There will be a lot going on for the Denver Broncos at the start of November. They play against the Houston Texans on Sunday -- on the road, no less. They have to fly home right after the game and start preparing for a short week on Monday. The NFL trade deadline is on Tuesday. They play the Raiders on Thursday.
There's going to. be a lot to pack in when it comes to the next handful of days, but something the Broncos really have to figure out soon is what they are going to do at the NFL trade deadline. History would tell us that "nothing" is the most likely scenario, but NFL insider Dianna Russini is hearing that the Broncos have interest in one particular position on offense.
It's not difficult to guess that position: Tight end. The Broncos lost Nate Adkins to a knee injury, and even though he wasn't placed on IR, the team has also been dealing with the loss of Lucas Krull. The depth at the position has been tested, and they missed out on multiple waiver claims.
Broncos could still be looking at tight end trade options at NFL trade deadline
Russini's report states that the Broncos are "monitoring the tight end market" even after the signing of veteran Marcedes Lewis to the practice squad. The addition of Lewis is a really fun one for the Broncos, because they essentially get three free promotions for him without having to add him to the 53-man roster. And he may eventually get that promotion, but let's see him play a game first.
If the right player becomes available at the NFL trade deadline, the Broncos may look to upgrade tight end and get another weapon in the mix. The players they attempted to claim off of waivers were both of the blocking variety. Lewis is known for his blocking abilities. Perhaps when we're looking into the idea of the Broncos making a tight end trade at the deadline, the names that immediately come to mind are completely in the opposite direction of where the team is actually looking.
Fans would absolutely love to see the Broncos add David Njoku, Chig Okonkwo, TJ Hockenson, or someone in that vein if they are available. And if one of those guys ends up getting traded to another team for pennies on the dollar, you can bet many in Broncos Country are going to be wondering why GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton didn't pull the trigger on a deal.
But this is a team that has historically not been a buyer at the deadline. Then again, they've not really had a reason to be. The Broncos have traded to acquire players in the past (Stephen Weatherly, Kenny Young, Jacob Martin, Chase Edmonds), but none of those moves have really signified that the team was "buying".
Those moves all felt more like replacements for other guys that were let go via trade or release.
This Broncos team is 6-2 with a chance to be 8-2 or 7-3 in just a couple of days. No matter what way you look at it, they are playoff contenders with the goal of hosting playoff games and going even further than that. If there's a way for the Broncos to put themselves in better position to win the AFC West or even push for the #1 seed in the AFC (which is not out of reach), they've got to do it.