With the splashes of free agency over, the evaluation phase of those signings has begun, and the early returns are favorable for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos made three critical signings to improve areas that they so desperately needed, and they did so with smart contract structuring to protect the team due to these players' respective injury histories.
The Athletic's Jacob Robinson and Dianna Russini are the latest to praise the Broncos' moves this offseason, writing that this is one of three teams trending up overall. The Athletic duo highlighted the Evan Engram addition, but the main reason was Denver’s need to upgrade its run defense.
“Recently signed TE Evan Engram gives Nix another playmaker, but the bigger story this offseason is how their defense improved where needed. After watching the Bills run for 4.8 yards per carry in Denver’s playoff defeat, the Broncos took upside swings on off-ball linebacker Dre Greenlaw and strong safety Talanoa Hufanga," they wrote.
Denver’s run defense in the regular season was fine. In fact, it was one of the best units in the NFL.
The Broncos allowed the second-lowest yard per rush and the third-lowest rushing yards per game. Alas, Denver got trampled by the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs.
The Broncos allowed the Bills 4.8 yards per carry on the ground, almost a yard more than the 3.9 average the defense relinquished on average in the regular season. The Bills gained 210 yards on the ground after averaging 96.4 rushing yards per game. While Broncos fans and media focused on improving the passing defense, the team focused internally on run defense.
That doesn’t mean the Broncos ignored their coverage. Dre Greenlaw is a cover linebacker, but his run defense often gets overlooked. Talanoa Hufanga is the opposite of Greenlaw, whose run defense is his mainstay, but he is more than capable in pass coverage as a safety.
These were vital additions for the Broncos that addressed their most significant needs. While a lot depends on these free agents' ability to stay healthy, the Broncos are trending up.
If Denver can keep these three players healthy, it should be much improved in 2025, which may be hard to believe after how much this team exceeded expectations in 2024.
