Broncos Trade Rumors: Weighing the Pros & Cons of Buying & Selling

Are the Denver Broncos really in a position to be buyers?

Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) during the warmups before the game against the Denver Broncos at Caesars Superdome. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

With the Denver Broncos sitting at 4-3 and the NFL trade deadline approaching on November 5, the fans are wondering whether the team should buy or sell. Considering that Denver still has two games to go before the deadline, at home versus the Carolina Panthers and then on the road against arguably the NFL's best team — the Baltimore Ravens — it's probable the Broncos will end up sitting in the murky middle at 5-4 and on the cusp of playoff contention.

If Denver finds itseat 5-4, it could be both a buyer and a seller at the deadline. As 9NEWS' Mike Klis indicated last week, it makes sense for Denver to listen as both buyers and sellers as the deadline quickly approaches

Clearly, the NFL trade market is now open for business.
Between now and trading deadline (and Election Day) on Nov. 5, the 3-3 Broncos have games at New Orleans, home vs. Carolina, at Baltimore.
Currently, makes sense for Broncos to listen as both buyers and sellers. #9sports

— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) October 15, 2024

Selling Possibilities

Which players of value would the Broncos potentially trade? As Mile High Huddle’s Erick Trickel recently wrote, the Broncos could listen to calls on both defensive tackle D.J. Jones as well as rush linebacker Baron Browning.

If the Broncos were to drop an unacceptable game and then get shellacked against the Ravens, it's possible they could at least take the temperature on trade markets for veterans such as left tackle Garett Bolles and wide receiver Courtland Sutton, two players whose names have been in the rumor mill dating back multiple offseasons since Sean Payton arrived in Denver.

The reality is the Broncos, barring an outsized overture from an opposing team, are not overly likely to trade away from a roster vastly performing above expectations and has a very strong locker room and good culture. Further, with Denver likely to be contending for a Wildcard well into the season at worst, injuries could mount and completely change which players are needed. What's currently a surplus could quickly become a weakness.

Should the Broncos instead be aggressive buyers? The answer is no.

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Broncos Aren't a Player Away

The reality is, the Broncos are vastly outperforming preseason expectations. Needing just two more wins over the last 10 games to exceed Vegas' over/under predictions before the season started, Denver's defense is far greater than anyone could have predicted, and the special teams is quietly allowing this team to win often in the margins.

But is Denver a rent-a-player away from winning any sort of hardware this season? There's not a player available who could provide such a boost.

An aged veteran at wide receiver, running back, or tight end might help the Broncos win one more game this year, but it's worth questioning what the big-picture goals for the Broncos were this season. Of course, the goal every year is to make the playoffs, win your division, and win a Super Bowl.

However, for a Broncos team so thin in recent top-100 selections and a massive heap of dead cap, this organization needed to evaluate and develop a plethora of young talent, continue to establish and grow the team’s culture under Payton, and fight like heck to compete in each game while doing so.

Trading for an older, injured, and expensive veteran such as wide receiver Cooper Kupp just isn’t congruent with where this Broncos squad is at on its team-building journey. That doesn't mean the Broncos should rule out buying before the deadline.

The Broncos will just need to be a bit more refined in what they're looking to add. Instead of wondering what piece can be added to help the Broncos win in 2024, the front office should be looking for long-term building blocks, preferably just entering their prime, who can be key contributors over the next three to five years.

Buying Possibilities

Looking at the pool of teams with two wins or less, there are a number of playmakers the Broncos could call on just to check availability. Given the incredible running back draft class coming next year, Denver could look to give away a Day 3 pick for another body at running back, such as Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne Jr., New York's Breece Hall, or Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard. Considering the shelf-life of an NFL running back, their relative value on the market, and the incoming draft class, Denver might be wise to ride this season out at the position

Wide receiver is another area the Broncos could target, but given they've seen flashes from rookies Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin, any move made at the position should be a “splash” move for a young pass-catcher, preferably on a rookie contract.

Would the New Orleans Saints in a tailspin be interested in moving Chris Olave (assuming he clears medicals for Denver)? Or, given the complete chaos that appears to be the New York Jets, what could it take to land Garrett Wilson?

These moves could well be viewed as utilizing the team’s first-round pick on a wide receiver before the draft. And considering that the overall receiver class in the 2025 draft appears to be a weaker one, Olave and Wilson are unlikely to be moved but still worth inquiring about before the deadline.

Tight End, Tight End, Tight End

Where cost and need easily intersect for the Broncos is the tight end position. Adam Trautman is the team’s only true inline player but he's not special in any fashion. Lucas Krull offers some ability with tools, but they're far from being realized.

Nate Atkins is a useful piece but is best served as a third tight end with special teams ability and flexibility. Greg Dulcich is M.I.A. after one too many drops, and with how much Payton loves to utilize 12 personnel, another tight end is undoubtedly a big need for the Broncos offense.

Tight end is another position that can’t be as easily solved immediately by the draft. Despite it looking like an overall poor draft class, the tight end position (along with running back and cornerback) appears to be stronger than normal in 2025.

Still, tight end is not typically a position that is worth burning a first-round pick on, and players drafted to play the position tend to take three to four years in the league before rounding out. Tight end has one of the slowest developmental curves of any position in football. Even an early selection at tight end possibly doesn’t help “fix” the issues at the position until 2027.

The tight end position may take a while to develop from college, but it's also one that has a longer playing career as well. Unlike a running back’s career, whose value drops rapidly, a tight end can hold value from their mid-20s until the early 30s. It offers a broader cache of options for Denver.

The Broncos would be wise to call around on the plethora of serviceable tight ends under 30 years old on some of the worst teams in the NFL, like Cleveland's David Njoku, New Orleans' Foster Moreau, New England's Austin Hooper, L.A.'s Colby Parkinson, and Dallas' Jake Ferguson.

The “swing big” option similar to trading for the former first-round receivers listed earlier would be Arizona's Trey McBride. All of these players would not only help Denver add another tight end who can function inline and help add to the room, but they should also be players who could help the team throughout the duration of Bo Nix’s rookie contract.

Bottom Line

The Broncos will take calls on players and make calls around the league, but likely destined for 5-4 record at the deadline, the odds are high that they simply don't make any moves. That isn’t the wrong call for a team still building toward the future, attempting to evaluate and develop young talent, and scrap for a playoff spot this season.

If the Broncos were to make a move, though, it does seem most likely they could find a tight end who would not cost much in terms of trade capital and project to be a useful piece for the offense both now and going forward.

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