Piggybacking off the Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown to the Denver Broncos hoopla, here are five players Broncos general manager George Paton could add during the 2026 offseason. Denver is projected to have the 11th-most cap space in 2026 (approximately $38 million). And a post-June 1 cut of guard Ben Powers, who has played in five games, nets $13 million as well. So, that’s roughly $51 million for the Broncos to make a splash with Bo Nix on a rookie contract.
Breece Hall
Hall is one of three free agents on the list. Coming off three straight 1,200-plus scrimmage yard seasons, he is No. 16 on NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal’s top 25 free agents in 2026. A four-year, $42 million contract with an annual salary of $10.5 million, slotting Hall at No. 9, should seal it for the Broncos. “There’s a compelling list of potentially available running backs. Hall might not be the most complete rusher, but he’s an asset when used as part of a tandem,” Rosenthal wrote.
Good thing the Broncos drafted RJ Harvey in the starter rounds of the last draft. The New York Jets aren’t on a timeline to break traditional roster-building tendencies by paying a running back, but the Broncos are. A field-stretching wide receiver may make more sense, but yards are yards. Hall’s 1,200-plus scrimmage yards can be had for $10 million and some change, while top wide receivers, and their 1,200-plus scrimmage yards, start at $28 million and some change.
Alec Pierce
Speaking of field-stretching wide receivers, Pierce has entered the chat. He’s No. 11 on Rosenthal’s top 25 free agents as well. Pierce totals 39 receptions on 68 targets for 785 yards and two touchdowns (65.4 yards per game). So, over a 17-game sample size, he is a 1,100-plus yard receiver on a whopping 20.1 yards per reception. This is a disguised No. 1 WR that’ll get paid like one in free agency. Pierce’s basement is $22 million per year.
With Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. on second contracts, and Tyler Warren basically securing a second contract as a rookie, Pierce isn’t likely to be extended this month. Pierce was there first, but he’s a second-round pick compared to Warren’s blue-chip talent first-round pick designation. The question becomes, how confident is Broncos head coach Sean Payton in being able to maximize Pierce?
Kyle Pitts
Speaking of confidence, the Broncos will have to have some to stomach signing Kyle Pitts a year after fellow tight end Evan Engram flopped. The latter totals the 12th-highest annual salary at the position, while the former is likely looking at $18 million a year after buying back leverage by playing on the final year of his rookie contract. After Week 15 in the 2025 season, Pitts totals 73 receptions on 97 targets for 797 yards and four touchdowns (56.9 yards per game).
He has an outside chance at recording his second thousand-yard season at the TE position as well. Adjusted for position, that’s impressive. That said, Pitts can line up inline, in the slot, and actually out wide on the boundary against a cornerback. This feels like the actual Broncos signing in the 2026 offseason. A four-year, $72 million contract, with $40 million guaranteed, will have the guarantees run parallel with Nix’s final year of arbitration and the first year of his extension.
Michael Wilson
Wilson is the first of the trade candidates. He is a third-round pick outplaying his draft slot entering the final year of his rookie contract. For the Arizona Cardinals to trade Wilson, it would take at least a second-round pick. Then the Broncos would also have to extend Wilson. It’s possible, if the Broncos really like Wilson, obviously, but a free agent signing, with no draft capital attached, is more likely. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have to extend fellow WR Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2027.
Justin Jefferson
The Minnesota Vikings are projected to be approximately $35 million over the cap to start the 2026 offseason. A post-June 1 trade of Jefferson nets $25.5 million, then most of the $46 million dead cap hit latches onto the 2027 books. If this marks down Jefferson’s asking price, the Broncos should inquire within. A discount looks like no first-round picks asked in return for Jefferson. Time will be our judge on this one.
Bonus: Tyreek Hill
Hill may retire, but if he doesn’t, the Broncos should see if a third-round pick gets the deal done. He’s entering the final year of his contract and totals an approximate $51 million cap number in 2026, while the Miami Dolphins are projected to be approximately $11 million over the cap. Hey, Hill is the bonus player for a reason!
