The Broncos already made one major offensive splash by trading for Jaylen Waddle, and that move could make another former Dolphins pass-catcher feel like a natural fit in Denver.
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports connected the Broncos to free-agent tight end Jonnu Smith, calling him a possible addition for Sean Payton’s offense. DeArdo wrote, "TE Jonnu Smith: Broncos," and added, "... Smith's skill set also meshes with Sean Payton's offense, which gives pass-catchers a chance to make plays after the catch."
That kind of profile stands out for a Broncos tight end group that hasn’t given the team much. Evan Engram has been a disappointment, while Adam Trautman has been little more than a depth piece. If Denver wants a more reliable receiving threat at the position, Smith checks a lot of boxes.
Smith is coming off a big 2024 season with the Dolphins, when he caught 88 passes on 111 targets for 884 yards and eight touchdowns while working alongside Waddle. That production was a sharp jump from his 2024 stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he finished with 38 receptions on 54 targets for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Even with that uneven recent stretch, Smith still brings plenty of résumé to the table. The 30-year-old is a nine-year veteran with 3,529 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns on 345 career catches, and he’d give Denver a versatile option in a room that has lacked one.
For a Broncos team that believes it can win the Super Bowl in 2026, adding a proven tight end like Smith - even in a depth role - would fit the need.
In Other News...
Former Dolphins Draft Bust Found An Unexpected Second Act In Football
Michael Egnews NFL run with Miami never came close to matching the expectations that came with a third-round pick in 2012. The former tight end managed only seven catches over two seasons before his time with the Dolphins ended, a quick and disappointing chapter that could have been the whole story.
Instead, Egnew found a second act in coaching, and it has taken root in Columbia, Missouri, where he has helped build Father Tolton High School into a far more competitive program. Since taking over in 2019, the team has climbed from a 1-9 season in 2020 to an 11-1 finish in 2023, capped by a conference championship, with Egnew stressing hard work and a winning standard along the way. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Reportedly Had A Petty Dolphins Revenge Scheme
Sean Payton was apparently willing to get creative in his long-running football rivalry with the Dolphins, according to an ESPN report by Seth Wickersham. The piece says Payton once mulled a convoluted plan involving the Broncos that would have opened the door for Bill Belichick to make a run at one of Don Shulas most cherished markers, a reminder of how much history still hangs over Miamis place in the NFL record book.
The scheme never got off the ground because it was judged too complicated, and Belichick ended up taking the college route at North Carolina instead of returning to the league. Even so, the report adds another layer to the old Shula shadow that still follows the Dolphins, with Paytons reported thinking showing just how far some around the game will go when that record comes into view. [Read more 🡒]