ESPN Proposes Broncos Make Blockbuster Trade for Former Top-3 QB
The NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and one ESPN insider has proposed a blockbuster deal between the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys. Bill Barnwell's proposal would see the Broncos send inside linebacker Alex Singleton and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for quarterback Trey Lance and a 2025 sixth-rounder.
Here's how Barnwell posited the figurative trade (requires subscription).
Would the Cowboys be willing to part ways with Lance just weeks after acquiring him for a fourth-round pick? If they could land a linebacker who will help them compete for the top seed in the NFC and get back a chunk of that draft capital, it would make sense. Lance is third on the Dallas quarterback depth chart, and as much as the team might bluff otherwise, it is likely to sign Dak Prescott to an extension next offseason, cutting off Lance's path to a starting job.
For the Broncos and Sean Payton, Lance would be a project and a potential long-term quarterback solution if the coach grows weary of Russell Wilson. Lance would have a clearer path to reps as early as the end of the 2023 season, and his contract would be a low-cost, high-upside option for a team that lacks both draft capital and cap space.
It all sounds good in theory, but if Kyle Shanahan couldn't figure out Lance in San Francisco, it's hard to believe that Sean Payton could in Denver. Be that as it may, the Broncos do need a developmental option to groom behind Wilson.
There are rumors that Payton wants to trade Wilson and would deal away the veteran quarterback if the Broncos had a suitor. But Wilson's contract is... let's just say, prohibitive.
Alas, Wilson's play isn't commensurate with his contract. The Broncos may, at some point, ask him to restructure his deal. He could say no, which would leave the team with the unenviable choice of holding onto him or releasing him in 2024, which would come with $85 million in dead money next year alone.
Whether on the roster or not, the Broncos need a viable alternative to Wilson. Color me skeptical that Lance would be that viable option. But Payton is known as a quarterback whisperer, despite Lance's failings as a former top-3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Lance was traded to Dallas this past summer after failing to beat out Sam Darnold for the No. 2 job in San Francisco behind Brock Purdy. Lance was named the third-stringer in Dallas.
Meanwhile, the Broncos sit at 2-5, and the team does have a replacement for Singleton waiting in the wings. The question of whether Sanders is ready to take on starting duties would linger, however.
Sanders was called into action earlier this year when Josey Jewell went down with a hip injury, and suffice it to say the rookie underwent his NFL baptism by fire. It was cringe-worthy at times, and a little rough at others, while Sanders flashed his immense talent here and there.
If the Broncos' season continues on its current trajectory, this team is headed for a top-5 draft pick in 2024. And this time, the Broncos have retained their first-round pick.
However, to land one of the two sure-fire quarterback prospects in 2024, the Broncos would need to hold picks No. 1 or No. 2. And Denver will have no shortage of competition for that dubious honor.
Time will tell whether the Broncos make any trades ahead of the October 31 deadline. Until then, we'll continue to sift through the NFL rumor mill and bring you any and all buzz on the subject.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!