Yahoo Sports What's next for the Broncos after Bo Nix jump-started their latest rebuild?
The Denver Broncos broke a postseason slump in 2024. That didn't manifest in a playoff win, but it's tough not to be excited about the team's future.
Head coach Sean Payton took a calculated risk this fall, eating $75 million in salary commitments just to ensure Russell Wilson never played for his team again. In his stead came Bo Nix, the sixth quarterback selected at the 2024 NFL Draft, to take over an eight-win team that hadn't been to the playoffs in nine years.
It worked. Nix exceeded expectations. A frustrating defense played up to its potential. Denver won 10 games and made it to the postseason for the first time since Peyton Manning was playing on Sundays and not just participating in every third ad.
This promising season skidded to a halt after a 7-0 lead became a 31-7 wild card loss to the Buffalo Bills. So what comes next for the Broncos? Let's look at what they've got -- and what they need.
1. What do the Broncos have to build around in 2025?
Bo Nix and a dominant defense, which is a genuinely great foundation. Nix shattered expectations not just by taking Denver to the playoffs but by emerging as a deep ball gunslinger. Head coach Sean Payton gave him the greenlight to throw deep amid a steady diet of short throws, creating the space for 65 attempts that traveled at least 20 yards downfield -- second only to Josh Allen in 2024.
Despite the risk, Nix thrived. He threw 29 touchdown passes and eight interceptions after a rough start to emerge as a rookie of the year candidate. From Week 7 on his 0.197 expected points added (EPA) per dropback ranked ninth among all NFL quarterbacks, nestled between Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes.
That's good. The Broncos defense was great. No team in the league could match its -0.100 EPA/play allowed.
2024 All-Pros Patrick Surtain II, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto all remain under contract (and Surtain/Bonitto are both 25 years old or younger). Jonathon Cooper, who had 10.5 sacks this fall, and Brandon Jones, who had 10 passes defensed at safety, are only 26. Quinn Meinerz and Marvin Mims, the team's other All-Pros (at guard and punt returner, respectively) are also a devastating combination of young and locked-in.
Despite bringing back the bulk of one of the league's most accomplished defenses, Denver still has an estimated $48 million in salary cap space for 2025 -- 11th most in the NFL, per Over the Cap. That's thanks in part to Nix's rookie contract, which will keep him a bargain for at least two more seasons before contract extension talks begin. Factor in what will be a first round pick somewhere around 20th overall and it's easy to see how 2024 could be the foundation for something great going forward.
2. What players could leave the Broncos in 2025?
The following players played at least 50 percent of Denver's offensive or defensive snaps and will be free agents in 2025:
LB Cody Barton
CB Ja'Quan McMillan
LB Justin Strnad
RB Javonte Williams
It won't be too difficult to keep the band together if the Broncos want next fall.
3. Offseason priority No. 1: Get Bo Nix better targets
Courtland Sutton remains a viable WR1, especially in the red zone where his size, hands and ludicrous body control have manifested in 18 touchdown catches the last two seasons. After him, however, no one else on the roster had more than 503 receiving yards.
Sutton's 2.09 yards per route run (YPRR, a measurement of how effective a player is and how often he's targeted on passing plays) ranked 28th among all players with at least 200 routes this season. His next closest teammates are Devaughn Vele (1.77, 51st place) and Lil'Jordan Humphrey (1.16, 84th). It's not a great sign when your third-most effective receiver was a New England Patriots castaway!
We've seen young quarterbacks jump a level with a proper star wideout atop their depth charts. Kyler Murray did it with DeAndre Hopkins. Tua Tagovailoa did it with Tyreek Hill. Josh Allen, the guy who ended Nix's rookie season, did it with Stefon Diggs.
Denver could use some of its salary cap space and toss cash at Tee Higgins to give Nix a pair of big, defense-stretching, havoc-wreaking wideouts. Or it could target a wideout early in this year's draft and pair Sutton with someone like Luther Burden or Emeka Egbuka. Or, and here's the fun part, the Broncos could bring Tyler Warren into the mix to play tight end and running back and whatever the hell else he wants to do after being Penn State's Swiss Army knife this season.
4. Offseason priority No. 2: Refresh the off-ball linebacker corps
As good as the Broncos were in 2024, there's work to be done at inside linebacker. Drew Sanders hasn't developed into a starter as hoped. Cody Barton allowed 87 percent of his targets to be caught in coverage and is a free agent. Justin Strnad had his finest season as a pro but it was only the first time he's played more than 31 percent of the team's defensive snaps... and he's also a free agent.
This year's crop of available veterans includes names like Bobby Wagner and Eric Kendricks. Younger options include Nick Bolton, Zack Baun and Ernest Jones, should they make it to the open market. Would Denver buy high on a guy like Baun, whose coverage was a boon for Philadelphia but was an underwhelming edge rusher before moving inside with the Eagles? Would Bolton's 2024, arguably his worst in the NFL, scare them away?
Still, for a team with few holes to fill, linebacker will be a priority this spring.
5. Offseason priority No. 3: Splurge on a running back
The Broncos have the cash and the need to bring a high profile tailback to Colorado. The question is whether they'll fill that need at the draft or go for a more proven but pricier option in free agency.
The former option will have several candidates. Ashton Jeanty might not last long enough for Denver to draft him in the first round. But Omarion Hampton, Quinshon Judkins, Kaleb Johnson or Nick Singleton would be valuable, fresh platoon mates alongside Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime (or Tyler Badie).
Otherwise, there's a healthy crop of veterans who'd love to run behind the Broncos' upper crust offensive line. Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle and J.K. Dobbins are all slated for free agency this offseason. If Payton wants a more experienced back, Aaron Jones and whatever remains of Nick Chubb are as well.
There's no surefire Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry in that group, but the personnel is available to make life easier for Nix -- and to inch opposing safeties a little closer to the line of scrimmage -- than it was in 2024.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: What's next for the Broncos after Bo Nix jump-started their latest rebuild?
