Broncos CEO Speaks Out on 'Opportunistic' Free Agency Moves

Twice acknowledging he's "really pleased" with his brain trust's collective "plan," Denver Broncos Co-Owner/CEO Greg Penner lauded the team's several big-ticket acquisitions amid a busy — and expensive — foray into NFL free agency this offseason.

“I was really pleased. I thought [General Manager] George [Paton] and [Head Coach] Sean [Payton] put together a really good plan and executed it well," Penner told reporters Monday at the annual league meetings in Florida. "I think we got better on the field and, frankly, the makeup of the team improved with the guys that that we brought in. It’s interesting each year—our first year, we were really forced to be aggressive because we had big holes on the offensive and defensive lines. Last year in free agency, we had to be more measured because we didn’t have much cap space. This year, I’d say we were more opportunistic. We had some key needs at inside linebacker, safety and tight end. They identified some players that really would be a good fit for us and got those done. I was really pleased.”

The Broncos wasted little time plucking from the NFL talent pool last month, securing inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and tight end Evan Engram — all projected starters — to a combined $93.5 million in new money, including $50 million in guarantees.

That each put pen to paper reflects how the organization is viewed coming off its first playoff season since 2015. Combined with a budding star quarterback, the Broncos have again become an attractive destination for prospective suitors, irrelevant no longer.

"I think we’re a team players want to play for," head coach Sean Payton stated Monday. "I think certainly we’re a city that that’s very appealing to athletes to want to live. I think a lot of that is a result of maybe some of the early success we had last year with the young quarterback.”

The Broncos are closer to the Pat Bowlen Standard now than at any point over the past decade, stabilized in part due to the commitment from the Walter-Penner Ownership Group. A year ago, they were considered possible contenders for the No. 1 overall draft pick. A year later, they're forecast to win 9.5 games — and that might be a conservative estimate.

“That’s been our mindset since we’ve bought the team which is: We’re going to continue to set higher expectations," Penner said. "Obviously we had a really tough first season, but we’re going to continue to push. We’re not satisfied, at all, with where we are. We think we’re in a good place, in terms of the building blocks that we’ve got set now. But we’re in a tough division. Everybody is looking to improve. We have some work to do this offseason to get to where we need to be.”