5 wide receivers the Denver Broncos should consider acquiring

The Denver Broncos could look into acquiring another receiver with Jerry Jeudy’s off-field situation arising. Who should they consider?

The Denver Broncos are in the thick of offseason activities, and unfortunately, it’s been reported that young wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has been arrested and taken into custody.

At this point, it’s impossible to know what might come of Jeudy’s situation legally or in terms of a suspension, but this situation gives the Denver Broncos a warning, at the very least, of what could happen at receiver at some point.

Any injury to a top receiver or suspension or off-field issue would put the Broncos in a bit of a bind. KJ Hamler is still recovering from injury and while his recovery is going quite well, it would be wise for George Paton and the Broncos’ front office to add another receiver sooner rather than later.

Wide receivers are extremely valuable in today’s NFL. We’ve all been seeing the massive contracts given to some players, as well as some of the blockbuster trades that have almost all involved first or second-round picks at the very least.

While the Broncos’ wide receiver group is enviable on paper, we saw last season the importance of having more depth than you think you need at one of the game’s most important positions.

Players like John Brown, David Moore, and Kendall Hinton ended up playing bigger roles for the Broncos in 2021 than anyone was certainly planning for, so they might as well get someone now while the open market is still rather robust.

Adding a receiver now could help the Broncos recoup draft capital later as well. There are more reasons than just Jerry Jeudy’s recent arrest to add another receiver, something I was pounding the table for before the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Broncos have a need to recoup 2023 NFL Draft capital. Adding a player now on a two-year deal could give them the flexibility to make a trade next offseason or in the middle of this one.

Again, there are more reasons than just Jeudy’s situation — which may or may not result in a suspension — for George Paton and the Broncos’ front office to add someone at receiver.

Here are some of the most intriguing options out there.

Denver Broncos WR option no. 1: Jarvis Landry, Free Agent

There are actually more wide receivers available at this stage of the offseason than you might thing, but that well is likely going to dry up in the relatively near future.

Jarvis Landry is one of the biggest names available, which means he could end up signing for some of the biggest money.

Even with Jerry Jeudy’s situation, the Broncos are in a better position at receiver than a lot of teams, so there might be others more desperate to sign some of the guys on this list, including Landry.

Still, you know what you’re getting in Landry and I can’t help but think that the Denver Broncos have not yet fully exploited the abilities of Russell Wilson to draw players like this into Denver at the drop of a hat.

Considering Jerry Jeudy primarily plays in the slot, Landry would be a natural fit to replace him in terms of the position he typically plays. He’s also only 29 and I can’t help but think the Broncos’ situation right now is better than the one he is leaving in Cleveland.

Denver Broncos WR option no. 2: Julio Jones, Free Agent

Someone’s going to sign Julio Jones, right?

One of the NFL’s active legends, Jones is a future Hall of Famer who was cut by the Titans this offseason.

I think it goes without saying that signing Jones would be fun to see, if for no other reason than another legendary NFL player would be donning the orange and blue.

Of course, the production hasn’t been there in recent years for Jones, who was traded to the Titans last offseason for a second-round pick.

Did I mention that receivers are valuable currency in today’s NFL?

Jones is a tremendous blocking receiver and he did an incredible job in this type of offense when he played for Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta.

Of course, that was the Julio Jones of six or seven years ago, but he’s a veteran who could take a similar path to that of Larry Fitzgerald and really make himself a valuable asset in the slot.

I think with a group including Jones, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and KJ Hamler, and also with Jerry Jeudy if nothing comes of this arrest in terms of a suspension, the Broncos would be cooking with peanut oil at the receiver position.

Denver Broncos option no. 3: Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles (trade)

I’ve been suggesting that the Denver Broncos make a play for Jalen Reagor even with a full complement of receivers, and I think they should still consider this even if nothing comes of Jeudy’s situation in terms of a suspension from the league or the team.

Reagor was a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and an appealing option for the Denver Broncos at the time.

He can return punts, he has elite speed, and up to this point, he’s really struggled to make an impact.

I realize that trading for players who have not lived up to their draft status may not be the most popular type of move, but here’s how I see it — Reagor is a former first-round pick with elite tools who can help the Broncos on special teams and develop under one of the top WR coaches in the game.

I love the environment the Broncos have set up for player development under Nathaniel Hackett and with the emphasis being placed on that, I feel like this will be a great spot for Reagor, whose father once played for the Denver Broncos.

A couple of former Denver Broncos front office personnel have also recently joined the Eagles, not that the lines of connection were closed beforehand.

Matt Russell and Jordan Dizon are now members of the Eagles front office and I could see some form of mutually beneficial player-for-player trade bringing Reagor to Denver working out for both sides.

Denver Broncos WR option no. 4: Will Fuller, Free Agent

Whether you look at him as insurance for KJ Hamler coming off of injury or as insurance in case anything comes of Jerry Jeudy’s off-field situation, I think Will Fuller makes a ton of sense for the Denver Broncos right now.

He’s coming off of a year with the Miami Dolphins in which he did nothing, so that brings his value down to a reasonable level as it is.

On top of that, he hasn’t signed a deal into May, which brings his value down to an even more reasonable level, in my opinion.

Given his age and history of production, even as an injury risk himself, I think Fuller is a worthwhile dart throw because Russell Wilson is one of the best deep-ball throwers in the game and Fuller is one of the best at cashing them in.

Again, the move I’m suggesting at the receiver position for the Denver Broncos is not one to break the bank, it’s to bring someone in on a reasonable deal that has a low level of risk and a high potential reward.

Bringing in Fuller on a one-year deal worth $5 million or so seems like it would be a great potential opportunity for the Broncos to fortify depth at receiver as well as for Fuller, should he stay healthy, to really rehab his value.

Denver Broncos WR option no. 5: Odell Beckham Jr., Free Agent

Although Odell Beckham Jr. just suffered a torn ACL in the Super Bowl, he could be ideal insurance in case anything were to happen for the Denver Broncos during the 2022 season at the wide receiver position.

Nothing is guaranteed to happen, but injuries have ravaged this position group over the last couple of years for the Denver Broncos and you need to have proven depth.

Odell Beckham Jr. still being available obviously has everything to do with his health and that could linger for another six months or more, but if he’s able to contribute as early as October or November, I think this is a signing that not only enhances the Broncos’ roster at the position, but it does a few things for you otherwise.

• It gives you a chance to see what you’ve got on the depth chart behind the top three or four guys in case you need to see that
• It gives you mid-season trade options
• It doesn’t require a 53-man roster spot

Part of the idea of adding a receiver right now would be to get someone up to speed who could play for you right away, but there also might be value in adding someone like Beckham who would be a down-the-road type of investment.

I realize we’re talking about two different teams and two different contexts here, but Russell Wilson was recruiting Beckham Jr. to the struggling Seahawks when he became a free agent last season.

Again, those were different situations, and Beckham was healthy at that time, but the opportunity to potentially catch passes from Russell Wilson would likely be enticing for Beckham if he’s not returning to the Rams, who reloaded their depth chart at receiver.

I think if you sign Beckham to a two-year deal, you could potentially free yourself up to make a significant trade in 2022 to replenish draft capital.

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There’s no such thing as too much depth at a position and I like the idea of Beckham given what he contributed to the Rams down the stretch last season.