ENGLEWOOD — The Broncos have signaled an aggressive approach to free agency with money to spend.

“People want to come to Denver,” first-team All-Pro left tackle Garett Bolles said following locker cleanout day at Broncos Park. “I’ll be shocked to see how many free agents want to come here.”

The NFL is taking notice after Denver finished the regular season 14-3 and reached the AFC Championship Game.

The Broncos are positioned as buyers when free agency begins in March after finally getting back what inside linebacker Alex Singleton described as “Russell money.” More specifically, Denver is no longer on the hook for an $85 million dead cap hit created by releasing ex-quarterback Russell Wilson ($53 million in 2024 and $32 million in 2025).

The Broncos have $27.4 million in cap space for 2026, per overthecap.com, with additional room possible after cutting or restructuring deals. Coach Sean Payton drew up an analogy to explain how that spending cushion helps the franchise.

“I’m going give you $50,000 to decorate your home or $200,000. Your home is going to look nicer, I think, if you’re a decent shopper (and) if you have more money,” Payton said during a Tuesday news conference at Broncos Park. “I think the same takes place with our sport. (I’m) proud of the way everyone else handled it. … We evaluate wisely. We draft wisely. We make these decisions regarding free agency with well thought-out plans, and we go from there.”

Broncos general manager George Paton had mixed free agency success in 2025.

— Safety Talanoa Hufanga played in all 17 games and earned second-team All-Pro honors.

— Tight end Evan Engram made key receptions to help win several games. He also missed early season time due to injuries and finished with modest stats: 50 catches for 461 yards and one touchdown.

— Inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw made a huge goal-line stand in a Week 9 road win over the Texans. But he appeared in only eight total regular-season games due to injuries.

— Wide receiver Trent Sherfield never fulfilled his anticipated role as a special teams ace and was waived in November.

How will Paton approach free agency in 2026?

“We’re going to push it this year. All these other teams are pushing it. They’re hiring these coaches, so we have to be on our game,” Paton said at a Tuesday news conference. “We have to make really good decisions. We’re going to be aggressive. Regardless of whose contract is what, I think it’s really important. Now we’re going to be sound and prudent with our decisions. The good news is we have some cap room, we have five picks in the first four rounds, and we could get two compensatory which would give us nine. … We’re going to have all sorts of flexibility.”

Paton explained why he believes Denver is an attractive landing spot for high-impact NFL free agents.

“I think players will want to come here for a number of reasons,” Paton said. “I think No. 1 is ownership. … You can see what they’ve done, what they’re doing, and what they continue to do, and all the resources and leadership they’ve shown. I think the quarterback (Bo Nix) makes a big difference. Players want to come for the quarterback and the fanbase in Denver. People love it here and I think that helps. Now, we’re playing at a high level, and again it starts over.

“I think players will want to be here.”

The Broncos fell one game short of reaching the Super Bowl. How many free agent signings are required to help take the next step in 2026?

“We just need a couple more playmakers,” Bolles said. “And the sky is the limit for this team.”