The Denver Broncos could be in a position to buy at the 2024 NFL Trade Deadline, and could the Carolina Panthers be a team Denver looks to for that? Two of the best players on the Panthers' offense, Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen, are out for the team's Week 8 game against the Denver Broncos.
There seemed to be rumblings that the Broncos had some degree of interest in Thielen before he signed with the Panthers last year, but those obviously did not turn out to be all that serious. Johnson came over in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers this past offseason. With both players ruled out in Week 8, you just have to wonder how much of that is due to them probably getting traded at the NFL Trade Deadline?
The deadline follows Week 9 games, and it's obvious that the Broncos need some help on offense. They have huge long-term needs at WR and TE, but getting some immediate, short-term help could be an option. With the Carolina Panthers likely headed toward a 1-7 start in 2024, veteran players like Johnson and Thielen could be on the move.
Could the Denver Broncos nab a player from the Carolina Panthers?
And if that is the case, the Denver Broncos must come calling, especially for Diontae Johnson. Johnson is 28 years old ad has caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns this year.
Across the first five years of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Johnson caught 391 passes for 4,363 yards and 285 touchdowns, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in 2021.
He averages 85 receptions, 955 yards, and six touchdowns in a 17-game season, so he's been a productive player for years now. He does not turn 29 until July of 2025, so this could be a player that the Broncos could keep around for a few more years.
Adam Thielen is 34 years old but did have a 100 reception, 1,000-yard season in 2023 for the Panthers. He's had some unstable QB play since leaving the Vikings in 2022, so I would not totally write off Adam Thielen just yet.
No matter how you slice it, the Denver Broncos need some help on offense. Bo Nix cannot keep throwing to this group of players on offense, as it will do nothing for his development in the NFL. General Manager George Paton should call up Panthers GM Dan Morgan and see what kind of draft capital he'd have to give up to acquire Diontae Johnson or Adam Thielen.