Last year we all watched as the Denver Broncos seemingly figured their team identity out. They were winning games in back-to-back weeks. The defense was turning the ball over at a historic rate. The offense was putting enough points on the board for the first time in a while. At the end of the day though, the Broncos didn't sell or buy at last year's deadline. They sent Randy Gregory to San Fransisco for a late-round pick, but that was it.
Going into 2024, the Broncos could be looking at a substantial amount of cap space for 2025. With that in their back pocket, they could look like the 2023 Bears by acquiring someone big for their plans with the space available to pay them. This past deadline the Bears traded a valuable second-round pick for Montez Sweat. They went on to extend him to a massive contract to keep him in Chicago for years to come. With Denver having the space and draft capital available, they could put themselves into a position to get a proven player who would buy into what the Broncos are wanting to build.
This all sounds good on paper. However, the Broncos need to be in a winning position to go and make moves like this. You aren't trading draft picks for players who might not want to sign massive extensions on a losing team. That said, let's take a look at some players who could fit this mold going into 2024.
With Antoine Winfield agreeing to terms on a four-year, $84.1 million deal with $45M guaranteed, per @RapSheet, just one of nine players tagged this year doesn't have a long-term deal: #Bengals WR Tee Higgins, who requested a trade in March.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 13, 2024
I'm not going to waste time. Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has got to be the headline player here. He's heading towards leaving one way or another. Cincinnati has been reluctant to deal him yet but if they're in a position to trade him in the season while capitalizing on prime value, who to say Denver doesn't reach out and offer a max contract as well as send the Bengals capital and a player in return?
This deal is more complicated than I am making it but the point stands. Denver could use a legit go-to proven #1 receiver and if Cincinnati can't afford him, it's easy to connect the dots. Just adding another playmaker in general makes sense for the Broncos.
The Broncos currently have a stable of receivers on the team but none of them at the time of this article are on the same level as Higgins. Usually when you establish a legit #1 threat that tends to open things up for every other receiving option on the field. Higgins is one of the best in this league and he would instantly be a premier player for the Broncos moving forward.