THE Denver Broncos They still have five games before the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 5, but the conversation has already started about what they should do. Although it’s still early to finalize a plan, there’s a great reason to start the discussion.
The Broncos have pieces they could trade that other teams, still looking to improve their rosters, could use. The Broncos have their own areas they could look to improve.
This begs the question of whether the Broncos should be buyers or sellers. With a 2-2 record, Denver could fall into either category.
Should the Broncos lean more toward buying or selling? Let’s examine.
The Broncos need a dynamic playmaker on offense, especially on the tight end. There could be options in the league, and KOA Radioby Benjamin Albright suggested Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, which was an intriguing thought.
Pitts has had a few rough seasons and isn’t off to a great start this year. However, he can be a dynamic playmaker at the position and a piece that Sean Payton likes to have in his offense. Pitts is a dynamic athlete who can create all kinds of mismatches and fill the role the Broncos wanted Greg Dulcich to play, but didn’t get there.
While he’s not a blocker and Pitts can be a traditional Y tight end, you can move him around the formation. The Broncos need this dynamic playmaker on offense to help them in a passing game that has struggled early in the season.
Pitts, who turns 24 on Oct. 6, is still young and in his fourth year in the NFL. He is the 16th highest-paid tight end in the final year of his contract, as the Falcons declined the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
The cost of acquiring Pitts should not be high, and he could be a low-risk, high-reward option for the Broncos offense. Payton needs that kind of tight end in his offense.
Pitts is not the only option, and During the CaPa’s Jason Fitzgerald compiled a list of 189 players. They’re all in the final year of their contracts on a team currently 1-3 or worse, and while there aren’t many intriguing options, there are a few.
I’ve put together a list of players whose contracts are expiring for teams 1-3 or worse and the cost of acquiring those players via trade. 189 players in total. pic.twitter.com/jypuqILOSd
–Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) October 1, 2024
Most of the names on Fitzgerald’s list are depth pieces. The Broncos could acquire a linebacker with Alex Singleton out or a defensive lineman/pass rusher if they decide to move Jones or Browning.
There are also a few tight ends on the roster that are interesting options to bring more receiving power to the Broncos offense. Overall, there are a handful of players that intrigue the Broncos at this point in the season. Namely:
There are a few players the Broncos should be willing to move. Depending on how the season goes, the Broncos should be open to trading five players – three on offense and two on defense.
To be clear, being willing to trade them doesn’t mean the Broncos should move them for just anything. But if a team offers good value, you make the trade and adjust, but don’t accept less than you want for those players.
Baron Browning and DJ Jones are the two on defense, with Garett Bolles and Javonte Williams as two of the three on offense. I’ll come back to the third later. All four are on expiring contracts, can be competent contributors on a contending team and hurt the Broncos in dead money.
Now, figuring out the financials is a little difficult due to the games being played, so play controls will count against the Broncos, but they can also take more money or cause the other team to take some. For this reason, we will only look at financial data. Before the season.
Bolles and Jones are the two biggest hitters this year for the Broncos, at $20 million and nearly $13 million, respectively. Before the season, Bolles could have been traded for $4 million in dead capital and $16 million saved, while Jones would have been, rounded up, $3 million dead and $10 million saved.
If the Broncos are comfortable with replacing Mike McGlinchey at left tackle, then moving Bolles should be considered, especially with the play of Alex Paclzewski at right tackle over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, Jones has struggled with the Broncos for the majority of the last 21 games and has been dominated by Malcolm Roach, who should get more reps on him anyway.
Browning costs $3.3 million against the cap, rounded down, and Williams (also rounded down) costs $2.8 million. None of them are as expensive as Bolles and Jones.
Denver would save about $3.1 million (before the season) against the cap for Browning and $1.8 million for Williams. With Browning on injured reserve, it would be difficult to trade him, but the rest of the passing room has stepped up significantly, making him expendable.
Williams had an excellent match against New York Jetsbut its inconsistencies are worrying. If he gains some momentum, he will no longer be an option to trade, especially if the Broncos can be 5-4 or better heading into the trade deadline.
If the Broncos are 4-5 or worse, even if Williams is doing well, they should look to trade him. This is, for me, the limit after nine matches.
The fifth and final player the Broncos could trade is a quarterback – Jarett Stidham or Zach Wilson, whichever the teams choose. There have been a few injuries to starting quarterbacks in the NFL, which could cause a team to make a push for one of them. The Broncos should consider moving one of them, especially if Bo Nix is still relatively healthy at the deadline.
There are five games between now and the November 5 trade deadline. Many things can and will change.
Injuries, wins, losses and frustrations between coaches and players are likely to occur. This will change the landscape of players teams might look to move on from and Denver’s willingness to trade or acquire players.
It’s fun to have a conversation and think about different possibilities, but there’s a lot of time until then.
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