The Broncos’ trade-deadline decisions are starting to feel like the kind that can shape an entire season. With the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline just days away, Denver has obvious holes to patch, and the biggest ones are impossible to ignore: running back and tight end.
That’s the tension here. The Broncos look like a team built to contend, but they may need one more move - maybe two - to really maximize this roster.
And if they choose to do nothing, the consequences could be real. Last year’s running back situation already showed how fragile that spot can be.
When J.K. Dobbins went down after the deadline, Denver’s run game never really recovered.
At running back, Jonathan Taylor stands out as the cleanest fit. Dobbins has not been effective, Jonah Coleman and RJ Harvey have both spent time on IR or are currently on IR, and Tyler Badie is on IR right now as well.
That leaves the room looking thin and unstable. Taylor would give Denver a steady, dependable lead back, and while Coleman has looked encouraging, he has only 30 NFL carries.
This isn’t about doubting Coleman’s future. It’s about making the most of a Super Bowl window right now.
The fit makes even more sense when you look at how inefficient the Broncos have been on the ground. This isn’t a luxury add. It’s a fix.
Tight end is another spot where Denver could use a real answer, and Dallas Goedert checks a lot of boxes. He is a free agent after the 2026 season and can do both jobs the Broncos need from the position.
He can line up in-line and also serve as a dependable receiving option. Evan Engram brings more as a pass-catcher, but his blocking upside is limited, and Adam Trautman is, as the source puts it, “just a guy.”
Goedert would give the Broncos a more complete tight end room and could help unlock production at the position.
There’s also a linebacker name worth watching: Daiyan Henley. A deal with the Chargers would be unlikely, given the division angle, but Henley is trending toward free agency in 2027 and would bring juice to the defense.
Alex Singleton just won the AFC Defensive Player of the Month award, but he remains a liability in coverage. Henley, by contrast, has allowed a career passer rating of 85.1, according to Pro Football Reference.
He’s athletic, he’s younger, and he would add insurance if Singleton or Justin Strnad were to miss time.
If Denver is looking at who could go the other way, Riley Moss is one name to watch. He is set to become a free agent after the season and still has the grabby tendencies that keep showing up in coverage.
He’s been flagged for pass interference, dropped a fairly easy interception this year, and was beaten badly in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams for a touchdown that nearly swung the game. With Ja’Quan McMillian and Brandon Jones also set to be free agents, the Broncos may not want to keep paying everyone in 2027.
Jahdae Barron or Kris Abrams-Draine could be the next options if Denver decides Moss isn’t part of the long-term plan.
J.K. Dobbins is the other obvious trade candidate.
Albert Breer reported: “J.K. Dobbins’s name was raised in some trade talks, as Broncos rookie RB Jonah Coleman broke out, but it’s less likely now that RJ Harvey is hurt.
… The Texans have least checked in on available running backs and safeties.”
If the Broncos do make a move for a running back, it’s hard to see Dobbins staying in the picture. There’s no realistic path to rostering Taylor, Dobbins, Harvey, and Coleman all at once.
Denver could move Dobbins for very little, or he could be included as part of a larger deal. Either way, his role has already shrunk.
He’s averaging fewer than four yards per carry and appears to have been passed by Coleman in the rotation.
The Broncos can move on from Dobbins’ contract after the season, but if they make a meaningful running back addition now, his time in Denver could be over sooner than later.
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