Various reports have stated the Denver Broncos are expected to be sellers before this year’s trade deadline. Oddly enough, things have been very quiet in that regard after their last loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Good morning, Broncos Country.
After their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football the Denver Broncos dropped to 1-5 on the season. That’s certainly not the start anyone was expecting or hoping for. At this point in time, it’s a given they don’t have a realistic shot at the playoffs after such a disastrous start to their 2023 campaign.
That is why many analysts have reported that the team is expected to be sellers before this year’s trade deadline at the end of the month. From last Thursday until this Sunday when they square off against the Green Bay Packers at home, the Broncos will have had ten days to make some sort of a trade. That would have seemed like an ample time to start reforging the roster and making moves to acquire draft capital to help reshape the franchise’s future.
Oddly enough, things appear awfully quiet at Dove Valley on that front—with very little updates on a hypothetical fire sale signaling a rebuild that a majority of fans are hoping for. I’m a bit surprised that no moves outside the releases of Randy Gregory and Frank Clark have been announced. In fact, I had stated on our post-game podcast after the loss to the Chiefs that the next ten days may very well be the most exciting of the year.
Alas, the flurry of trades hasn’t come yet. I’ll admit I was wrong on the aforementioned prognostication. That being said, I wouldn’t expect any moves this week with the Packers game only a few days away. Though if the Broncos lose on Sunday and secure their sixth loss of the season, I’d assume that those trade talks would heat up quite quickly.
Perhaps a trade of Justin Simmons to the Philadelphia Eagles for some Day 2 picks is in order. The rumor is they are interested in acquiring some playmakers to reinforce their secondary that has been depleted due to multiple injuries. IF the Broncos were to even entertain trading their All-Pro safety, hopefully they would do him a solid and send him to a team who can actually compete for Lombardi Trophy.
Maybe the Broncos send Jerry Jeudy to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a Top 75 pick. Things aren’t going so well there, and it appears Bryce Young could use a little bit of help at the wide receiver position. Jeudy to Carolina for their early third-round pick? That’s a deal I’d make without hesitation—and quite frankly—I think the Broncos would be very lucky if that were to transpire.
Even if the Broncos do win on Sunday, I still feel that an overhaul is necessary. After three years of not having first or second-round selections, the Broncos’ cupboard is quite bare. Regardless of where they end up picking in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, their current slate of selections isn’t enough to get the rebuilding process going. When you are facing tens of millions of dead money for the next few years, having a bunch of prospects on rookie deals is going to be essential.
I guess I’m not sure why the Broncos have been quiet, but perhaps George Paton, Sean Payton and company think the best deals will come the closer to the deadline. A lot can happen over the course of the next two weeks. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
As always—thanks for reading. Feel free to give me your thoughts on trade scenarios you have been thinking about over the past few weeks in the comments section. I’d love to hear what you all have to say on the matter.
