The Denver Broncos are shooting for the stars ahead of the NFL trade deadline on November 10.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Broncos called the Arizona Cardinals to ask about superstar tight end Trey McBride. They are leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of a Super Bowl.
Of course (and unfortunately), the Cardinals said no. But are the Broncos done pursuing tight ends ahead of the deadline? Maybe not. Let's take a look at three more possible tight end trades the Broncos could consider.
3 tight end trades for the Broncos to consider before the NFL trade deadline
1. Juwan Johnson, Saints
Sean Payton was with the New Orleans Saints when they discovered Juwan Johnson as an undrafted free agent back in 2020. The Broncos have been connected to Johnson (understandably so) in the past due to his connection with the Saints, but they opted to go all-in on Evan Engram during 2025 free agency instead of Johnson.
At the time, that seemed like the right call. Engram seemingly had a much higher ceiling as a possible "joker" for Sean Payton, given his ridiculous volume of targets and receptions throughout the course of his career.
I was on that side of the fence as well, thinking Engram was far and away the superior target to Johnson, and that Johnson's skill set was not what the Broncos should have been looking for. It's clear at this point that I was wrong about that, and so were the Broncos.
Johnson racked up 77 receptions on 102 targets last season for 889 yards and 3 touchdowns. Engram has 101 total targets in 24 games with the Broncos so far.
With 3 touchdowns already in the first 7 games of the 2026 season, Johnson is once again proving to be a reliable weapon for the Saints, who have both Noah Fant and 3rd-round pick Oscar Delp on the depth chart behind him. if the Saints lose another game ahead of the deadline, maybe Sean Payton can convince them to send Johnson over to Denver.
2. Dallas Goedert, Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles might be willing to move some veteran players on expiring deals ahead of the trade deadline, and this would not be the first time Denver showed interest in Dallas Goedert.
Unlike Trey McBride, Dallas Goedert is not a long-term type of play for a team like the Broncos. He would fit in the short-term rental category. But maybe that's okay. He's been a sure-handed, reliable target throughout his career who can help cash in when you get to the red zone.
The Eagles have been rumored to possibly be parting ways with Goedert for quite some time now, and it was even a bit of a shock that he ended up back there in the first place for 2026. With Jalen Hurts now on the shelf for 2026, and Joe Milton starting games for that team, the Eagles would be doing Goedert a favor by sending him to a contender.
3. Jeremy Ruckert/Mason Taylor, Jets
If the Broncos are serious about making a longer-term tight end move, maybe they give their old friend Darren Mougey a call.
Mougey is formerly the right-hand man of Broncos GM George Paton, and he now has quite the collection of tight ends as general manager of the New York Jets. Teams are definitely utilizing tight ends more these days, but the Jets have four guys who play a lot of snaps for them.
They just used a 1st-round pick on Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, one year after spending a high 2nd-round pick on LSU tight end Mason Taylor.
Not that the Jets are hurting for draft picks these days, but what would it take to get Mason Taylor off their hands? The Broncos really liked him coming out in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jeremy Ruckert would also make some sense, although compared to the other players on this list, his upside in the passing game wouldn't be anywhere near what the other guys on this list offer.
BONUS: Sam LaPorta, Lions
Here's another option you can basically put in the category of "not happening" but it's worth mentioning, anyway.
The Detroit Lions look like Super Bowl contenders right now, so there's really no reason for them to part with a player like Sam LaPorta. Then again, if they genuinely don't have intentions of signing him to a long-term contract after the year, what happens if the Broncos come offering a 1st-round pick?
You never know what offer is going to get a team to say yes, and pretty much every player in the league has a price. LaPorta shouldn't be considered off limits, even if it's extremely unlikely that he would be moved.
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