NFL Teams Circle Denver Broncos Like There's Trade Bait In The Water Ahead Of Deadline
When the Denver Broncos traded edge rusher Randy Gregory to the San Francisco 49ers last week, it caused something of a ripple effect that made club general manager George Paton a very busy man.
It seems teams recognized the Broncos, struggling with a 1-3 record and languishing in last place in the AFC West, might be in seller mode as the Oct. 31 trade deadline looms.
And that caused Paton's phone to blow up.
Paton in recent days fielded or returned multiple calls from teams interested in players on the Broncos roster, per sources.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 24: Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos talks to Russell Wilson #3 of the Denver Broncos prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Which Broncos Are Teams Calling About
And league sources say teams were interested in checking on the status of ...
Receiver Jerry Jeudy.
Edge rusher Frank Clark.
Left tackle Garrett Bolles.
Receiver Courtland Sutton.
And even safety Justin Simmons -- although that was apparently a short exchange.
Interestingly, the Broncos have not fielded any calls about quarterback Russell Wilson to this stage. His age (35) and salary cap situation (the move would leave the Broncos with $80 million in dead money through 2028) makes trading the quarterback exceedingly difficult.
Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) blocks New York Giants defensive end Kerry Wynn (72) during an NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017, in Denver. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
Road Gets Tougher Before Trade Deadline
It is unclear if the Broncos are close to trading away any more of their players. But sources around the league believe if the club loses Sunday's game against the Jets, the so-called "for sale" sign could go up for the Broncos.
The reason for that is Denver would find itself at 1-4 with two games against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs remaining before the trade deadline.
The week after that second Oct. 29 game against the Chiefs is Denver's bye and the break makes for an obvious convenient time to reset the goals of the season if current team failures continue.
And make no mistake the failures are quite extensive at the moment.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 10: Linebacker Frank Clark #55 of the Denver Broncos pumps up the crowd during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High on September 10, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Veterans Such As Frank Clark Could Be Dealt
The Broncos are allowing 37.5 points per game. That's last in the NFL.
They are yielding 461.5 yards per game. That's last in the NFL.
The idea the Broncos are being prodded about their desire to trade Clark, Bolles and even Simmons makes sense because all are 30 years old or more. And if Denver is about to undergo a much more significant rebuild than originally thought, keeping players of that age whose contracts all expire after next season might not make great sense.
Sutton and Jeudy are clearly a different matter. Both are young and productive players. Both are signed or controllable (in Jeudy's case) through the 2025 season. So both could conceivably come out on the other side of the rebuild the team seems to need.