Trade rumors have been heating up for the Denver Broncos in recent days, especially when it comes to the wide receiver position. Could the Broncos be looking at a total reset at that position under new head coach Sean Payton? It seems like there could be some potential trades on the table and the specific players being targeted are Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. It's understandable that these particular players would be of interest to other teams, but what kinds of deals would the Broncos absolutely have to turn down, no matter what?
Again, these are rumors floating around. Obviously, these may not be actual deals on the table that Denver is currently sitting on, but the possibility exists. In such a weak wide receiver market, the Broncos should make teams really pay up for this kind of help at receiver, and certainly not settle for any bad deals.
If the Broncos get approached with any of these three trade opportunities, they should simply pass.
3 trades the Denver Broncos would be fools to accept in 2023
1. Jerry Jeudy for anything less than a 1st-rounder
Let's just cut to the chase here, alright? If the Denver Broncos trade Jerry Jeudy at all, it might end up being a colossal mistake. If they trade him for anything less than a first-round pick, I think it would be grounds to really jump on George Paton's back. Jeudy emerged last season as the Broncos' clear top target in the passing game. He was a playmaker down the stretch last year, including a three-touchdown game in a nearly miraculous comeback against the Chiefs.
The New York Giants have been knowingly hot on Jeudy's trail since last year's trade deadline. The connection there is obvious, too. Brian Daboll, head coach of the Giants, was on Alabama's coaching staff in 2017 as OC and QBs coach when Jeudy was in his freshman year with the Crimson Tide.
Daboll and Giants GM Joe Schoen were also part of the Buffalo Bills' staff when they made the trade for Stefon Diggs, a move that was transformative for quarterback Josh Allen. Perhaps they would see Jeudy's ability to separate easily from defensive backs as a similar type of deal in New York to help take Daniel Jones' game to the next level.
If they want to make that happen, George Paton -- who was on the other end of that Diggs trade as a member of the Vikings' front office -- should be holding out for nothing less than the 25th overall pick the Giants hold in the first round. Not Jeudy and a pick for 25, either. It's a first-round value minimum on a player with two years left on his rookie deal, plus the option of franchise tags after that.
Anything less than a first-round pick and the Broncos shouldn't even be entertaining the idea.
2. Courtland Sutton for anything less than a second-round pick
Similar to what we're talking about with Jerry Jeudy, there's zero reason for the Denver Broncos to sell low on Courtland Sutton. Sutton seems to know the rumors are out there, too...
I just want to be where I’m wanted and appreciated.
— Courtland Sutton♠️ (@SuttonCourtland) March 10, 2023
It seems like Sutton knows that the writing is on the wall, and it may only be a matter of time before some type of deal goes through with him. As of the time of this writing, it's not officially the new league year. A lot could hinge on Sutton being dealt so we may not hear about a trade involving him until that new league year on Wednesday at 2 PM MT, or after.
Or not at all, hopefully, if teams that are after Sutton are only offering up a day three draft pick. Once again, in this wide receiver market, that just makes absolutely no sense for the Denver Broncos. The Raiders have reportedly already agreed to a contract with Jakobi Meyers. Meyers may have been the best wide receiver available in free agency, and that's not some kind of joke.
This year's receiver market is just not great outside of Meyers and Allen Lazard, who reportedly signed with the New York Jets.
If Courtland Sutton were to hit the market, he would be the most coveted receiver out there. That's the Broncos' leverage right now, along with the fact that the top of the 2023 NFL Draft just isn't very good at the position. Sutton would be an instant impact player for any team trading for him not just as a receiver, but as a blocker as well.
With that in mind, there's no way the Broncos could justify a day three pick in exchange for his services. It's not like some team is taking $20 million off the Broncos' salary cap by agreeing to a trade. The Broncos would save just under $6.8 million by trading Sutton before June 1, which isn't really all that much in the grand scheme of things.
In order to land him, a trading team -- be it the Patriots or someone else -- should be giving up a second-round pick and nothing less.
3. Trading Garett Bolles without a clear replacement or top 50 pick
The idea of trading Garett Bolles has been all but shoved out the window, it seems. I don't think this is happening and I don't think the Denver Broncos really want to try and replace that many starters on their offensive line. With that being said, the idea of trading him has been floating around out there, so we've got to touch on it.
If the Broncos were to trade Bolles, it would be a huge mistake to do so without a top 50 pick in tow or a clear replacement in NFL Free Agency. And right now, who is out there besides Orlando Brown Jr.?
I say a top 50 pick because at picks 67 and 68 in the third round of this year's NFL Draft, you can't bank on getting a starting left tackle. Not after the way the offensive line play really destroyed your offensive gameplans in 2022. With a top 50 pick? Well, in that case, you might be able to get a player that could start from day one.
That's certainly not a guarantee, but if you trade Garett Bolles, you're obviously selling low. He's coming off of an injury this past season so that certainly doesn't help. Keeping Bolles, even at his current (high) salary, is probably the best bet for the Broncos unless they can move some of that money around into future years.