, but hey, at least he's a Sean Payton guy. 

Now, one reason for the Broncos' relative inactivity in free agency was their aim to protect their projected compensatory picks in the 2027 NFL draft. They are currently expected to get a fourth- and a seventh-round pick for the losses of defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers and safety P.J. Locke, respectively.

Meanwhile, Kolar will net the Baltimore Ravens a sixth-round comp pick, but the New York Giants canceled out their projected sixth by signing someone. 

Had the Broncos spent that extra $7 million to get Kolar or Bellinger, they would’ve canceled out the seventh-round compensatory pick for Locke. The level of play Kolar and Bellinger would bring is worth the extra money and the loss of that compensatory pick, as a seventh-rounder is unlikely to even stick around in the NFL beyond three seasons.

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