One position is holding back the Broncos offseason grade

There is a moment every summer when the offseason grade columns start rolling in from national outlets. Every team gets rated. Every move gets dissected. And every fan base gets a report card that either confirms their optimism or gives them fresh material to argue about on talk radio.

The Denver Broncos are heading into that stretch of the calendar right now. And after a productive few months of roster-building, the conversation has turned to what kind of grade this offseason actually deserves.

On a recent edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, Schlereth was asked to hand out his own evaluation. And while the mark he landed on wasn’t a perfect score, it was one that reflected supreme confidence in what the front office has accomplished.

“I would grade them – A-, B+,” Schlereth said.

That range tells the story. The Broncos didn’t run a flawless offseason. But they ran a very productive one. One built around specific, targeted upgrades rather than the kind of splashy, headline-driven signings that often blow up in a team’s face.

The Jaylen Waddle acquisition added the speed and route-running element the offense had been missing at wide receiver. The return of J.K. Dobbins gave the backfield a proven veteran to complement the group. The addition of rookie running back Jonah Coleman injected fresh legs and long-term upside. Every move seemed to serve a clear purpose within the larger structure of the roster.

Schlereth pointed to the philosophy driving those decisions.

“You look at what they did in free agency, in the draft, and all the different things that they’ve done to accomplish their goal. They’re basically telling you, ‘Hey man, we were 14-3,'” Schlereth said.

That’s the mindset of a team that believes in the foundation it built last season. The Broncos aren’t trying to reinvent themselves. They are trying to close the gap between an AFC Championship appearance and a Super Bowl. The moves reflect that self-assessment, targeted enhancements rather than sweeping overhauls. In an era where too many franchises tear things down at the first sign of trouble, Denver has done the opposite. They have doubled down on what works and looked to sharpen the edges around it.

But an A- or B+ isn’t an A+. And Schlereth was clear about the one area that continues to keep the Broncos from a truly elite grade.

“If they’re honest they would tell you, ‘Our one weakness on the offensive side of the ball that we did not, and have not, and cannot figure out, is the tight end position,'” Schlereth said.

Evan Engram’s first season in Denver didn’t produce the impact many expected. Adam Trautman remains a role player but not a game-changer. And beyond that pair, the depth chart at tight end doesn’t feature the kind of matchup weapon that modern offenses are built to exploit.

Sean Payton’s offense has historically thrived when the tight end position is dangerous. His New Orleans years were defined by that dynamic. The Broncos have not yet figured out how to replicate it in Denver.

The grade Schlereth handed out isn’t a criticism at all. It is a reflection of a team that has done almost everything right and still has one area left to solve.

Fix the tight end room, and the A+ becomes attainable. Until then, the Broncos are exactly where Schlereth graded them. Very good, very close, but not quite complete.

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