The Denver Broncos need some defensive help in the middle, and they should consider this crazy trade that actually makes a lot of sense. Dre Greenlaw is set to miss at least three more games, so he is eligible to return in Week 7, a home game against the New York Giants.
But in the meantime, Denver might see the return of DT Malcolm Roach, which will be huge. However, the ILB position has been a sore spot for Denver this year, and even when Roach is back, his presence isn't going to fix the massive disappointment in the middle of the unit.
Well, the Denver Broncos should get creative to fix their ILB room, and this team would still have a need at the position with Greenlaw back in the mix. This wild trade idea might seem insane, but it makes sense when you think about it...
The Denver Broncos should try and flip Jonathon Cooper for some linebacker help
Think about this for a second; the Denver Broncos have an insane OLB group at the moment. Nik Bonitto is quickly emerging as a top-5 pass-rusher this year and is already on pace for 17 sacks and 51 QB hits in 2024.
Furthermore, second-year player Jonah Elliss is simply outstanding and is making splash plays consistently. Elliss already has one sack, three tackles for loss, and two QB hits in just 88 defensive snaps. And if you keep going down the line, Dondrea Tillman is another quality backup, and the team did use a mid-round pick on Que Robinson.
When you look at the OLB group, it's clear that someone like Jonathon Cooper could absolutely be dangled as a trade piece for some ILB help. The Broncos have a huge position of strength here, but do have a massive position of weakness.
Denver could take from that strength at OLB and flip a player for some much-needed ILB help to perhaps get that unit at an average spot. The potential names at ILB who could be available for trade aren't necessarily clear at the moment, but in the coming weeks, the teams that continue to stack losses will be in a position to trade some players.
And seeing as Jonathon Cooper plays an important position, they could be interested in rebuilding their pass-rush while sending someone from a not-as-important position to the Broncos in return.