The Denver Broncos are sitting at 2-3 and though there is plenty of football to be played, the team needs to begin looking to the 2023 season.
If the Broncos begin to trade some players, it should not be viewed as the team waving a white flag for this season or having a “fire sale” like some have suggested the Carolina Panthers do following the firing of head coach Matt Rhule.
The Broncos do lack draft picks in the 2023 draft and based on the way this season has started, there are a few players on the roster who general manager George Paton could likely flip into some more picks, something he is known to be fond of having a lot of on hand.
The trade deadline sits at 4:00 p.m. ET on November 1. Between now and then, several ideas will be tossed around by the front office and though, for the most part, the NFL trade deadline is fairly quiet, there is always room for moves to be made.
Paton should consider trading each of these players to add some more firepower to his draft board for next spring.
Broncos should consider trading Graham Glasgow, Offensive Lineman
The Broncos offensive line has struggled this season and things really went in the wrong direction following a hamstring injury suffered by Quinn Meinerz in Week 1. Graham Glasgow has had to take over for Meinerz and he hasn’t exactly played well.
But he is a trusted veteran who can play multiple positions. Once the Broncos have Meinerz back to 100 percent, Glasgow could easily be dealt to another team.
The Broncos could call up Netane Muti from the practice squad, a player who should probably be seeing more snaps anyway, and the team could get at least one draft pick (likely a Day 3 choice) back in return.
Broncos should consider trading Michael Ojemudia, Cornerback
The Broncos are about to get Michael Ojemudia on the field for the first time this season, as he has been designated to return from injured reserve, but the team should see what kind of return they could get for him.
Ojemudia has dealt with multiple injuries since being drafted in the third round in 2020 but at 25 years old he still has his full prime in front of him. The Broncos do need help in the defensive backfield and are likely excited to get him back, particularly with the recent season-ending injury suffered by Ronald Darby.
But rookie Damarri Mathis has played well and free-agent acquisition K’Waun Williams appears to be a great find thus far as well. As long as Mathis, Williams and Patrick Surtain can stay healthy, the Broncos can get by without Ojemudia and rely on the rest of the depth that they have, such as Essang Bassey.
Because he is so young and he was a fairly high draft pick, the Broncos might be able to get a decent return for him. A team would have to overlook the injury history and be sold on his potential upside but there should be a handful of teams willing to bank on that.
Broncos should consider trading Albert Okwuegbunam, Tight End
Albert Okwuegbunam was supposed to take off in year three following the acquisition of Russell Wilson, especially since Noah Fant was included in the trade with the Seattle Seahawks to get him. But the exact opposite has happened.
Okwuegbunam has all but disappeared in this offense while Andrew Beck and Eric Saubert have been on the field much more and have been targeted by Wilson much more. In addition, third-round pick Greg Dulcich should be making his 2022 regular-season debut soon.
I am not the only one who feels this move would make sense for the Broncos. Eric Edholm of NFL.com agrees that trading Okwuegbunam should happen.
Okwuegbunam was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 draft and the thought was that since he was a college teammate of Drew Lock at Missouri, the two could form a quick connection on the field.
That didn’t happen. For his career, Okwuegbunam has caught 51 passes for 501 yards and three touchdowns but this season he has just seven catches in five games. That puts him on pace for about 25 catches this season.
That is not going to get it done for a No. 1 tight end and the Broncos should try and find a spot where he has a chance to flourish and see what they can get in return.
None of these players is going to fetch a high draft choice, but Paton could add to his collection of picks for 2023 and that would be important as he could then use the extra picks to make additional moves in the future.