Broncos may have multiple Courtland Sutton trade suitors

There have been a mass exodus of players leaving the Denver Broncos in 2024. Although the Broncos haven't won anything the last eight years, it's still been tough to see some of the players go. The Broncos have invested a lot in these players, and the fan base has invested hope that they could be part of the team's future. That simply didn't happen.

Now, it's possible that wide receiver Courtland Sutton could be the next man to go. Sutton has been sending some cryptic messages on social media all offseason, including a post on Instagram that felt a lot like a goodbye. Although nothing is certain, by any means, Sutton's contract situation is reaching a point now where the Broncos are at a crossroads.

There is a $2 million guarantee in Sutton's base salary for 2024 as of March 18. The Broncos wouldn't be taking much of a hit by giving him that $2 million, but it's possible that they would want to save that $2 million as well as the remainder of the nearly $10 million they could save on this year's salary cap by letting Sutton go.

There has been quite a bit of movement on the wide receiver market lately, including the rival Los Angeles Chargers saying goodbye to both Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. Allen, in particular, was traded for a fourth-round pick to the Chicago Bears, and there were apparently multiple suitors.

Both the Jets and Texans apparently had interest in adding Keenan Allen before the Bears offered a 4th-round pick to seal the deal, so could those two teams potentially have interest in adding Courtland Sutton now? The pivot is possible.

Now, a couple of things need to be noted here.

First off, the Texans and Jets having interest in Keenan Allen doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be interested in trading for Courtland Sutton.

Second, just because Keenan Allen went for a 4th-round pick doesn't necessarily mean Courtland Sutton would go for a 4th or less. They aren't a one-to-one comparison at this point.

Sutton is 28 while Allen is nearly 32. Sutton has two years remaining on his contract while Allen has one. Allen has a base salary in 2024 of over $18 million while Sutton's base salary is just $13 million.

So, to sum it up -- Sutton is younger, cheaper, and has more team control. It's not a matter always of the quality of the player, either. Although Keenan Allen has historically proven himself to be a better overall option than Sutton, there is a value to Sutton that would probably land the Broncos better than a 4th-round selection in a trade. In fact, I don't think the Broncos should be willing to trade Sutton for less than a fourth-round pick.

With that all being said, it would be fascinating to see either the Jets or Texans (or someone else) pivot to interest in Courtland Sutton. These teams are clearly interested in adding help this season, and they're willing to pay a hefty financial price to do it. If the contract isn't an option, then these teams should be willing to pay the draft capital to get the help they need at a crucial position. Sutton is coming off of a 10-touchdown season and the best of his pro career.

Why would the Broncos want to trade him then?

It's really simple. The Broncos could save $10 million on the salary cap by trading Sutton and they could possibly add one or two more draft picks to their 2024 war chest. Trading Sutton and adding both cap space and picks would mean the Broncos could replace his production at a fraction of the cost, while maximizing his value.

The $2 million trigger for Sutton's deal comes on Monday, so we could possibly have a resolution before then.