Window is open for Broncos to pull off unprecedented trade with division rival

The Denver Broncos are in need of playmakers offensively, and the NFL trade deadline is just about a month away. There's no way they could pull off the unthinkable and strike up a deal with an in-division rival, though...right?

The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-2 to start this season, but they are in a bit of disarray at the moment. There were some comments made by head coach Antonio Pierce after Week 3 about players making "business decisions" in the team's loss that particular week, and then we saw a handful of the Raiders' biggest star players out in their Week 4 win against the Browns.

That list included star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, who was not even at the game against Cleveland, as well as star receiver Davante Adams, whose saga with the team has seemingly been ongoing for about a year now. It seems like there are legitimate reports out there right now that Adams could be gone via trade at some point in the near future as Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has been "liking" posts on Instagram talking about the unclear future Adams has with the team, and Adams himself doesn't know what the future seems to hold...

Davante Adams isn't a legitimate Broncos trade target...is he?

Where there's smoke, there's sure to eventually be fire, right? The rumors of Adams potentially being traded have been circulating for quite some time, but it really feels like there are some legs to the rumors this year as opposed to last year. Even with the Raiders being 2-2, it seems Adams is working his way out of Vegas and onto another NFL roster.

It couldn't possibly be the Denver Broncos, could it?

You never say never, but it's probably more of a Lloyd Christmas kind of situation than anything else. The Broncos do need playmakers, but in-division trades are extremely rare for a number of reasons. But let's not sit here and act like it would be unprecedented.

The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings recently came together on an in-season, in-division trade which sent star tight end TJ Hockenson to the Vikings for draft compensation. We saw the Eagles and Commanders come together on a deal just a few weeks ago involving former first-round receiver Jahan Dotson.

In-division trades, especially involving star players, are certainly rare, but not unheard of, even in recent weeks/years. If the price is right...

Davante Adams has consistently been effusive in his praise of Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II. If you can't beat 'em, why not join 'em?

The Raiders would probably prefer to trade Adams just about anywhere else but to an in-division rival, but it helps that the trade deadline is weeks away and the two teams play each other this coming weekend. Let's say in a hypothetical world that the Raiders did trade Adams to the Broncos. They would face him in Las Vegas on November 24th. And at that point in the season, who knows where either of these two teams will be?

It's much more likely that a team like the Jets with Aaron Rodgers goes after Adams. Heck, it might even make more sense for the Raiders to ship Adams off to the Kansas City Chiefs, who are getting desperate at the skill positions as well.

But it can't hurt Broncos GM George Paton to make a call, even if the Raiders just hang up on him right away. Find out the asking price, and make the Raiders say no in a situation like this. The Broncos need receivers who can help Bo Nix in his development. The current group they have is not getting the job done, at least not through the first month of the season.