With a 2-5 record through the first seven games of 2023, the Denver Broncos are not exactly in the typical "buyer" position leading up to the NFL Trade Deadline on October 31. Heading into Week 8 of the season, however, you certainly don't get the impression that the Broncos are interested in "tanking" for any of the top quarterbacks in next year's class.
That doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to be buyers at the trade deadline, but I think the Broncos would undoubtedly be in position to add talent if the price is right. This is a roster right now that needs pieces both now and for the future. They shouldn't mortgage the future to acquire players, by any means, but I think there could be some targets out there that would make sense. Let's take a look at a handful of them.
5 realistic trade targets for the Denver Broncos at the 2023 NFL trade deadline
1. Denico Autry, DL, Titans
Denico Autry might be a little bit of a stretch for this particular Broncos team for a couple of reasons. First of all, he's not under contract in 2024. Second, he's already 33 years of age. Autry might be better served on a team that is truly in contention right now but let's say the Broncos somehow get a win on Sunday against the Chiefs, and they want to try to make a little run in the second half of the season.
Autry would be a fantastic addition.
You don't hear his name a ton, but Autry has averaged nine sacks and 16 QB hits per 17 games since 2017. That's a pretty insane rate for a defensive lineman who hasn't been selected to a single Pro Bowl. Autry already has four sacks and nine QB hits in the first six games of this season. The Titans are clearly in sell mode after trading away Kevin Byard and I think if the Broncos beat the Chiefs, especially, throwing a late-round pick at Tennessee to see what Autry could do to upgrade this defensive front might be worthwhile.
2. Taysom Hill, TE, Saints
Let's just start this one off by quickly discussing the contract situation of Taysom Hill right now. Anytime this idea gets suggested, people on Twitter are quick to tell you that Taysom Hill's contract situation makes it an impossible scenario. But is it?
Well, the answer is not really.
Taysom Hill has a base salary in 2023 of just over $1 million. The Saints have consistently used Taysom Hill's contract as a way to push salary cap dollars into future years by converting portions of his base salary to a signing bonus. They are just giving him cash to kick the cap down the road.
Right now, a team like the Broncos acquiring Taysom Hill in a trade with the Saints would cost next to nothing in terms of the base salary he's owed for the remainder of the season. He does have base salaries in 2024 and 2025 of $10 million, but that money is (mostly) not guaranteed.
At some point, the Saints are going to have to bite the bullet and stop kicking the Taysom Hill can down the road. They have an "out" after this season and it kind of makes sense for them to trade him now and let the Broncos figure out what to do with the remaining two years of his salary. Taysom Hill is undoubtedly the quintessential "Sean Payton guy" and would actually fill a pretty big void for the Broncos right now. Denver needs a player like Hill to come in and play tight end after they lost Greg Dulcich yet again to a hamstring injury.
I would be all for this move for Denver and that would include having Hill on this team beyond just 2023.
3. Chase Young, DE, Commanders
If the Denver Broncos are truly going to "go for it" with any one trade before this year's deadline, I wouldn't mind seeing this. Obviously, I'm not in favor of the Broncos giving up a first-round pick or really even anything close to that kind of value, but if Chase Young is available for a reasonable price, this is a player the Broncos could attempt to build around for the future.
As often as NFL teams play hybrid looks defensively, or get into their nickel alignment, I don't think adding Chase Young would mean that you have to forsake players like Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, or Nik Bonitto. Heck, Young was on the same Ohio State roster as Cooper and Browning, and they all found a way to make it to the NFL together.
Young was the second overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, and has tons of talent. He can truly be one of those types of disruptive forces off the edge that changes games, but health issues have prevented him not only from becoming the superstar most people felt he was going to be, but also from even getting a 5th-year option from the Commanders.
Washington has sort of put the ball in Chase Young's court and even though he's looked solid this season, it seems like they are willing to potentially move on. If that's the case, a lot of NFL teams would be wise to get in on the action, including the Denver Broncos. Figuring out personnel groupings would be interesting, but is it possible that Chase Young could play with his hand in the dirt instead of playing outside linebacker?
4. Mike Gesicki, TE, Patriots
Just like I like the idea of the Broncos going after Taysom Hill to add an athletic tight end to the mix, I like the idea of trading for Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki.
Gesicki signed a really reasonable one-year deal with the Pats in 2023 free agency, earning a base salary of just $1.15 million. That's more than digestible this time of year with the Patriots already footing the bill for half the season by the time the trade deadline rolls around. Gesicki has 17 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown this season, but things are not well in New England right now.
They're not overly "well" in Denver, either, though.
With that being said, I would love to see what a player like Gesicki at the tight end position could do to perhaps open things up a little bit for the passing game. I don't think you'd have to trade much at all to acquire him, and I think he could slot into the offensive lineup immediately. Again, Greg Dulcich is not healthy and hasn't been since the offseason of his rookie year (2022). He's dealt with hamstring issues far too consistently, and the Broncos don't have anyone else on their roster right now who can bring that level of athleticism to the TE position.
Adding a player like Gesicki would give the Broncos offense another dimension, and another big body to look to in the red zone.
5. Budda Baker, S, Cardinals
One of the more realistic targets that could be available to the Denver Broncos in a trade is Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker. Baker has been rumored to be available in a trade for quite some time now, and the Broncos didn't make much sense until recent events have given us completely new context.
A couple of months ago, in the offseason, when the Broncos had a healthy safety room that included Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, PJ Locke, Caden Sterns, and others, a trade for someone like Budda Baker would have felt like complete overkill. Now, doesn't it feel like it might be kind of necessary?
We would all love to see PJ Locke continue to grow into a bigger role with the Broncos in the near future, especially after his game-sealing interception against the Green Bay Packers. With that being said, the Broncos may also need a long-term starter next to Justin Simmons and Budda Baker is someone who could really help this defense moving forward.
One of the primary reasons this trade could make sense for Denver? Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph obviously had Baker when the two were together in Arizona.
The Broncos just can't rely on Kareem Jackson moving forward, Caden Sterns is out for the year, and this trade could help take the defense to the next level. Baker is just 27 so the Broncos probably aren't getting him for a 5th and a 6th like the Eagles just got Kevin Byard from the Titans, but the Cardinals might take a Day 3 pick if they are purging the roster.