The AFC West duel that formed for Evan Engram has broken the Broncos’ way. After meeting with the Broncos and Chargers, Engram is heading to Denver.
The two-time Pro Bowl tight end is committing to the Broncos on a two-year deal, according to his agency (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). It is unclear if the Bolts submitted an offer, but they scheduled a visit with the eight-year veteran. Engram will join a Broncos team that featured a greater need for a receiving tight end.
Engram’s deal comes after another former Payton-era Saint, Juwan Johnson, signed a three-year, $30.75MM deal to stay in New Orleans. It would stand to reason the Broncos pursued Johnson, who is going into his age-29 season. They will land a player who has proven more as a receiver, but one going into an age-31 season. The Broncos are giving Engram $23MM over two seasons, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reporting $16.5MM will be fully guaranteed. This is a nice haul for a player the Jaguars cut last week.
Fetching more than Johnson and Mike Gesicki on a per-year basis, Engram also has done well for guarantees. This certainly points to the Broncos fending off competition for a player who has two Pro Bowls on his resume. The Jags bailed on Engram’s three-year, $41.25MM extension with one year left, and the Broncos will hope the former first-round pick can address a yearslong issue.
Including Noah Fant in their 2022 Russell Wilson trade, the Broncos have not come especially close to replacing the middling TE’s production. Injuries significantly limited Greg Dulcich in Denver, and the former third-round pick did not prove a fit in Sean Payton’s offense. While the Broncos re-signed ex-Saints draftee Adam Trautman last year, he posted just 188 receiving yards; that led Denver tight ends in 2024. The Chargers may have possessed a need as well, but 2024 addition Will Dissly nearly reached 500 yards last season.
Not profiling as a prolific red zone threat (25 touchdowns in eight seasons), Engram still helped the Jaguars during most of his stay. Given a one-year deal in 2021, Engram broke Jacksonville’s single-season TE receiving yardage record — with 766. That led to a franchise tag and an extension, as Engram added seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown in the Jags’ wild-card comeback win over the Bolts that year. Engram’s 963-yard season in 2023 came on 114 catches — second-most in Jaguars history. A hamstring issue and a labrum tear slowed Engram in 2024, limiting him to nine games.
Surpassing 650 yards twice as a Giant, Engram was inconsistent during Eli Manning‘s final seasons and Daniel Jones‘ early years. A more refined version of the playmaker should have a chance to make noise in Denver, which did not boast much receiving consistency outside of Courtland Sutton last season. Engram will join Sutton and younger receivers for Payton, who appeared to have placed the Broncos’ TE and RB needs over perceived desire to add a starter-level WR.
WR or LB now for Denver’s first round pick?
Jeanty won’t drop to 20
Haha ya this ruins my mock draft
TE was looking like a lock
But maybe they can still get Loveland round 2.
Should have options at WR for sure tho
WR’s are pretty weak in this draft. Wouldn’t be surprised if the picks Omarion Hampton, whom through a lot of rumors is actually projected a better rb by a lot of teams than Jeanty.
Certainly an option
I have Jeanty at 4 and Hampton to Cowboys at 12, but that’s just me
I wouldn’t be all that upset with golden or egbuka if I were them tho
I think jeanty slides if the raiders don’t take him. I think Jerry will think he can transform Javonte into pre injury form too. Wouldn’t be surprised if the broncos do a shock pick and take zabel the OL from NDSU. Hes rose up his stock since the senior bowl, and Wattenburg is on a contract year, so wouldnt be surprised if the drafted him to plug up the center since wattenburg was up and down.
Solid pickup another weapon for nix
Gives them flexibility now in the draft.
Can still see them picking a day 2 TE or day 3
Great pickup, need a rb somehow now and maybe another reliable wr and we’re talking a potential Super Bowl team
Nothing changes. Just a vet TE on a short deal. They’ll still grab their long term guy somewhere on day 1 or 2
Agreed. I don’t dislike Engram by any means, but we knew that Denver was going to want a receiving TE option given their offensive output last year and Payton’s history. Being in on Gesicki, a player with similar strengths to Engram, is evidence of that. Bringing in a familiar face like Trautman and using him in receiving sets so often, despite his blocking background, showed me that Payton values the position a lot in this offense. Trautman wasn’t the best receiver at that spot, but Payton used him because he was reliable and the position was important to him.
Engram isn’t a gamechanger, but he can run those receiving routes that Payton wants to see. He’s up there now in years, and had never been known for his blocking, so I definitely still see Denver as interested in a TE addition. The Broncos have holes like any team does, but there’s not really a gaping hole that begs for urgent attention. Every spot has some player that at least can step in and be asked to do something. However, until they see a TE prove himself as a number one receiver on the field, it’s still their number one need in my mind.