Denver Broncos Briefly: De'Von Achane Rumors, Owners Buy 40% of Rockies

• De'Von Achane to the Denver Broncos seems unlikely, but small possibility
• Broncos owners bought 40% of Colorado Rockies; more planned?
• Sean Payton explains multiple types of tight ends in this year's Draft

De'Von Achane to the Denver Broncos?

Could De'Von Achane be traded to the Denver Broncos? Achane and the Miami Dolphins aren't close to an extension and the two teams' GMs are very close with one another.

They pulled off that blockbuster Jaylen Waddle trade, after all. And only three weeks ago.

Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald wrote last week about the star running back and the Dolphins not being close to a contract extension. And Kelly used Miami GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's words explaining the team needs to get cheaper.

Achane is likely to command around $11M per year. Which, if they wanted to, the Broncos could afford that for this year, even if just barely. They still need $7.5M for rookie deals and have $18M in cap space currently.

But the Broncos trading for Achane is unlikely for a few reasons.

First, Denver would likely have to send away another one of their high picks, like next year's first-rounder. Even though the Broncos expect to be in the playoffs again and will therefore have a late first-rounder, George Paton likely wants to select on that first day of the 2027 NFL Draft instead of hang around and watch like this year.

Second, RJ Harvey, who Paton and Sean Payton drafted last year, is a back who plays like Achane. Both are smaller, faster, and both can catch out of the backfield well. And while Achane is a rising star, both he and Harvey scored the same number of touchdowns last year (12).

However, one thing that separates the two is Achane's 5.7 yard per carry average that led the NFL. Harvey averaged only 3.7 YPC.

If the Broncos were to somehow trade for Achane, one would have to expect them to be Super Bowl favorites. But, barring something crazy happening next weekend at the Draft, this rumor is about as dead as the Aaron Rodgers ones two weeks ago.

Broncos Owners Buy 40% of Colorado Rockies

The Denver Broncos ownership group purchased 40% of the Centennial State's baseball team, the Colorado Rockies.

The Penner Sports Group now owns a large sum of the Rockies and 100% of the Denver Broncos.

“Speaking personally, on behalf of Charlie and our family, our other partners and the organization, we’re excited to welcome Greg and Carrie Penner into the Colorado Rockies ownership group,” Dick Montfort said in a statement. “I’ve had the pleasure to build a strong relationship with Greg and Carrie over the past few years. For many reasons, including their recent success with the Broncos, we know we are gaining much more than just financial support in this partnership with Penner Sports Group."

Monfort has owned the Rockies since 1992, with their first season coming in 1993.

And Tom Green, the former ABC sports guy on KMGH, said on a recent podcast that the plan is for the Broncos owners to eventually be majority owners, too.

They've been great owners for the Broncos to this point. They're building a new stadium on their own dime, even if it should be outdoors and not a retractable dome.

Payton on Tight Ends in the 2026 NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft is a week away, with the Broncos first pick coming in the second round on Friday, April 24.

Denver's biggest draft needs are as follows: tight end, inside linebacker, defensive line.

So, will the Broncos take a tight end with their second-round pick at No. 62?

It's definitely possible.

Here's what Sean Payton said about the tight end class in this 2026 NFL Draft:

“I would say this about this class (of tight ends),” Payton said, “if you’re looking for a blocking Y, there’d be a handful available. If you’re looking for maybe a little bit of an undersized F, they are out there. To each his own, the different types of tight ends are available. It’s always difficult with that position because sometimes you’re projecting in an offense that is maybe playing them differently.”

In terms of F tight ends—the ones who line up in the slot and out wide, and are primarily pass-catchers—Eli Stowers is a great one. Just don't call him a "joker."

Then you have Max Klare, who is seemingly more of a hybrid tight end who can catch or block.

Finally, there's Sam Roush, who's a Y (blocking) tight end. Plus many others like Justin Joly, and Oscar Delp.

Denver needs a young tight end to develop along side Bo Nix for the future, even if they already have a ton of tight ends on the roster. Evan Engram will be the No. 1 guy in 2026, but then his contract is up.

There's even speculation that the Broncos could trade Engram if they go after a tight end they think can start right away.

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Rich Kurtzman was born and raised in Denver Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the aughts. He's been a professional writer since 2011, covering Colorado State football and men's basketball, as well as the Denver Broncos, for many outlets. Current Denver Broncos work can be found on Mile High Sports. Previous credits include CBS Denver and The USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

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