What we’re hearing as the NFL trade deadline approaches

The Denver Broncos They still have five games left before the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 5, but the discussion about what to do has already begun. While it’s too early to agree on a plan, there’s a good reason to start discussing it.

The Broncos have pieces they could trade that other teams always looking to improve their rosters could use. The Broncos have their own areas that they could improve.

That raises the question of whether the Broncos should be buyers or sellers. With a record of 2-2, Denver could fall into both categories.

Should the Broncos focus more on buying or selling? Let’s investigate.

The Broncos need a dynamic playmaker on offense, especially at tight end. There could be some options around the league, and KOA RadioThis is Benjamin Allbright recommended Atlanta Falcons Tight end Kyle Pitts, which was an intriguing thought.

Pitts has had a difficult few seasons and hasn’t gotten off to a great start this year. However, he can be a dynamic playmaker at the position and is a piece that Sean Payton likes to have in his offense. Pitts is a dynamic athlete who can create all sorts of mismatches and fill the role that the Broncos wanted Greg Dulcich to develop into but hasn’t.

While he’s not a blocker and Pitts can be a traditional Y tight end, you can move him around the formation. The Broncos need this dynamic playmaker on offense to support a passing game that struggled early in the season.

Pitts, who turns 24 on October 6, is still young and in his fourth year in the NFL. He is the 16th highest-paid tight end in the final year of his contract as the Falcons declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

The cost of acquiring Pitts shouldn’t be high, and he could be a low-risk, high-reward option for the Broncos’ offense. Payton needs a tight end like that in his offense.

Pitts isn’t the only option, and About The Caps Jason Fitzgerald compiled a list of 189 players. They are all in the final year of their contracts on a team that is currently 1-3 or worse, and while there aren’t many interesting options, there are a few.

Many of the names on Fitzgerald’s list are deep pieces. The Broncos could add a linebacker without Alex Singleton or a defensive lineman/pass rusher if they decide to move Jones or Browning.

There are also a few tight ends on the roster that represent interesting options to add receiving strength to the Broncos’ offense. Overall, there are a handful of players of interest to the Broncos at this point in the season. Namely:

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There are a few players the Broncos should be open to. Based on how the season is going, the Broncos should be able to trade five players – three on offense and two on defense.

To be clear, being open to trading them doesn’t mean the Broncos should move them for anything. But when a team offers good value, you make a trade and adjust, but don’t take less than what you want for those players.

Baron Browning and DJ Jones are the two on defense, Garett Bolles and Javonte Williams are two of the three on offense. I’ll come to the third later. All four have expiring contracts, can be capable contributors on a contending team and are hurting the Broncos with dead money.

Now it’s a little difficult to figure out the finances because of the games in progress, so game controls against the Broncos count, but they can also accept more money or get the other team to take some of it. For this reason we only look at the financial data before the season.

Bolles and Jones are the top two picks for the Broncos this year at $20 million and nearly $13 million, respectively. Before the season, Bolles could have been traded for a $4 million dead cap and $16 million in savings, while Jones would have been traded for a $3 million dead cap and $10 million in savings if rounded up.

If the Broncos are comfortable with Mike McGlinchey taking over at left tackle, moving Bolles should be considered, especially given Alex Paclzewski’s play at right tackle over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, Jones has struggled in most of the last 21 games with the Broncos, being outplayed by Malcolm Roach, who should be getting more reps than him anyway.

Browning costs $3.3 million against the cap, rounded down, and Williams (also rounded down) costs $2.8 million. None of them are as expensive as Bolles and Jones.

Denver would save about $3.1 million (preseason) against the cap for Browning and $1.8 million for Williams. With Browning on injured reserve, it would be difficult to trade him, but the rest of the pass rush room has improved greatly, making him expendable.

Williams had an excellent game against New York Jetsbut its inconsistencies are troubling. If he builds some momentum, he would no longer be an option for a trade, especially if the Broncos can be 5-4 or better as the trade deadline approaches.

If the Broncos are 4-5 or worse, they should look to trade him, even if Williams is doing well. For me this is the end point after nine games.

The fifth and final player the Broncos could trade is a quarterback — either Jarett Stidham or Zach Wilson, depending on which teams want. There have been a few injuries to starting quarterbacks across the NFL that could lead a team to make a push for one of them. The Broncos should consider moving one of them, especially if Bo Nix is ​​still relatively healthy at the deadline.

We still have five games left before the trade deadline on November 5th. A lot can and will change.

There will likely be injuries, wins, losses and frustrations between coaches and players. This will change the landscape from which player teams may want to move and Denver’s willingness to trade or acquire players.

It’s fun to chat and think about different possibilities, but there’s a lot of time before that happens.

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