The Denver Broncos have found their franchise quarterback in Bo Nix. The question now becomes, what are they going to do to surround him with talent?
That was the big question as head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton faced the media at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, and it remains the big question as we head into the meat of the 2025 offseason. NFL free agency is just around the corner and the NFL Draft is soon to follow. Teams aren't even allowed to "officially" make moves until March 12, but deals can be agreed upon before then.
Which is why this report from Jordan Schultz, recently of Starbucks infamy, is more than a little disappointing...
Broncos already not showing necessary offseason aggression in 2025
We have to qualify something before we get into the argument about the Broncos not being aggressive enough in pursuing a player like Deebo Samuel. It's important to know that both the Commanders and Texans have significant ties to Samuel since Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans previously coached in San Francisco and Commanders GM Adam Peters had a hand in drafting him.
The Broncos don't have that significant of a connection to Samuel, nor do they maybe have as substantial of a need, but the fact that they are interested and on the periphery is indicative of the potential of the Payton/Paton duo not being aggressive enough in surrounding Bo Nix with talent.
The fact that the Broncos have a franchise QB in place dictates that they would aggressively go after roster upgrades and capitalize on the window they are in with Nix on his rookie contract.
We saw the Houston Texans do that last offseason when they traded for Joe Mixon, traded for Stefon Diggs, brought back tight end Dalton Schultz, and signed big-money pass rusher Danielle Hunter. They knew they'd discovered a franchise quarterback, and it's led to at least a measure of playoff success each of the last two seasons. I think if you asked 100 people who follow the NFL closely, most of them would say the Texans are closer than the Broncos to legitimately competing for a championship.
Every situation is different, and I'm not trying to whip a hot take out of thin air here. The Broncos' offseason success does not hinge on acquiring Deebo Samuel, but it does hinge on being appropriately aggressive in surrounding Bo Nix with better talent. The team was abysmal last year at the tight end position. The receiver room had way too many dropped passes and wasn't getting open consistently. The running back group might need a complete overhaul and reset.
Patience is a virtue worth applying if you're the Denver Broncos, but this team has ample cap space and every reason to go after playmakers for their young quarterback. They can't consistently be finishing 3rd or 4th place for guys they feel could be valuable to the roster.
