Payton and Paton can learn from lessons of 20 years ago.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The name changed, but the story is eerily similar.
In the offseason entering the 2006 season, the Broncos, coming off a home loss in the AFC Championship Game, did nothing to improve their offense during the free agent-period, then acquired star receiver Javon Walker from Green Bay in exchange for a second-round draft pick.
Twenty years later, in the offseason entering the 2026 NFL season, the Broncos, coming off a home loss in the AFC Championship Game, did nothing to improve their offense in free agency, then acquired star receiver Jaylen Waddle from Miami in exchange for first- and third-round draft picks and a swap of fourth rounders.
History warns: Beware the chase for the final piece to put a team over the top.
Walker turned out to have a very good year for the Broncos in 2006, recording 69 catches for 1,084 yards and 8 touchdowns. He single-handedly beat the Patriots, who were in the midst of their dynasty, in New England with touchdown receptions of 32 and 83 yards from Jake Plummer in a 17-7 win.
The trade by itself worked out for Denver. But the Broncos had all kinds of other issues – most notably Mike Shanahan’s questionable late-season quarterback switch from Plummer to first-round rookie Jay Cutler – and fell from 13-3 in 2005 to 9-7 and missing the playoffs in 2006.
The Broncos finished off their 2006 offseason with their Greatest Draft Class That Never Was. Besides Cutler in the first round, the Broncos nabbed tight end Tony Scheffler in the second, receiver Brandon Marshall and edge rusher Elvis Dumervil in the fourth and guard Chris Kuper in the fifth.
All became solid to standout starters for the Broncos. All had their terms here come to a premature end. Cutler, Scheffler and Marshall got sideways with new coach Josh McDaniels, who was too inflexible in his youth. Dumervil got eaten up in the infamous Fax Fiasco. Kuper suffered a devastating ankle injury.
Twenty years later, the Broncos’ George Paton and Sean Payton would do well if Waddle repeated Walker’s 2006 season, and their new set of 2026 rookies matched the success of that 2006 draft class while avoiding the subsequent drama. And other things that happened.
