Report: Courtland Sutton Trade 'Buzz' Building Around Broncos

The Denver Broncos could be dangling Courtland Sutton on the NFL trade market.

The offseason is here, and with the Denver Broncos currently possessing so little draft capital in the wake of the Russell Wilson and Sean Payton trades over the last two years, the team is likely looking between the couch cushions for any extra picks come April.

While the Broncos currently only possess five draft picks, and the second-lowest draft pick “value” in 2023, Denver might have to make some tough decisions fielding offers for veterans currently on the roster. Under new leadership with Payton in town, no player is likely completely safe nor untradeable if the right deal materializes.

The Ringer's Lindsay Jones recently appeared on The Athletic Football Podcast, revealing that the Broncos might be shopping one of their current wide receivers. With rumors circulating earlier this week about Denver’s potential interest in dangling Jerry Jeudy, Jones reports that Denver might actually be shopping Courtland Sutton instead.

Jones has been covering the NFL since 2008 and is a local resident of Denver, Colorado. With regard to Denver trading Sutton, she said, “There has been some buzz around Denver lately," while going on to state that the Broncos “have some larger contracts and trying to figure out what actually is going to work with whatever the Russell Wilson offense is going to look like, Sutton’s a guy whose name has been buzzing around a little bit as maybe a guy who could get moved.”

According to @bylindsayhjones on an appearance with @TheAthletic Podcast

Discussing #Broncos WR Courtland Sutton: “there’s been some buzz around in Denver could Sutton get traded… his name has been buzzing around a little bit as a guy who could maybe get moved.” pic.twitter.com/BdtHss5Z4b

— Nick Kendell 🏔 (@NickKendellMHH) February 20, 2023

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Earlier on the segment, Jones and show host Robert Mays discussed the current wide receiver market in the NFL and just how poor the overall talent currently available appears to be on the surface. As Mays said, “In a year where there aren’t that many high-end receivers in the NFL draft and the free agent market of wide receivers is led by Jakobi Meyers and Olamide Zaccheaus, what does the trade market look like and does it materialize like last season?”

With less-than-desirable options outside of the trade market this offseason as well as the massive success shown by teams last offseason in trading for solidified veteran receivers such as Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, and (to a lesser extent) Davante Adams, “the blueprint is now out there,” according to Jones. 

“There is no question that the way to dramatically overhaul your receiving corps and get immediate results is to invest in it and invest in it in a trade," Jones said on the podcast.

What the Broncos could get by trading Sutton remains to be seen. In an era where wide receivers are as valuable as they have ever been and the lack of perceived talent available in free agency in the draft, perhaps the Broncos could receive multiple picks for Sutton, including a Day 2 selection if they moved on from the former Pro Bowler (2019). 

After all, the Chicago Bears traded their second-round pick for equally up-and-down receiver Chase Claypool last year before the trade deadline. That pick ended up being No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Pro Football Reference uses a stat called "approximate value"

Over the last two season's Claypool's accumulative AV is 10 (5 in 2021 and 5 in 2022)

Sutton's AV over the last 2 seasons? 12 (7 in 2021 and 5 in 2022)

— Nick Kendell 🏔 (@NickKendellMHH) February 20, 2023

Of course, the Broncos won’t simply give away Sutton for free, as moving on from him does not help the team much in terms of cap space this offseason. Trading Sutton before June 1 would only result in $6,791,176 in cap savings against the cap in 2023, with a $11,475,000 dead cap hit.

However, it makes sense for Denver to field calls and see what the market could be for nearly every player currently on the roster. After an abysmal showing in 2022 and not having made the playoffs since 2015, Denver cannot be too sentimental under Payton going forward. 

Everyone has a price. If a team that is unimpressed by the wide receivers available outside of the trade market is interested in Sutton, the Broncos very well might ship off the former captain and five-year veteran receiver.

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