A third of the way through the season, everything is open to the Broncos except their receivers.
The Broncos are on a three-game winning streak. Hope exists thanks to a gnarly defense and an offense that is methodically improving. Look at the calendar. There’s no reason they can’t get to 6-2 or 5-3 at the halfway point.
So in about a month – November 5 to be precise – they will have to make a move at the trade deadline to add a proven target. Bo Nix needs it, and if the team stays in contention, this team deserves it (not to mention Broncos Country).
The obvious answer is Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins. He represents a huge upgrade, even if his acquisition is complicated by the Bengals’ finances and schedule.
Before the howls of complaints, know that it is possible to go for it without going all out. Acquiring a receiver requires minimal project capital. The Raiders have told interested teams they want a second-rounder for Davante Adams while absorbing his remaining salary. Could Higgins be landed for a third-round pick? The rumored asking price before the season was for a second, but the Bengals’ leverage has been reduced as Higgins gets closer to free agency.
Will it be available? This remains uncertain. The Bengals are 1-4, but their next four games offer a chance to bounce back (Giants, Browns, Eagles and Raiders).
So why Higgins if Cincinnati is hesitant? He’s 25 and nearly four years younger than Courtland Sutton and Josh Reynolds, the Broncos’ two current top targets. The Broncos haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver eclipse since 2019. Higgins has done it twice, benefiting from star quarterback Joe Burrow and his own talent. He produces yards after the catch and fits coach Sean Payton’s type at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds.
The Broncos acknowledge they need playmakers, but there’s no indication they’ll be looking for one before the end of the season. That’s why Sunday’s game is so crucial. A win against the Chargers announces the Broncos as contenders, and while I view them as a team in transition, Payton does not. He and owner Greg Penner entered the season hoping to improve from last year.
This is the case in many areas. The receiver is not one of them. The acquisition of Higgins is complicated. He plays under the $21.8 million franchise tag, which applies to an acquiring team, meaning no long-term contract can be negotiated until after the season.
Higgins is owed about $11 million, his salary prorated for the past nine weeks. The motivation for taking on that cost would be twofold: fuel the passing attack — the Broncos rank 28th with 163.8 yards per game — and sign him to a new contract as the No. 1 receiver before he reaches the free market. This latter reason is why it makes so much sense.
The difficulty comes in making it work with the salary cap. The Broncos are pinched. They’ve already converted $11.875 million of Sutton’s $13 million salary into a bonus to accommodate Pat Surtain II’s new contract.
A potential avenue? Give left tackle Garett Bolles a real contract extension. And if that’s not enough to get you over the finish line, trade quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
Higgins is everything the Broncos haven’t had since the salad days of Demaryius Thomas. In three games – he missed time with a hamstring injury – he is averaging six catches and 61 yards per game with two touchdowns as a secondary target to Ja’Marr Chase.
By comparison, the Broncos’ leading receiver is Sutton, who is on pace for 58 catches, 762 yards and three touchdowns. These reflect his stats from the past three seasons, and we all have to recognize that his 10 touchdowns in 2023 were an outlier related to Russell Wilson leaving the storyline.
This is not an accusation against the veteran, but an admission that he would fit right in as a No. 2 when paired with Higgins, pushing Reynolds, who continues to face multiple injuries, in an appropriate role. Sutton’s stats and route separation suffer, but not his leadership. It’s admirable how he takes this experience with a rookie quarterback, showing a “we-not-me” mentality.
As the team’s second-longest-tenured player, he never had a winning season, let alone a playoff berth. These goals require sacrifice. Higgins would not only make the Broncos better, but also Sutton’s life easier.
Of course, there are more transparent options. The Broncos could rescue Amari Cooper from Cleveland — he’s owed about $600,000 — but he’s 30 and looming as a tenant. Or they could forgo the wideouts and throw a late-round pick to New England for veteran tight end Austin Hooper.
That would be a buzzkill. Winners make bold moves. And if there’s a receiver sitting on a tee in three weeks, the Broncos have to take a big hit.
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