Seriously, Broncos? Free agency was supposed to bring Super Bowl

Free agency was supposed to bring a championship. Not disappointment.

No one wanted the Broncos to spend like Liberace. But how about Cincinnati?

Only three teams have yet to sign a free agent off another roster since legal tampering opened Monday morning: the Seahawks, Jaguars and Broncos.

All are playoff teams.

The difference? The nuance? Seattle won the Super Bowl last month. And the Jaguars are a “smaller market” team. Are the Broncos really taking cues from them?

The Seahawks crossed the finish line because of shrewd additions. They took risks on quarterback Sam Darnold and receiver Cooper Kupp.

There were misses, like receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. But, this was a contender determined to take a step forward. It was not unlike the Eagles the previous year when they added running back Saquon Barkley and defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Seattle’s gamble paid off in a ring.

So what are the Broncos doing?

What new running back did they sign this week?

Nobody.

Which secondary receiver did they welcome to a room that needs experience?

None.

What about tight end? Surely, they brought in help at a position that has struggled with receiving production since the salad days of Noah Fant. Right?

Nope.

Perhaps the previous free agent signings by coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton convinced everyone into believing the Broncos would make a single headline-worthy move.

That was the expectation.

And it was born from words, not delusion.

Paton explained at the end-of-season press conference in January that, “We will determine our needs. We’ll be aggressive in filling those needs.”

In addressing how coming so close could shape this offseason, coach Payton admitted at the NFL Combine, “We won a lot of games by one score or less (12-3 record). I’m not naive enough to think those games couldn’t have swung. You could grab any two or three, but where’s the meat on the bone? It is with our takeaways. That has to improve. Our run game consistency (has to improve).”

So what happened?

The Broncos fell in love with their own players in a sport where falling in like is advised.

They finished with the second fewest takeaways in franchise history last season, and instead of pursuing Jacksonville linebacker Devin Lloyd — he had five interceptions a year ago, one more than the Broncos’ entire starting secondary — they stayed in-house, re-signing Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton.

They are solid players. But wasn’t the preference one or the other? Apparently not.

The thought is that they steady Vance Joseph’s defense, in play calls, blitzes and leadership. But are they good enough to win a Super Bowl? You’ve seen them. Do you agree?

It is easier to argue for sticking with the inside linebackers than with the offensive positions.

To run it back at running back remains deflating.

Understand something. Everyone loves J.K. Dobbins, the bilingual breakaway threat who answers to the nickname “El Toro.” But if you are going to be OK with bringing him back with a $5 million raise, then you have to be prepared for the consequences, namely that he will not play a full season.

It has never happened. His injury history looks like a script from “The Pitt.”

Dobbins defended the Broncos’ move on social media. He replied with fire to a Twitter post that asked how Denver could pay him $10 million a year and not give Travis Etienne Jr. $13 million: “Go be a fan of a different team lame (butt) dude and don’t try to turn back around when I shut the fluke injury (blank) up this year.”

I was cool with keeping Dobbins — as a complementary piece to Etienne. The Broncos had enough money to pay them both.

Have we forgotten how Dobbins’ foot injury derailed the offense last year? The run game wilted with rookie R.J. Harvey as the starter, costing the Broncos a chance to win the AFC Championship. Payton is correct. Consistency is the key. But it is impossible without availability.

If Dobbins stays in the lineup, it will be a terrific story. The odds are against it.

The Broncos boast a championship-caliber defense. So, not arming Bo Nix with more weapons while he is on a rookie contract feels like a huge mistake.

There is the belief, one expressed by Payton, that free agents can be deceiving. Last August, he told a story of his parents finding couches — thanks to friend Andrew Mason of 104.3 The Fan for digging this up — at garage sales.

“They would come home with a new couch. And you were so excited — it was a sectional — until you sat in the left corner and it wiggled,” Payton said. “And then you realized why it was a free agent.”

This is countered by the fact that the Broncos don’t sniff the NFL’s Final Four without significant free agent upgrades in Mike McGlinchey, Ben Powers, Zach Allen and Talanoa Hufanga.

The hit rate on open market players is around 35 percent. And that was Denver’s batting average last season when landing Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw and Evan Engram.

Again, no one was asking them to go full John Elway when he signed DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward and Emmanuel Sanders in 2014. But let’s be clear, the Broncos had the best offense in NFL history before they arrived, and they would not have won the Super Bowl without the defensive boost.

Yes, Payton and Paton have earned the benefit of the doubt. But why make it so hard on themselves, especially with the schedule much tougher next season?