The trade deadline for the 2023 NFL season, which shares the same date as Halloween, is almost here. This date has been closely attached to the Denver Broncos this season.
The reason for that is because the Broncos started the season as a severely underperforming team, one that look like a squad that contenders would be looking to pick the bones of before the deadline.
However, a win over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs has completely shifted the narrative within the Denver sports media and it may have completely changed the direction that this team will go.
Other teams in the league will almost certainly still call the Broncos, head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that much, but the Broncos probably feel a lot different about moving some of these players. Payton has stated that the team is not actively shopping any players and he's stated that there is nothing to suggest that the team won't be buyers.
Basically, he's playing all sides and giving those politically correct remarks, even if he might be telling the absolute truth. So, it's a guessing game as to what we will see, maybe we won't see anything. But, let's have some fun and predict what the team will do ahead of Tuesday's 2:00 pm MT trade deadline.
Broncos players who will have trade interest
Garett Bolles, Left Tackle: I recently talked about how the Broncos should not consider sending Bolles away as there is no good plan in place to replace him. He's not a perfect left tackle but he's a lot better than anyone the team is going to find anytime soon.
Potential team to watch for: New York Jets
Justin Simmons, Safety: Like Bolles, the Broncos simply can't trade Simmons, particularly with the current state of the safety position. However, that won't stop teams from asking. If a team could land one of the league's best for a potential Super Bowl run, it's a shot that team would at least ask about.
Potential team to watch for: San Francisco 49ers or Pittsburgh Steelers
Josey Jewell, Linebacker: Because this is a contract year for Jewell, he was seen as a player the Broncos could move on from as he will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end and could leave for nothing. But he's still playing quite well for this team and if the Broncos aren't giving up on the 2023 season, and clearly they are not, it would be tough to trade Jewell away and turn to the rookie Drew Sanders right now. There could be several contending teams who would look at Jewell, but the Buffalo Bills make a lot of sense after losing Matt Milano to injury.
Potential team to watch for: Buffalo Bills
Patrick Surtain, Cornerback: This won't happen unless the Broncos get an absolute haul in return, but there could be a team with Super Bowl aspirations that could be willing to send the Broncos as many as two first-round picks in return.
Potential team to watch for: Philadelphia Eagles
Courtland Sutton, Wide Receiver: Sutton has been connected to trade talks for some time now and this could be the time the Broncos actually move him. The Carolina Panthers are a team that Sutton is often mentioned with.
Potential team to watch for: Carolina Panthers or Baltimore Ravens
Jerry Jeudy, Wide Receiver: No player has been mentioned more in trade talks than Jeudy, who caught a touchdown pass on Sunday for the first time since Week 14 of last season. Did that play increase his value or convince the Broncos that he should still be in the team's plans? There are many teams who could be interested in him.
Potential team to watch for: Detroit Lions or New England Patriots
Broncos trade deadline prediction: Team will not be a buyer
Payton didn't rule out the team being a buyer ahead of the deadline but this is not a team that should be giving up assets, particularly future draft picks, to build on this season. Patience is key and even with a win over the Chiefs, it's still a team that has a long way to go.
If the Broncos are able to come back from where they were and make something out of this season, that will be a monumental accomplishment, but that needs to be done with the tools that are already in the shed, the same tools that they pretty easily defeated the Chiefs with.
So while the Broncos likely have some positions that need to be looked at and could be upgraded, having those draft picks will be much more important for future team building.
The Broncos have found a pass rush with Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. Zach Allen is becoming a force in the middle. The secondary, particularly at cornerback, and a better receiving option at the tight end position would be the spots where you could argue that the Broncos need to get better, but unless those options would come incredibly cheap, the team needs to forge forward with what it has.
Broncos trade deadline prediction: Team trades Josey Jewell
This won't be a popular decision but the Broncos know that Jewell could sign with another team next season and he will be 29 years old in December. The Broncos drafted Drew Sanders with an eye on the future and teaming him with Alex Singleton for the rest of the season could jumpstart that thought.
With that in mind, the following trade is made:
The Bills are a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Matt Milano, one of their best defensive players, will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury. Jewell would be a key addition for the Bills' playoff run.
The Bills have likely seen how well Jewell plays against one team in particular, the Chiefs. The Chiefs still present a big roadblock on Buffalo's journey to the Super Bowl, so this trade, which they could make happen for a Day 3 draft pick, makes a lot of sense for them.
Broncos Country would likely be sad to see Jewell go and would certainly feel he's worth more than a fifth-round pick, but the business side of the NFL sometimes works that way.
Broncos trade deadline prediction: Jerry Jeudy is moved
The Broncos may make only one deadline deal, but I stand by the team moving one of its wide receivers as there could be a decent return there. Sutton could be the guy the team chooses but there is a better potential return in moving Jeudy.
This could be a risky move for the team as the wide receiver room is far from deep, especially with Brandon Johnson being placed on IR. But if you have watched the Broncos in their last two wins over the Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, it's clear that a dynamic passing game is not going to be the formula to producing wins.
Trading Jeudy would also allow the team to get Marvin Mims on the field more often and based on the way that the offense is currently running, the likes of Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Tre'Quan Smith, or perhaps even a player or two off of the practice squad, can get them through this season.
An NFC team looking to make a Super Bowl run calls and gets a deal done:
The Lions end up being the team to get a deal done, giving them a combination of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jeudy to go along with some good complementary receivers.
The Patriots would like to get their hands on Jeudy, but they don't have a second-round pick next year. The Panthers don't have a first-round pick thanks to the Bryce Young deal, so they are hesitant to give up their top two picks in the draft.
Jeudy's performance against the Chiefs took him out of the market for those two teams. I firmly believe that he increased his value in the game Sunday as before that, I wouldn't have expected the Broncos to get better than a fourth-round pick for the player they took at No. 15 overall in 2015.
The Lions make sense as Jeudy could potentially make that offense even more dynamic. In return the Broncos get a second-round pick for next year's draft, replacing the one they lost in the deal to acquire Payton.