The Denver Broncos might be in the unfortunate position during the 2024 offseason of having to trade away some solid veteran players for some unproven NFL Draft picks. Such is life when you're a struggling team in the NFL. One player who could be on the move in the 2024 offseason is beloved wide receiver and team captain Courtland Sutton, a guy who has one of the best attitudes on the team and would be an asset in any locker room around the NFL.
Coming off the best season of his NFL career in 2023, Sutton has two years left on his contract, and is 28 going on 29 years of age (turns 29 on October 10). The Broncos might be able to get a Day 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for those two years of Sutton in his prime years from another team, but who would be willing to pay up?
I don't think the Broncos are going to let some team just have Sutton, and there are a few teams that I think could be rather motivated to acquire him.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
Regardless of whether or not the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to go through with moving on from Kenny Pickett this offseason, I think a player like Courtland Sutton could make some sense for them. We saw the Steelers take a shot on Allen Robinson last offseason -- even with George Pickens on the roster -- and it didn't work out for either side.
Courtland Sutton can give them that receiver with downfield playmaking ability they clearly seek to go along with Pickens. Or perhaps the Steelers are looking for an excuse to move on from Pickens, who is super talented but a little bit of a headache for them off the field.
Sutton could be a great mentor for Pickens, and would be a major asset for the Steelers as he's proven to be QB-proof throughout the course of his NFL career.
2. Cleveland Browns
David Njoku has really stepped up for the Cleveland Browns in recent years as a viable secondary option in the passing game alongside Amari Cooper, but I can't help but think the Browns will be in the market for receiver help yet again this offseason.
Cleveland tried to trade for Elijah Moore with the Jets last offseason, but Moore wasn't good in his first year with the team despite getting a high volume of targets and usage in the offense, especially early in the year. Courtland Sutton would give them another big play option for Deshaun Watson to throw to. The Browns are obviously all-in on Watson with his fully guaranteed contract and they can't pinch pennies at a time like this. They won't be getting a better receiver in the third round of the NFL Draft this year than Courtland Sutton.
3. Baltimore Ravens
Our third straight AFC North team to open up this list, the Baltimore Ravens could make a lot of sense for Courtland Sutton this coming offseason. The Ravens have multiple first-round players on their roster right now at receiver in Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers. They traded a former first-round investment -- Marquise Brown -- and have clearly been looking for help at this position (desperately) for quite some time.
Baltimore is slated to lose Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency, and I don't know if Beckham's services will be wanted back in Baltimore next year. With his ability to win contested catch situations and help as a blocker in the running game, Sutton could be the perfect fit for Baltimore for the price of a mid-round pick. It's a no-brainer for them.
4. Tennessee Titans
You've got a young quarterback, and if you want him to succeed, you've got to surround him with some good players. We saw how important it was this past season for the Titans to have DeAndre Hopkins, even in a year where they didn't make the playoffs. His veteran presence helped them get a much better look at Will Levis over the long haul of the season.
With how well they might be able to pair up together, I could see the Titans being interested in a trade for Sutton. Especially with Brian Callahan now the head coach there in Tennessee, he knows the value of receivers and he's specifically had success in his coaching career with bigger guys like Sutton. You can go back to his time in Denver with the likes of Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, then to his time in Cincinnati with Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.
The 6-foot-4 Sutton would be a great fit for the rookie head coach.
5. New. England Patriots
Speaking of rookie head coaches, it's still odd to think about the New England Patriots without Bill Belichick on the sideline. Jerod Mayo has hired Alex Van Pelt to coach up his offense, and the Patriots are in desperate need of an infusion of talent.
It might have to come via the NFL Draft because of bad contracts given to DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Sutton to New England would be a dream for whatever rookie QB that team drafts.