Denver Broncos quieter on second day of legal tampering period

After making several big signings yesterday, things were a lot quieter for the Denver Broncos on Day 2 of the NFL’s legal tampering period of free agency.

The Denver Broncos had an eventful start to their free agency endeavors yesterday.

Bringing back D.J. Jones to man the nose tackle position was a smart call. Additionally, the signings of safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw have enormous upside if they remain healthy. They’re both aggressive players with a nose for the football who will bring a lot of energy to that side of the ball.

The Broncos had one of the best defenses in the league last season. If those two can revert to prior versions of themselves, it’s not out of line to think they can be even better in ‘25. If all goes well, the sky is the limit for Vance Joseph’s crew for the upcoming season.

Today, the news on the orange and blue front was much quieter. However, there are several Broncos related tidbits to delve into. Let’s do a quick rundown of what we learned today and where the team may go from here.

Riley Dixon’s departure means the Broncos will be in the market for a new punter

One of the first dominoes to fall on the second day of the legal tampering period was the departure of Riley Dixon. According to Mike Klis, the Broncos had offered punter Dixon a contract at the beginning of the legal tampering period. Instead of sticking around in the Mile high City, he came to terms on a two-year, $6 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With cornerback Tremon Smith heading to the Houston Texans, that’s two core contributors gone from Denver’s special teams’ unit which was one of the best in the league in 2024. That means newly crowned Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi will have some moves to make in the coming weeks. Who are some players to watch?

Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette floated former Colorado State Rams standout Ryan Stonehouse as an option. The Tennessee Titans went in another direction and signed Johnny Hekker to a one-year deal this afternoon. Luca Evans of the Denver Post noted the team could have interest in cornerback Justin Hardee, who has experience playing under Rizzi in the past. Those are two eyes for Broncos Country to keep a name on as potential signings as soon as tomorrow.

Juwan Johnson bucks Broncos to stay in New Orleans

One of the predictions I made for the Broncos was signing tight end Juwan Johnson in free agency. A reunion with Head Coach Sean Payton made a lot of sense in theory. We can chalk that up as a big miss on my end since that option is no longer in the cards.

Earlier today, the veteran re-signed with the Saints on a three-year deal worth up to $34.5 million. Last year Johnson put together his best season as a pro with 50 receptions for 548 yards and 3 touchdowns. That’s solid production. However, count me in as someone who is fine with the Broncos missing out on him at that price tag.

The 2025 NFL Draft is deep at tight end, but as the days go by, it seems increasingly unlikely that either Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland will be available when the Broncos are on the clock. And once those two prospects go, I would assume some of the next tier guys are off the board by the time Denver is on the clock in round two.

On top of that, Evan Engram left Dove Valley yesterday without a deal. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero confirmed Engram is visiting with the Los Angeles Chargers. Could it still happen eventually? Sure. But with all that considered, perhaps it’s time for General Manager George Paton to switch gears and reach out about potential veterans on the trade market.

Mark Andrews, Dallas Goedert, and Kyle Pitts are presumably available. But do the Broncos feel comfortable giving up draft pick compensation and having to pay their large salaries? That remains to be seen. Though if they miss out on Engram, their hand might be forced a tad if they are looking to add talent prior to the draft and find a tried-and-true upgrade at the position.

Maybe I’m a dreamer, but could another San Francisco 49ers player be on the Broncos’ radar? I’m talking about tight end George Kittle. He’s slated to account for roughly $22 million against the cap in ‘25—the final year of his deal. With General Manager John Lynch already having to make tough decisions on quality veterans, it might not be a bad idea to give him a call and see if there’s any path to acquiring Kittle. The worst he can say is no.

What else could the Broncos explore in the coming days?

The Broncos have addressed all three levels of their defense. As I currently write this out, they still haven’t brought anyone in to help add around Bo Nix on the offensive side of the ball. I expect that to change within the next day or two.

The team reportedly had interest in Aaron Jones, but he struck a deal to stick with the Minnesota Vikings. Some fans were interested in Najee Harris though he wound up signing a one-year deal with the Chargers. There are still a lot of backs out there that could help the squad. Though it’s usually a position in free agency where movement is a bit slower compared to some.

They same can be said for wide receiver. Yet with the contracts that have been given out to date, I don’t expect the Broncos to be overly aggressive on this front and spend largely. The exception may be the pursuit of Cooper Kupp if he winds up being released from the Los Angeles Rams.

Keep in mind teams have until tomorrow at 4:00 PM (EST) to be salary cap compliant. Therefore, I would expect a handful of releases which will add more players to the market than we have been discussing to date.

Evening Update: The Broncos have agreed to terms with wide receiver Trent Sherfield per Jordan Schultz. It’s a two-year deal worth up to $8 million if incentives are met. Denver will be the sixth team he has played for since coming into the league in 2018. From a quick glance at his career statistics, he seems to make the most impact on special teams.