March 17, 2026, 4:29 p.m. MT
After a quiet start to free agency for the Denver Broncos, fans were antsy waiting for the next shoe to drop. The Broncos responded to that anxiety in a big way, trading three picks in April’s upcoming draft for Miami Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle and a fourth-round pick.
Although nearly all of the biggest names in the 2026 free agency cycle have signed with other teams, there is one free agent who has been connected to head coach Sean Payton for several years.
CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani recently put out a list of the best spots for remaining free agents on the market, and their list had a wide receiver ending up in orange and blue. Dajani pointed to free agent receiver Deebo Samuel to come to Denver. Obviously, these comments were made before the Broncos‘ trade for Waddle on Tuesday.
“The Denver Broncos are the only team in the NFL to have not agreed to terms with a free agent outside of their own building this offseason,” Dajani wrote for CBS. “Many have tried to hypothetically pair Deebo Samuel and Sean Payton for years. Now, he’s actually available. Payton has often talked about his ‘Joker’ position — which is a player that can line up anywhere and everywhere on offense, and affect the game in different ways. That’s Samuel.”
Dajani went on to detail Samuel’s 2025 season, which was spent with the Washington Commanders. Dajani finished by saying what a weapon Samuel could be in the hands of head coach Sean Payton.
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With the Waddle trade, Denver gets the same versatility as Samuel, for a reduced price in 2026, and for a player three years younger. It seems fair to say the Broncos made the right decision.
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