Predicting landing spots for Denver Broncos trade candidates

The NFL trade deadline is on October 31, but the frenzy of activity for the Denver Broncos could merely be days away at this point. The Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs to kick off Week 6 of the 2023 season, and with the game being played on the road in Arrowhead, it's possible the Broncos will be returning home Thursday night with a 1-5 record and a lot of players with one foot out the door.

So where could these players be heading, and what might the Denver Broncos be getting in return. To give you a little bit of a spoiler, we're going to be talking about a wide range of players in this post:

• WR Courtland Sutton
• WR Jerry Jeudy
• OT Garett Bolles
• EDGE Frank Clark
• LB Josey Jewell
• CB Pat Surtain II
• S Justin Simmons

And it wouldn't surprise me if the list were a bit more expansive than that, even.

Let's make our predictions for some landing spots for these Denver Broncos players that could be on the trade block.

Landing spots for Denver Broncos players on the trade block

Courtland Sutton: Baltimore Ravens

The idea of Courtland Sutton going to the Baltimore Ravens in a trade is nothing new at this point. Apparently, the Ravens felt like they "got close" to completing a deal for Sutton earlier in the offseason, but to no avail.

Sutton would be a great fit for the Ravens because of how often they run the football. He's a tremendous blocker at the wide receiver position and he could be a huge upgrade on the outside for quarterback Lamar Jackson. It just sort of feels like this pairing was meant to be at some point, and the Broncos held out that they would be competitive. Hopefully, the Ravens' offer is still strong enough to make this kind of a deal worthwhile.

Prediction: 3rd-4th round value

Jerry Jeudy: Panthers, Eagles, or 49ers

If Jerry Jeudy is on the trade block for the Denver Broncos (and I suspect he is), I'd be a little shocked if a variety of teams don't come calling. The Carolina Panthers have been rumored to be shopping for available wide receivers and Jeudy might be one of the most realistically available guys for them right now.

Jeudy would be a nice pickup for the Panthers' offense and young quarterback Bryce Young. Obviously, the Panthers traded up to get Bryce Young in this year's draft, sending their 2024 first-round pick to Chicago in the process. As of right now, they are the only 0-5 team in the NFL and they need to do everything within their power to make sure they don't send the Chicago Bears the no. 1 overall pick in the Caleb Williams draft.

Given the fact that the Panthers have no reason, at this point, to tank, they make a lot of sense for Jerry Jeudy, but so do teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, who are seemingly always in the market to make trades like this. Imagine Jeudy with an organization like Philadelphia or San Francisco right now...

He might explode with either of those franchises, and that would be great for him. I could see any variety of teams getting in the mix for Jeudy, but I would expect Scott Fitterer (Panthers GM) to probably be the most aggressive. Unless Howie Roseman (Eagles) or John Lynch (49ers) offers a 2nd-round pick, I think the Broncos would take Carolina's third in a heartbeat for Jeudy.

Prediction: 2nd-3rd round value

Garett Bolles: Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns' 2023 season is sort of hanging in the balance right now, and what's really unfortunate for them is they have a Week 6 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, who are whooping up on everyone they play against. What's even tougher for the Browns? They are about to have to trot out PJ Walker against the 49ers instead of Deshaun Watson.

This is a team that I could see very much in desperation mode sooner rather than later, and one of the weakest areas of their team right now is the left tackle spot. Former first-round pick Jedrick Wills simply isn't cutting it for Cleveland at the moment, and they may need to make a desperate move for help at that position.

Ironically, the Denver Broncos may be able to help. Back in the 2015 season, remember when Browns legend Joe Thomas was almost traded to Denver? Well, this isn't exactly the same type of situation, but Garett Bolles could very well be a player the Browns would have interest in at the right price.

They have already committed short-term and long-term to Deshaun Watson. They don't have a first-round pick in 2024, but they do have picks in rounds 2, 3, and 5. I think the sweet spot for a Garett Bolles trade, given the fact that the Broncos are going to have to eat some of his salary (a lot of it, most likely) is probably in that 4th-5th round range.

Ideally, you'd like to get more from a desperate team, but perhaps the Broncos can squeeze multiple picks out of Cleveland in this instance. Maybe a 5th in 2024 and a 4th in 2025 because of the trouble?

At any rate, I think the Browns will be aggressive in pursuing offensive line upgrades, and Bolles makes a ton of sense for them. Cam Fleming started most of last year for the Broncos at left tackle, so he could do it again in 2023. And Bolles is not expected to be with the Broncos in 2024 as he is set to count $20 million against the salary cap with only $4 million in dead money.

Prediction: 4th-5th round value

Frank Clark: Kansas City Chiefs or Detroit Lions

The Denver Broncos signed Frank Clark to a free agent deal after news that Baron Browning would need to go on the PUP because of a knee procedure. Obviously, things have not worked out with this signing at all.

First of all, Clark has barely played. Second of all, when he has played, he's done absolutely nothing of note. Dating back to the summer when Clark was making comments about the Chiefs and Broncos not really being a rivalry, it just sort of felt like he was only with the Broncos because of the paycheck. It never really felt like he wanted to be part of getting this team going.

Then he was a non-excused absence at one point in training camp, and played into the fourth quarter of a preseason game. It's just always felt like Clark was sort of "around" and not really present or actively trying to help this team.

I could see a reunion happening with his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, who rank 19th in the NFL at 2.6 sacks per game. It also wouldn't shock me to see the Broncos send Clark back to the state of Michigan, where he played his college ball.

Detroit's defense has been good this season, they've done business with Denver in the past, but their pass rush could be better (although the've picked things up their last three games). I think the Broncos could get at least the value they got for Randy Gregory with a late-round pick swap here.

Prediction: Late-round pick swap or 6th-round value

Josey Jewell: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins

It's been a pretty tough year for the Buffalo Bills so far at the linebacker position. In the offseason, they let former first-round pick Tremaine Edmunds walk in free agency, signing with the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, they also just lost starter Matt Milano to a season-ending injury.

Those two losses have paved the way for a potential line of communication to open up between Buffalo and Denver when it comes to a possible Josey Jewell trade. And it feels like the writing has been on the wall for a Josey Jewell trade for some time now. The Broncos re-signed Alex Singleton in the offseason to a three-year deal, and they also used a third-round pick on Drew Sanders.

Although Sanders is raw, the Broncos could look to give him a trial by fire and throw him to the wolves as a rookie, preparing him for what will ultimately likely be a full-time role in 2024 anyway. Josey Jewell is a smart player and has proven himself to be a quality player when healthy. The Bills would be getting an experienced veteran and Jewell would be reuniting with his old teammate Von Miller there in Buffalo's defense.

If not Buffalo, I think you could see Vic Fangio having some interest in bringing Josey Jewell back. Jewell was a starter in Fangio's defense for a handful of seasons and if the Dolphins want to make a move at inside linebacker, they would also be able to reunite Jewell with a number of his former Denver Broncos comrades, including Fangio and Bradley Chubb.

Ultimately, I think the Broncos will be able to get "something" for Jewell, who has a team-friendly (but expiring) contract.

Prediction: 5th-6th round value

Justin Simmons: Philadelphia Eagles

Seeing Justin Simmons leave the Denver Broncos will be absolutely heart-breaking if it happens. Simmons has been such a good player for the Broncos since he came on board back in 2016, but the Broncos have unfortunately been nothing but bad in that timeframe.

Thankfully, Simmons has been able to earn some individual accolades over that timeframe, including three All-Pro selections. He's got 27 career interceptions with the Denver Broncos and is one of the most productive defensive backs in the franchise's lengthy and storied history.

If Simmons is on the trade block, I could see any number of contending teams trying to come and get him from the Broncos, but we know how aggressive Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman can be.

The Eagles have multiple second-round picks, four fifth-round picks, and a loaded roster besides. They are currently loaded up with 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft to play with, and there's no way 10 rookies are making that roster next year. We know the Eagles love to invest draft capital in veteran players and I think they could get Justin Simmons for a reasonable price from Denver, but also I think Simmons would present some good value to the Broncos.

The Eagles already traded for Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam at roster cuts. Roseman and George Paton have come together on deals in the past as well, including the Kary Vincent Jr. trade back in 2021.

I really like the idea of the Eagles adding Simmons to their secondary and I'll bet Senior Advisor Matt Russell -- previously second in command to John Elway in the Denver Broncos front office -- would feel the same type of way. It's hard to gauge Simmons's value in a trade given his age (30), but because he has another year on his deal in 2024, I could see the Broncos ultimately getting 3rd-round value or better for him.

I'm actually not quite sure where to project Simmons, but he's a valuable player and asset to the Broncos, so I don't think they will get disrespected in a trade.

Prediction: 3rd round value

Pat Surtain II: Dolphins, Bills, 49ers, Lions, Cowboys, Ravens

I don't think anyone on the Denver Broncos roster is untouchable, but I would be willing to bet they'd rather just stick with Pat Surtain II as a building block as opposed to giving him up for a bargain price. The Broncos could recoup an insane number of assets by trading Pat Surtain II at this year's deadline, and I wouldn't put it past them to be able to get about the draft capital they received in the Russell Wilson trade.

Remember the Jalen Ramsey trade out of Jacksonville a few years back. Ramsey was in the final year of his contract at the time, and was openly trying to get out of Jacksonville. He was also injured. Well, none of those factors exist for Pat Surtain. Surtain has multiple years left on his rookie deal. He is healthy, he's at the top of his game, and maybe the best player at his position in the NFL.

The Broncos could get multiple first-round picks and multiple day two selections, perhaps a player on top of it, for Surtain's services. Especially from teams that might be desperate or in a clear contending window, I think there's a chance the Broncos could get blown away by an offer for Surtain.

Is it all that likely? Not really, but getting multiple additional first-round picks and day two picks would truly allow this team to reset. Would it be painful to do so without Surtain? Yes. But that's the price you might have to pay to recoup those much-needed assets.

Teams like Buffalo could be desperate enough, given the season-ending injury to Tre'Davious White. The Dolphins haven't seen a trade they didn't like in the last couple of years, and they have obvious ties to Denver and Surtain.

The Dallas Cowboys lost Trevon Diggs for the season, and they might need to make a bold trade like this to remain in contention.

How about the San Francisco 49ers, who have one of the best players in the league at every other position on their roster besides cornerback?

Don't be shocked if the Denver Broncos keep Surtain, but you hear about major offers that came in for him down the road. The Broncos will have to weigh whether or not they'd be better off trading Surtain for top dollar now, or waiting until the offseason when teams might know their intent is to move on and rebuild even more clearly.

Prediction: Blockbuster, multiple 1sts, multiple Day 2 picks