Jets Trade for Broncos' Receiver? Analyst Suggests Weapon for Rodgers

The New York Jets need help at receiver, but free agency is quickly drying up. Could general manager Joe Douglas opt to search the trade block for his answer?

No team has both had Aaron Rodgers on its roster and drafted a receiver in the first round during that same season. That trend isn’t as meaningful or revelatory of his supporting cast’s talent as it may sound, but it very well could come to an end in April.

The New York Jets, in all likelihood, will take an offensive lineman, receiver, or Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Addressing some of those needs before they are on the clock is a necessity, and their spending during free agency will be a leading indicator in their plans for that pick.

However, Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans reached an extension and the Cincinnati Bengals franchise tagged Tee Higgins, quickly evaporating the pool of high-level targets in free agency.

Oct 23, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) breaks up a pass intended for Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) in the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High / Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Instead, New York may be forced to pivot to the trade block. Finding a receiver looking for greener pastures could prove fruitful for a team looking to add talent by any means necessary.

On Wednesday, prominent Jets analyst Connor Rogers posed the idea of trading for Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton.

“Smart business for the #Jets would be to see if one of their two 4th round picks can bring back Courtland Sutton,” he tweeted. “His contract lines up with Rodgers’ window, ideal skill set to complement Garrett Wilson, and gives you more flexibility going into the draft.”

Simply put, the Broncos have seen better days. The trade for quarterback Russell Wilson ended in the most expensive divorce in league history, netting $85 million in dead cap – a number greater than the next two highest combined. They’re in rebuild mode and seemed destined to search for a rookie quarterback.

At the very least, they won’t be competing any time soon, not with the elite quarterbacks ruling over their division and the cap chaos Wilson brought upon them. As such, Denver may be more willing to sell off some of its better players who won’t be on the next Broncos playoff team.

Receiver Jerry Jeudy has long been a focus of trade talks, but Sutton has the talent and the track record to have teams take the bait. With a post-June 1 designation, he would incur only $3.825 million in dead money, compared to over $13.5 million in savings, per Over the Cap.

Sutton hasn’t hit 1,000 yards since 2019, but he has posted at least 770 yards in each of the last three seasons. While his touchdowns had long underperformed his skill set, Wilson trusted him both downfield and in the red zone, resulting in 10 scores.

The plan in New York would be similar. He wouldn’t have the pressure of dealing with premier cornerbacks against teams that travel, receiver Garrett Wilson will soak that up for him. He’ll help stretch the field and bring an element of physicality that was sorely lacking by the likes of Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb in 2023.

That presence alone is valuable and offers another way for New York to attack opposing defenses.

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As Rogers noted, this would complement Wilson well and likely wouldn’t be all that expensive. The Jets, of course, don’t have their second-rounder to trade. Therefore, their third-rounder carries more importance than other years. New York has the 112th and 114th pick, ironically courtesy of Denver.

With a larger surplus of Day 3 picks in their arsenal, expendable draft capital for an established veteran is the type of deal the Jets can afford to make. 

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