For fans of the team, it's so difficult to stay patient in the offseason and wait for the Denver Broncos to make moves. Especially when you're talking about upgrading a roster that just won 10 games and made the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade, patience is not a virtue often practiced by the fans.
Many tend to want that instant gratification of signing a notable name in NFL free agency or making a blockbuster trade, even if it means using valuable cap space or draft capital. Broncos general manager George Paton said back when he was hired by the team that he would be "in on every deal" and he's pretty much made good on that promise.
You constantly hear about the Broncos "checking in" on players, and while that doesn't exactly mean they have an intent to sign them, it certainly gives all of us something to talk about.
The Broncos "checked in" on veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason, and it looks like they may have avoided a $69 million mistake by not taking it any further than that.
Broncos passing on Stefon Diggs looking better by the day
Diggs has some history with general manager George Paton, who was part of drafting him with the Minnesota Vikings back in 2015. Paton was also with the Vikings' front office when they traded Diggs to Buffalo.
After Sean Payton told Kay Adams that a veteran receiver fell in the "need" bucket this offseason -- just behind a must-have -- everyone obviously took every rumor about the Broncos and any level of interest in a veteran receiver very seriously.
Diggs ended up signing a three-year deal worth $69 million with the New England Patriots this offseason to be the top target for young quarterback Drake Maye, and he's been at the source of some off-field distractions, to say the least.
On top of the high price, Diggs is coming off of a serious injury and is in his early 30s. As exciting as it would be to have a player with his pedigree on the roster, it's even more exciting to have young players stepping up at a fraction of the cost.
The Broncos were actually connected to a variety of big-name receivers in the 2025 free agency cycle, including Diggs, Cooper Kupp, and Deebo Samuel. There were even some reports out there that the likes of Kupp and Samuel preferred the Broncos as a destination.
But the Broncos exercised patience and stuck with the theme of in-house player development. As difficult as that is to do in March, it's something the Broncos should already be thankful for, and even more so come September and beyond.
