.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
This offseason, the Denver Broncos didn't make a ton of notable roster moves to add players, whether it was re-signing free agents or adding players from outside the organization.
But, they did make one of the biggest moves of the entire offseason, adding Jaylen Waddle in a deal with the Miami Dolphins.
However, ESPN's Bill Barnwell identified their $16 million signing of running back J.K. Dobbins as the team's best offseason move, not the Waddle trade.
"Best: Re-signing J.K. Dobbins," Barnwell writes. "If you needed any healthy running back to take 15 handoffs in a game, Dobbins wouldn't be anybody's first pick, but he shouldn't be far off."
The Dobbins signing being the best move of the offseason for Denver, and not the Waddle trade, is a bold take from Barnwell. But, it does make sense, as this is a sneaky important move that does have a case as being a better move than the Waddle trade.
Why signing J.K. Dobbins was a better move than Jaylen Waddle's trade
The Broncos are obviously hoping to get more out of Waddle than Dobbins, but the price tag of these two moves is the main reason why there should be such a difference when looking at which is the better move.
Dobbins is costing the Broncos $16 million at most over the next two years. Waddle will cost a good amount more money than that per-year, with a $27 million cap hit in 2027 and a $30 million cap hit in 2028 being massive commitments for Denver.
But the Broncos also gave up a first and third-round pick to land Waddle from Miami. And as good as he is, they already had a decent wide receiver room.
MORE: Harold Fannin Jr. will need to prove his worth in Todd Monken’s Browns offense
Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Marvin Mims are not a bad WR room. Waddle does make it better, but not to the extent that the Dobbins signing made the RB room better.
RJ Harvey isn't a full-time back, and neither is rookie Jonah Coleman. Dobbins can be a lead back in the NFL, and as long as he's on the field, he can be a top-10 RB in the league.
He recorded 772 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games this past season for Denver, and if it weren't for an unlucky injury, he very well could've put up 1,000+ yards.
With how much it's costing to roster Waddle versus Dobbins, and the upgrade these two players had over the options on the roster at the time of their additions, the Dobbins free-agent deal was the best move of the offseason for the Broncos.
English (US)