What should the Denver Broncos do with Bradley Chubb?

Denver Broncos, Bradley Chubb (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Denver Broncos, Bradley Chubb (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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The Denver Broncos might have an interesting situation on their hands with Bradley Chubb, who is a free agent at the end of the season.  One thing that is abundantly clear to Broncos Country is the team’s lack of draft picks in 2023 and 2023.

They don’t have high picks in either years and may need to make some trades.  George Paton has also made it clear how much he values draft capital and the culture from within that he’s established.  Obviously, the easiest way to get draft picks in the Broncos’ situation is to trade some players.

Should the Denver Broncos actually entertain trade offers for Bradley Chubb?

Denver does have a deeper-than-average roster and has some players that they could trade to recoup their draft pick stash.  One player who could provide the healthiest return is Bradley Chubb, the team’s former Pro Bowl edge rusher and current 2023 free agent.

Chubb has battled injuries and a bit of inconsistency during his short career.  He certainly hasn’t yet lived up to his draft status, but the start of his 2022 season is becoming very noticeable.  The rebuilt defensive front has likely made Chubb’s life a bit easier rushing off the edge.

He’s got eight QB hits, four tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks in five games.  He’s on pace for 18.7, or 19 sacks this season, which is a very high number.  Some may think that Denver should trade him regardless because of the team having Randy Gregory under contract and coupling that with the emergence of Baron Browning and drafting Nik Bonitto.

The Broncos making those three moves to rebuild their edge rushing group could also signal that the team is indeed prepared to lose Chubb in free agency or in a trade. Trading him when Randy Gregory gets healthy likely wouldn’t have a massive impact on the performance of the edge rushers.  Baron Browning looks plenty ready to start week to week, and Gregory had an excellent start to the season before going down with an injury.

Some also note that paying him might be overkill because of the contracts of DJ Jones and Randy Gregory.  Dre’Mont Jones is also in need of an extension, and he’s been more consistent than Bradley Chubb.  Would George Paton really invest that much money into the defensive front?

Could he realistically pay Jones and Chubb all while having Gregory and DJ Jones on large contracts?  Maybe there’s an odd man out in this scenario.  On the flip side, some may think that you can never have too many quality pass rushers, which is true, so re-signing Chubb would be the smart move.  In reality, there are only two options for the Broncos.

They are either going to re-sign him or trade him.  It would be disgustingly irresponsible to allow him to walk in free agency.