Last week for Future Broncos, I continued my annual “Mocktober” tradition and dished out my first mock draft of the year for Denver. While this series is predominantly for discussing all things draft related, I thought using this weekend’s installment to talk about potential additions or moves the Broncos could make before the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday, November 4th would be apt.
With a 6-2 record, the Denver Broncos have a one game lead over the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. They are clearly in the playoff hunt and could be looking to make a move to separate themselves from the competition. It appears the pulse of Broncos Country shows they would like Denver to be buyers at the deadline. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the rumors and see what seems realistic or reasonable to transpire over the next few days.
What should we make of the rumors at wide receiver?
A handful of rumors have emerged from various sources indicating that the Broncos could be a team interested in making a splash at wide receiver. Count me in as one of those who is skeptical there. Let’s discuss a few reasons why.
First and foremost, Head Coach Sean Payton has utilized a draft selection every year he has been with the team. In 2022, they moved up for Marvin Mims Jr. In 2023, they also moved up into the early fourth round to select Troy Franklin. This past draft, they took Pat Bryant in the third round after a trade down earlier. That’s a lot of draft capital investment.
It’s clear Payton is doing his best to incorporate all of them into the team’s passing attack. Franklin has received a significant uptick in target share and production, while Mims and Bryant are all getting ample run-in various personnel groupings. On top of that, the team continues to utilize Evan Engram flexed out as a big slot in their offense. They had a vision for these players when they were drafted and certainly one for Engram once they signed him.
It’s safe to say it’s still a work in progress. Player development and chemistry take time. I’m optimistic the passing offense will continue to get better in the second half of the season. Quite frankly, are any of the names floated demonstrable upgrades over who they currently have in-house?
Rashid Shaheed? I don’t see Denver giving up draft capital for a player with eight games left on his contract. Would he be worth adding into the fold at the expense of Mims or Franklin developing? I’m not so sure about that. That doesn’t seem like a needle mover.
I’d love for them to add Jakobi Meyers to the squad. I think that would open up some interesting possibilities on offense. Alas, there is no way the Las Vegas Raiders would trade him to a division rival. Jaylen Waddle would be nice. There’s no doubt about that. He’s a great playmaker in a bad situation. Although I doubt General Manager George Paton wants to shell out premium picks on top of trying to figure out a way to add his large contract into the salary cap equation moving forward.
Your mileage may vary, but I think Denver stands pat here and doesn’t add another guy into the mix. I believe Payton will want to continue to see how the aforementioned progress in their roles the rest of the way out. It’s far too early to give up on them. If they aren’t up to par from a coach’s evaluation perspective at year’s end, I’d expect Denver to approach finding an upgrade next offseason or through the draft.
What about adding to the offensive line or tight end groups?
The Broncos are a little light at the tight end position with both Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull being out due to injury. To fill the gap, Denver recently signed Marcedes Lewis to their practice squad. Lewis figures to be someone who is eventually called up to be an extra blocking tight end in heavier personnel settings, but could the Broncos be looking to add someone via trade? This one is a toss-up, but I’d lean more on the no side of things happening.
There would be one exception, but I’m not sure it’s even realistic. In the final year of his deal with the Baltimore Ravens, Mark Andrews is a name to consider. Despite his age, Andrews is a highly efficient player and red zone threat reeling in nearly 80-percent of throws going in his direction the past two seasons. He adds more pass catching value than Adam Trautman and would be a nice compliment to Evan Engram.
But would Baltimore want to give him up? The Ravens’ playoff odds are slim, but they aren’t out of it yet after getting their third win of the year on Thursday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins. It would be worth seeing what the price or availability would be. Other options that have been mentioned are David Njoku or T.J. Hockenson. I don’t see the team taking on Hockenson’s future salary and question Njoku’s overlap with Engram in Payton’s offense.
As for offensive line? I’m not sure about that. Losing Ben Powers hurt, but Alex Palczewski has played well in the two games he has started. I think they continue to show confidence in Palczewski and give him the second half of the season to evaluate if he could be a long-term solution at left guard moving forward.
Are there any other positions where a potential trade makes sense?
Outside of the three position groups mentioned above, it’s hard to pinpoint where Denver could go out and find an upgrade that bolsters the team moving forward. If they were very concerned about Patrick Surtain II’s health, I believe they would have put him on injured reserve. But if Denver’s secondary struggles against Houston, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them at least monitor who could be available.
Some folks have talked about making a splash for Jordyn Brooks at inside linebacker. The Dolphins just fired their General Manager, so maybe they are in fire sale mode given their atrocious record. Though the Broncos seem poised to let things play out between Dre Greenlaw, Alex Singleton, and Justin Strnad this season. An outside addition at this juncture would be a bit shocking.
What do you think, Broncos Country? How aggressive should the Broncos be adding talent before the trade deadline? Or should they just stand pat with the players they have? Let me know in the comments.