The Denver Broncos have one of the league’s top wide receiver groups, and at this point, there’s very little reason to think they would trade away one of their best guys and screw that up. With that being said, you just never know when another NFL team is going to get desperate enough to give you a call and make you an offer you can’t refuse.
One of the Broncos’ most valuable assets, as it relates to the NFL trade market, is wide receiver Tim Patrick. Patrick has gone from being a great training camp story to being one of the best receivers on the team.
In the 2020 season, Patrick stepped up in Courtland Sutton’s stead and caught a career-high 51 passes for 742 yards with six touchdowns.
Did we mention he didn’t have a single drop on the season?
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1364645296014319624
Why would the Denver Broncos trade Tim Patrick?
At this point, the reasons the team should keep Tim Patrick and even find a way to re-sign him (more on that in a post yet to come, keep your eyes peeled), we cover all angles here and leave no stone unturned.
The Denver Broncos’ motivation to trade Tim Patrick would have to be external. They are not likely to actively shop Patrick because he’s become such a valuable part of their team.
The Broncos would almost undoubtedly rather have to cut someone near the bottom of the roster who has a huge training camp than putting Patrick on the market and trade him to the highest bidder.
Even saying that, there are NFL teams with really ugly-looking wide receiver situations. There are teams that could legitimately insert Patrick into the lineup and he would be, at worst, their WR2.
The reason the Denver Broncos would trade Tim Patrick is simple — another team will have to come with an offer (2nd-round pick) that George Paton simply can’t refuse.
This could happen during training camp, it could happen closer to final roster cuts, or it could happen in the regular season if the Broncos are not close to the playoff chase come time for the trade deadline.
Patrick has great value right now for the Denver Broncos and it will frankly never be higher.
He is 27, so he’s entering prime years. He’s coming off of his best season statistically. His contract for the 2021 season is under $4 million, so he could be making at least triple what he’s currently making if he had been a free agent in 2021.
You combine Patrick’s improvement and productivity with his age and contract value, and it’s not difficult to see why he would be attractive to other NFL teams.
Here are the teams I think are most likely to be calling George Paton about trading for Patrick in the coming months or even just weeks.