Broncos Trade Deadline Decisions Puts Onus on In-House Options to Rise

The Denver Broncos sent a message to the locker room by not adding outside talent but who could step up?

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) during a kickoff return in the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The trade deadline has passed, and the Denver Broncos officially passed on adding any talent to their roster to make a 2024 playoff push. This should not be completely surprising as all indication coming out of Dove Valley is that the Broncos view themselves as competing while improving, but very much hoarding assets.

With the gold standard of team building being “draft and develop,” the Broncos added an additional 2025 sixth-round selection and now own their first, second, third, fourth, and sixth, as well as the sixth-rounders from the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals in next April’s draft.

The Broncos were reportedly on the phone assessing potential trades prior to the deadline, but after a 41-10 drubbing on the road against the AFC powerhouse Baltimore Ravens, they opted to stay in-house while hoping for players to step up and help propel the squad to its first playoff berth since 2015.

As Broncos head coach Sean Payton said on Monday, "The focus is on the guys in this building right here. Superman’s not walking in.”

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With the focus being on the guys in the building, the Broncos have given a golden opportunity to many young players on the roster to step up and seize a long-term role on the roster going forward. The Broncos are currently set to have the ninth-most salary cap space in the league next offseason, and have very little financial commitment to high-cost players in the following years.

Despite possessing ~$32 million in dead cap next year, the Broncos are set up to be quite active if they so chose in free agency. Plus, they have all of their own top-100 draft picks for the first time since the 2021 draft.

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Untapped Assets

Which Broncos specifically should feel the pressure to step up, play well, and carve out future opportunities? The Broncos want to get rookie running back Audric Estime more involved in the offense.

Given Estime’s rushing profile at Notre Dame, Jaleel McLaughlin’s frame not being conducive to becoming a bell-cow back, and Javonte Williams entering the final eight games of his rookie contract, the rookie has a chance to show out and make a bid to be a highly featured piece of the offense over the next few seasons. Given how exceedingly deep and talented the 2025 draft class appears to be at running back, Estime's audition starts now (just hold onto the ball).

Outside of Estime, the area on the roster with the most opportunity for a young player to make an impact down the second half of the season and change the perception of the position’s room going into the offseason is the wide receiver room. The Broncos have Courtland Sutton and Josh Reynolds under contract after this season, and both can contribute as viable pass-catchers in an NFL offense, but the team is desperate for more dynamism at the wide receiver position going forward.

Marvin Mims Jr, DeVaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin should have many opportunities to make plays, grow, and show they deserve a growing role down the stretch this season and into 2025. To date, the trio of young wide receivers have had some flashes but are far from the level of consistent play needed to warrant the Broncos being anywhere close to content at the position.

Franklin has struggled to haul in the football and to show ability outside of down-the-field targets. Mims appears to be more of a gadget player who struggles with physicality and might just be a very good special teams player, while Vele looks like a solid depth X receiver and insurance for Sutton.

But Vele turns 27 in December, so how much upside can he provide besides being a viable depth piece? Each player has enough talent to hope they can grow and emerge, but what has been shown so far in 2024 is not enough to warrant not making receiving talent the top of the offseason wishlist of nearly every fan.

The Broncos have a number of other young players who will have a chance to put together solid tape and carve out a larger role in the long-term vision of the roster. At 26 years old, Lucas Krull should have plenty of reps at tight end. Can he become more than just a guy?

The center position has flip-flopped between Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth. Both are still young players, but neither have shown the level of play to remove all doubt as the answer at center for the rest of their rookie contracts.

Can rush linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonah Elliss garner more snaps in the absence of Baron Browning to keep Sean Payton and his trench-oriented mindset happy?

The Takeaway

The Broncos did not add any pieces to the puzzle prior to Tuesday’s deadline. Any improvement for the team in 2024 is going to have to come from players already on the roster growing and becoming more consistent contributors.

As an incomplete roster with plenty of holes and question marks, many young Broncos will be given ample opportunities to grow and make the case they shouldn’t be replaced this offseason. It’s now in the hands of the players to make their claim and carve out an expanded role with their play down the stretch.

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