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3 surprise players the Denver Broncos could trade in 2022

By Sayre Bedinger

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (10) before the game against the Washington Football Team at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (10) before the game against the Washington Football Team at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) and center Lloyd Cushenberry III (79) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Denver Broncos may surprise some people with trades they make in the 2022 offseason. Which players could be on the move if the price is right?

The Denver Broncos have a new coaching staff led by former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. General manager George Paton is in his second year on the job in Denver and while all that change doesn’t always mean blockbuster trades, we often see new head coach/general manager combinations in the NFL use trades to build their NFL Draft war chest and get their own players in the building.

John Elway has moved out of the general manager’s seat, which is apparently not common knowledge, even to many who cover the NFL. Could some of Elway’s more recent draft picks be traded by Paton in the 2022 offseason?

It’s not impossible. I want to look at some specific names of players that might be surprise trade candidates in the 2022 offseason if the circumstances are right.

Denver Broncos surprise trade candidate no. 1: Lloyd Cushenberry III, C

The circumstances would have to be right for this one, no question about it.

When the Denver Broncos landed Lloyd Cushenberry III out of LSU in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, so many fans in Broncos Country were elated because it felt like Denver had stolen the top center prospect in the entire Draft.

Through two seasons, Cushenberry has been up-and-down for the Broncos. His career started off extremely rough and the former LSU star hit a low point against the Buccaneers and stellar nose tackle Vita Vea, who absolutely ate him for lunch.

Since then, Cushenberry has shown some signs of improvement and was much better in year two than he was as a rookie.

Still, was he good enough in year two that the Denver Broncos would pass on potential upgrades in free agency like Brian Allen, Ryan Jensen, or Ben Jones? There should be some solid trade value for a player like Cushenberry if the Broncos can sign one of those other players considering he has two years left on his rookie contract.

The other big question here is whether Cushenberry will be the best fit for the new wide-zone offense coming to Denver. His overall athleticism score coming out of LSU was just okay, and we’ve seen George Paton really prioritize top-flight athletes at every position.

There’s somewhat of a logjam right now in Denver on the interior offensive line with Dalton Risner, Quinn Meinerz, Netane Muti, and Graham Glasgow all under contract in 2022 and only three spots available.

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