Broncos connection with 49ers could help facilitate blockbuster trade

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has requested a trade. Both sides, Brandon and the 49ers were unable to reach an agreement for a contract extension, which explains why Aiyuk wants out of San Francisco. Denver could be a potential realistic landing spot for the former first-round pick.

Washington might be the most realistic landing spot because he played with Jayden Daniels at Arizona State, but other teams like the Broncos could make a run for Aiyuk if the 49ers decide to move on from him.

Denver has made multiple trades with San Francisco, and their general manager John Lynch is a former Broncos player and a Ring of Fame member. Let's look at the most recent trades between the 49ers and Broncos.

Recent trades between the Broncos and 49ers

In the last five years, the Broncos have had four trades with San Francisco, Randy Gregory being the most recent.

Randy Gregory

Before last season's trade deadline, the Broncos were looking to trade outside linebacker Randy Gregory, who had multiple injuries in the past few seasons. The Broncos were close to releasing him, and then the Niners called. Denver traded Gregory and a 2024 7th-round pick in exchange for a 2024 6th-round pick.

Denver used that 6th round pick to move up in the Draft, specifically to the fourth round, to select receiver Troy Franklin, who played with Bo Nix in college. The pick was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Jonas Griffith

Before the 2021 season and before announcing their 53-man roster, Denver traded a 2022 6th-round pick alongside a 7th-round pick for inside linebacker Jonas Griffith and a 2022 7th-round pick. During that Draft, the Broncos traded that 7th-round pick.

Griffith emerged as a good special teams player for Denver and has been a good inside linebacker when healthy. He will compete with Cody Barton during the upcoming training camp to start next to Alex Singleton following Josey Jewell's departure.

Emmanuel Sanders

During the 2019 NFL trade deadline, the Broncos traded veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and a 2020 5th-round pick to the 49ers in exchange for a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft. Sanders was an important weapon for Peyton Manning back in the day.

Denver used that third-round pick to select defensive lineman McTelvin Agim and traded the fourth-round pick before the Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars to get cornerback AJ Bouye.

Dekoda Watson

During the 2019 Draft, the Broncos traded a 5th-round pick, which ended up being the pick San Francisco used for star defender Dre Greenlaw, to the 49ers for linebacker Dekoda Watson and a sixth-round pick. The Broncos used that 6th-rounder to trade up a few spots with Carolina to get wide receiver Juwann Winfree.

Watson spent time with the Broncos during the 2016 season, so he was a familiar face brought back to fill in some roster holes.