The Denver Broncos’ offseason has been the most singular and unique one I’ve covered since I’ve been on the beat, starting in 2012. Over that span, I’ve seen some bombastic Broncos offseasons, including the arrival of Peyton Manning, the 2014 free-agent frenzy, the Russell Wilson trade, Sean Payton’s arrival, and more.
What makes the 2026 offseason stand out is Denver’s relative inactivity. Aside from re-signing 17 of their own free agents, the Broncos have made exactly (and only) two outside moves: the Jaylen Waddle trade (a week into the new league year opening) and the Tycen Anderson signing.
Meanwhile, the likes of Aqib Talib — who seems to have accurately predicted the Broncos’ blockbuster Waddle trade — has said that another big move is coming down the pike. The former Pro Bowl cornerback-turned-NFL talking head says the Broncos are working on something big and it could come during the draft.
A New RB Captures Broncos Country’s Interest
On the Mile High Huddle Podcast’s live shows, I’ve been getting asked lately about the De’Von Achane rumors and whether they could tie into the Broncos. Achane, a 1,300-yard rusher in 2025, enters the final year of his contract with the Miami Dolphins, and reports indicate the two sides aren’t close yet to an extension.
Often, such extensions come in July and August, right as the actual regular-season action is getting underway. That’s how the Broncos like to do it, and other teams, too.
So, I don’t find it particularly noteworthy that Achane hasn’t been extended yet. But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from suggesting that he could be a Dolphins trade piece, especially in the wake of the fire sale Miami has hosted this offseason, of which the Broncos have already benefitted.
Would Achane Fit?
De’Von Achane. | Rich Storry-Imagn Images
The question is whether the Broncos would even be interested in Achane, if the Dolphins were to actually make him available via trade. I’m not so sure that they would be, especially factoring in the compensation it would take to pry him off Miami’s hands, and the new contract he’d surely expect upon landing in the Mile High City.
Alain Poupart of Dolphins On SI figures Achane is in line for a contract that’ll pay him somewhere between $11.5 million and $14.4 million per year, with $22-25 million guaranteed. After the Broncos just gave J.K. Dobbins a 4x raise, which puts him on the books this year for $8 million, I doubt that such a contract for Achane would be in the cards.
After all, we know that the Broncos wanted to sign Travis Etienne and Dobbins this offseason, but Denver backed away when the cost to sign the former Jacksonville Jaguars first-rounder skyrocketed to $14M/year. Suddenly, Achane is going to change that arithmetic?
There’s no doubt Achane makes for an attractive trade target, especially in a vacuum. Last season, the 24-year-old rushed for 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns, earning the first Pro Bowl recognition of his career.
Achane was Miami’s third-round pick in 2023. He’s been very productive for the Dolphins.
However, Miami has to field a football team in the fall for new head coach Jeff Hafley. The Dolphins can’t get rid of every player with a pulse, although all the dead money they’re swallowing this year makes it exceedingly tougher to hand out new money to a deserving guy like Achane.
These are the factors that keep the Achane rumors plausible. But when it comes to his fit with the Broncos, I don’t see them being willing to give up premium draft capital to Miami and give him a new contract that would put him among the highest-paid players at the position.
But hey, I’ve been wrong before. I strive to ensure it doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I’m always going to be the first to admit it.
The Takeaway
Never say never, but I wouldn’t view Achane through the Talib lens. We have no idea what Talib is actually talking about, other than it could be “big” and that it could happen “on draft day.”
That could mean the Broncos are eyeing a prospect they hope to trade up into the first round to secure. It could mean they’re eyeing a veteran on the trade market to consummate a deal during the draft, as they’ve done in recent years with defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers and quarterback Zack Wilson.
Or it could mean that the Broncos are eyeing a still-available free agent to sign after the draft, when the compensatory pick formula would no longer be held against them, relative to the two comp picks they’re projected to receive in 2027.
There. Clear as mud.