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Broncos' best replacement options for free agents they may lose in 2026
Broncos' best replacement options for free agents they may lose in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 NFL free-agent market will soon open, bringing forth countless questions about where players will sign, how much money they will get, and what teams will do to replace the players who have moved on to new teams.
For the Denver Broncos, there are some key in-house free agents whom the team will have to determine whether to continue on with or find new options. In some cases, the money offered by another team may be too much to overcome.
Here, we will examine some of the top free agents the Broncos have who could be moving on this offseason and, if they do, what the best direction to replace them is.
Top replacement options for Broncos' free agents
Justin Strnad and/or Alex Singleton, Linebacker
Though the Broncos should be looking for offensive upgrades in free agency, the biggest question when it comes to their own free agents is at the inside linebacker spot.
Both Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton are set to be unrestricted free agents, and each player should have a market. It would be in the team's best interest to bring at least one of them back, particularly when you consider that there will be a big decision to make on Dre Greenlaw's future. The team could save $8.1 million against the cap if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut.
Inside linebacker has been a weakness on the Broncos' roster for quite some time, so the team should look at upgrades, regardless of what they do with their own players. But if more than one of these players is not on the team next year, they have some options out there.
Best replacement options: Sign Nakobe Dean in free agency or use the No. 30 pick in the first round on Georgia linebacker CJ Allen.
J.K. Dobbins, Running Back
The Broncos have quite the decision to make at the running back position, but it's clear that a big move needs to be made.
They already have RJ Harvey on the roster and his future looks bright. However, they need an experienced runner who can do a little bit of everything to make sure the rushing attack stays potent down the stretch of the season.
One of the biggest reasons the Broncos fell short of reaching the Super Bowl was their lack of a running game once J.K. Dobbins went down with a foot injury. Does the team run it back with Dobbins, who has never finished a season in his career due to injury? Or does the team spend some money and look for a more reliable option?
Best replacement option: Sign Breece Hall in free agency
Hall is likely going to be the most expensive running back on this year's market, but that is for good reason. He is a terrific overall player and is one of the best receiving running backs in the league. At 25 years old in May, youth is still well on his side, so paying him the $10.4 million annual salary that Spotrac estimates he will get should not be out of the question.
John Franklin-Myers, Defensive Lineman
This will be one of the trickier decisions for the Broncos to wrestle with this offseason, as it seems all but sure that John Franklin-Myers will be playing somewhere else next season.
The player who will ultimately replace Franklin-Myers is likely already on the roster and the Broncos have multiple choices to go with there, including Eyioma Uwazurike and last year's third-round pick, Sai'vion Jones. Still, the team should find a bargain option in free agency to help bolster the depth chart and veteran defensive lineman Greg Gaines could make some sense in that role.
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Gaines, a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, has spent the past three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's an experienced player who offers something in the pass-rushing department, as he has 14.5 career sacks.
Best replacement option: Promote from within and sign Greg Gaines in free agency
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Final 2026 Winter Olympics medal count, standings
The 2026 Winter Olympics medal count standings have been finalized, with the Closing Ceremony underway at the historic Arena di Verona for the Milan Cortina Games.
In the final competition of the day, Team USA picked up its 12th gold medal, which is the country’s most-ever in a Winter Olympics, thanks to Jack Hughes’ heroics in the men’s hockey gold medal final against rival Canada.
Hughes scored the game-winner in overtime to cap off an instant classic.
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With the men’s hockey medal, Team USA’s medal count finished at 33 overall medals (12 gold, 12 silver, and 9 bronze), trailing only Norway’s 41 medals (an Olympic-high 18 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze).
Rounding out the top five were host nation Italy (30) and Germany (26).
How did all of the countries fare in the 2026 Olympics?
A full look at the final medal count for the Milan Cortina Games can be seen below.
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2026 Winter Olympics Final Medal Count
Feb 13, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Detailed view of the gold medal and painted nails of Yuto Totsuka of Japan in the men’s snowboarding halfpipe final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
| Group | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Norway | 18 | 12 | 11 | 41 |
 United States | 12 | 12 | 9 | 33 |
 Italy | 10 | 6 | 14 | 30 |
 Germany | 8 | 10 | 8 | 26 |
 Japan | 5 | 7 | 12 | 24 |
 France | 8 | 9 | 6 | 23 |
 Switzerland | 6 | 9 | 8 | 23 |
 Canada | 5 | 7 | 9 | 21 |
 Netherlands | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
 Sweden | 8 | 6 | 4 | 18 |
 Austria | 5 | 8 | 5 | 18 |
 China | 5 | 4 | 6 | 15 |
 South Korea | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
 Australia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
 Finland | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
 Great Britain | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
 Czechia | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
 Slovenia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
 Poland | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
 Spain | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 New Zealand | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
 Latvia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Bulgaria | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
 Kazakhstan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Georgia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Estonia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Denmark | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Belgium | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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