The Denver Broncos may have one of the most valuable trade pieces at the 2022 NFL trade deadline if he’s even actually available. Bradley Chubb, the former fifth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, is in a contract year and it shows in his play on the field. Chubb is having the best season we’ve seen from him as a member of the Broncos, racking up 5.5 sacks in the team’s first five games.
Beyond just sack numbers, Chubb is getting the ball out when he hits the QB, he’s made plays in coverage, he plays well against the run, and he’s really just getting started. Obviously, Chubb is playing on his fifth-year option this year due to injuries that have limited him since 2019 when he tore his ACL, came back strong in 2020 only to injure his ankle, and deal with the effects of that in 2021.
NFL teams should be banging on the Broncos’ door for Bradley Chubb
With Bradley Chubb’s reemergence in 2022, teams should be calling George Paton daily leading up to the NFL’s trade deadline on November 1, begging him to make a deal. Which teams could afford to take on Chubb’s salary and could pay up in terms of draft compensation? At this point, the Broncos would not likely deal him for anything less than a first-round pick.
Let’s take a look at five teams that could potentially try to make the Broncos an offer they couldn’t refuse.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
As of right now, the Philadelphia Eagles are the best team in the NFL at 5-0 through five weeks. They have proven themselves to be formidable on both sides of the ball with the ability to create offense in a variety of ways, and defensively they are much more well-rounded this year under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who interviewed for the Broncos head coaching job in the offseason.
The Eagles have gotten tremendous pass rush production this year from free agent pickup Haason Reddick, but Bradley Chubb could be a closer for them as they pursue a championship. The Eagles have two first-round picks thanks to a trade this past year with the New Orleans Saints on draft night.
2. Dallas Cowboys
There’s really not much of an explanation here needed for this one. With the way Bradley Chubb is playing right now, can you imagine the Dallas Cowboys adding him with Micah Parsons in that defense? That would be an absolutely deadly combination especially since the Cowboys also already have Demarcus Lawrence in the fold.
Chubb could play a versatile role for Dan Quinn’s defense and the Cowboys would get even stronger on that side of the ball, a unit that has really helped spark this team’s very unexpected four-game winning streak with Dak Prescott sidelined.
The Cowboys don’t have any extra picks right now in the 2023 NFL Draft, but they do have all of their picks which could potentially help make them buyers at this year’s deadline.
3. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are always a candidate to make a trade like this, are they not? Heading into Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season, the Rams are in bad shape. The rest of the NFC West hasn’t been great this year, so that could work to their advantage as the rest of the season progresses, but this team needs to string together a couple of wins if they are going to be buyers at the 2023 NFL trade deadline as they have been at just about every other in recent years.
Last year, they made the blockbuster deal for Von Miller. Could they do the same this year for Bradley Chubb? They don’t have a first-round pick this year, but they could offer their second-round pick in 2023 as well as another high pick in 2024 to entice the Broncos to make this deal.
4. Minnesota Vikings
Would George Paton be willing to do this kind of blockbuster deal with his old team? There are a lot of familiar faces on the coaching staff in Minnesota for Chubb, notably on the defensive side of the ball where former Broncos DC Ed Donatell is now the man in charge. The Vikings do have Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter coming off the edge already, but Chubb could come in for them and play a versatile role with his hand in the dirt or standing up off the edge.
The familiarity with Donatell makes this an interesting possibility, but the fact that the Vikings are in first place in the NFC North through five games could make them an intriguing buyer at this year’s deadline.
5. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans started off this season looking like one of the league’s biggest disappointments. Three weeks and three wins in a row later, and they are looking like they might just run away with the ugly AFC South. Although the Titans are not often known for being the aggressor, their best pass rusher landed on IR before the 2022 season even started.
Way too early 2023 free agency needs for the Broncos
The Denver Broncos should have enough money to spend in free agency to make some notable moves. What are their way too early needs for next offseason?
Harold Landry is unavailable. Former big-money free agent signing Bud Dupree has been a disappointment. If the Broncos were to trade Bradley Chubb within the AFC, this seems like arguably the most likely destination. Chubb could give them a dominant presence off the edge to go with interior guys like Denico Autry and Jeffrey Simmons.