PALM BEACH, Fla. — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is a happy man.

Payton spoke during an open session at the NFL Annual Meeting this week about how excited he is to add former 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw to the Broncos roster during NFL free agency.

“I would say we felt good coming out of it,” Payton said on Monday. “We felt like our team got better from a football makeup standpoint, and toughness. And we’ll continue to use that momentum as we get closer to the draft and even after the draft.”

Hufanga signed a three-year, $45 million contract with Denver, while Greenlaw inked a three-year, $35 million deal.

The 49ers made a late push to bring Greenlaw back to the Bay Area, with coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch traveling to Texas. Ultimately, the Broncos built a strong argument for the linebacker to start a new chapter in the AFC West.

Hufanga and Greenlaw have a history of injuries limiting their time on the field. Hufanga only appeared in seven games in 2024 as he recovered from a torn ACL and then tore ligaments in his wrist, while Greenlaw only suited up for two contests coming off a ruptured Achilles. Payton understands the challenge the Broncos face in keeping their new acquisitions ready for the regular season, as well as the upside of the situation.

“Quite honestly — we would have had a much more difficult time signing them, had there not been prior injuries,” Payton said. “We felt with those guys, that there’s always that risk valuation that’s measured in and we felt pretty good about it.

“We feel like in our program, we will be smart enough to understand their workload and all the things to try and get them healthy for the field. But there’s always some risk with that.”

Payton feels fortunate to have filled positions of need, but also believes that the acclimation process will be easier for the two defenders since they are familiar with each other.

It also might have helped the negotiation process.

“I think that was a little more coincidence,” Payton said. “There were positions that were kind of ‘must’ positions for us, and to fill two of them from one team, and I think that one may have helped the other too.

“Sometimes that can happen, but I can’t speak for them. If there is a common thread though, those two are tone setters in how they play.”