Proposed trade has Broncos dumping star receiver to Cowboys

If the Denver Broncos believed their roster was as bad as some pundits out there seem to believe, we might actually see a Courtland Sutton trade before the start of the 2024 season. Unfortunately for all of the roster rankers out there, that doesn't appear to be happening.

Until Sutton gets his contract situation resolved, however, the content mill is going to continue to churn out potential trade ideas involving the Broncos' star receiver. No matter what the team does or says, it seems like people are insisting that the Broncos' situation dictates they should be willing to trade Sutton to the highest bidder and get on with it -- especially if they are unwilling to pay him what he wants.

Bleacher Report recently put together a list of eight "shocking" NFL trades that could shake up the playoff race this coming season. Writer Gary Davenport has them dumping Sutton off to the Dallas Cowboys, a team that was once rumored to be interested in drafting Sutton all the way back in 2018.

Cowboys could make sense if Broncos trade Courtland Sutton

Broncos get: Conditional Day 2 pick (2025), 2025 5th-round pick
Cowboys get: WR Courtland Sutton, 2026 6th-round pick

First off, we have to slightly address the realism of the trade as the Broncos traded their 2026 6th-round pick to the New York Jets for defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. They might have to add a different pick than that one to complete this hypothetical deal.

That aside, this is about exactly what you would hope for if you're the Broncos trading away Courtland Sutton. Getting a guaranteed Day 2 pick out of the deal in 2025 would feel like a pretty strong return for the Broncos but adding a 2025 5th-round pick on top of it would make this a tough deal to pass on if you're GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton. With that being said, the Broncos have clearly dug their heels in with Sutton.

Trade Grade (for Broncos): A

At this point, it doesn't feel like Courtland Sutton is going anywhere. But the Broncos' refusal to trade him has not likely included offers like this one. If the Broncos are out of contention by this year's trade deadline and are able to get something like this for Sutton, they will probably want to pull the trigger on that deal.

Especially if they don't sign him to a renegotiated contract.

What could actually end up prompting the Broncos to make a move with Sutton? Well, if they get to the end of the preseason with a bunch of guys emerging at the receiver position, perhaps they would feel more comfortable moving in another direction. The Broncos spent multiple draft picks in 2024 on the wide receiver position, including getting Troy Franklin -- a player they had graded as a 2nd-round pick in this class.

They also went out in free agency and signed Josh Reynolds, a veteran who is expected to play a significant role in 2024.

They clearly want Sutton to be in the plans, and Sutton has aims on seeing the Broncos return to glory. But if the Broncos get an offer like this, they might be inclined to shift to the youth movement.