The Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles each have general managers who love to wheel and deal. Could they come together on a trade in 2022?
Two NFL general managers that love to wheel and deal more than most are Denver Broncos GM George Paton and Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman.
As a matter of fact, these two have already come together for a trade despite the fact that Paton hasn’t yet been on the job for two years.
Last year, the Broncos and Eagles came together on a deal that involved 2021 seventh-round pick Kary Vincent Jr. going from Denver to Philadelphia.
Could Paton and Roseman come together again before the start of the 2022 season? What kinds of trades could we see go down between these two teams?
Let’s take a look at three interesting possibilities.
Denver Broncos trade possibility with Eagles no. 1: Acquire some OL depth
I wouldn’t have made this suggestion before the start of training camp, but it’s crazy how just a couple of weeks can really change things.
We’ll have some more clarity regarding the Denver Broncos’ offensive line soon enough, but as of right now, there are injury concerns with a handful of potential key contributors on the roster:
- Netane Muti (knee)
- Billy Turner (knee)
- Tom Compton (back)
Although Turner is expected to be ready for Week 1, his role is yet to be determined.
Do the Broncos need some extra depth on the offensive line at this point?
Maybe.
A player like Jack Driscoll could be intriguing to George Paton but I think this would have to be a player-for-player kind of deal, or potentially a future late-round pick swap.
Driscoll has the ability to play guard or tackle and could give the Broncos an intriguing backup option to Calvin Anderson if the plan is for Billy Turner to play guard.
Again, there’s not really a ton of clarity here with the team’s actual plan on the offensive line but if the Eagles were willing to part with Driscoll, he could be a solid addition for the Broncos.
Denver Broncos trade option no. 2: Davion Taylor, LB
Through his first two NFL seasons, linebacker Davion Taylor has not yet played 300 total snaps.
Injuries have been a factor, but the Eagles are not exactly out there pushing to get Taylor more snaps, either.
Taylor is firmly behind the Eagles’ starting inside linebacker duo of Kyzir White and TJ Edwards. Philadelphia also brought in Nakobe Dean as a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and Dean could be starting sooner rather than later with his talent.
I think Philadelphia would want something nice in return for the former third-round pick — they’re not just going to give him away — but the Broncos have some quality pieces off the edge or at the safety position to potentially offer in return.
Right now, the linebacker depth in Denver might be one of the really significant question marks going into the season. The Broncos swung a trade last year for Jonas Griffith who wasn’t going to make the 49ers’ roster apparently, so maybe that would be more the direction this team would go again in 2022 rather than try to pry a recent third-round pick away from a smart GM like Howie Roseman.
Still, you can’t help but like this possibility with Taylor’s big-time speed at the position.
The Broncos’ current depth behind Josey Jewell and Jonas Griffith is Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.
If the team isn’t overly pleased with what Singleton has shown (it sounds like Strnad has had a solid camp) then we could see them make a move.
Denver Broncos trade option no. 1: Jalen Reagor, WR
After the Tim Patrick injury, I think everyone has enjoyed the different young wide receivers in Denver stepping up at practices.
Whether it’s rookies Montrell Washington and Brandon Johnson or players like Kendall Hinton and Trey Quinn, the Broncos have plenty of guys on the roster right now with some upside and potential to contribute this season.
With that being said, the injury to Tim Patrick could also pave the way for the Broncos to take a shot on former first-round pick Jalen Reagor as a reclamation project.
Reagor hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing through two NFL seasons, but a change of scenery could potentially do wonders for him.
Both the Broncos and Vikings were in the receiver market back in the 2020 NFL Draft when Reagor was selected, so it would be fascinating to know where he was at on their boards in relation to Jerry Jeudy and Justin Jefferson, who they ended up selecting.
George Paton was obviously part of selecting Jefferson that year and he chose him over Reagor, who was considered by some to be a fringe first-round guy anyway.
What would the Broncos have to give up to get Reagor?
I think right now, the most likely trade compensation would come in the form of a safety or edge player that could contribute right away in the rotation or on special teams.
The Eagles might really like someone like Jamar Johnson on Denver’s roster, a player that may not be a factor in the plans this season with the emergence of Caden Sterns, PJ Locke, and the drafting of Delarrin Turner-Yell.
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It could also be an edge player as the Eagles don’t have great depth there. Would the Broncos be willing to part with a player like Malik Reed to get a reclamation project like Reagor?
The Eagles might even have to send a pick back in that kind of situation.