The Denver Broncos are 1-5. They have one of the worst defenses in NFL history and a financial albatross at quarterback (Russell Wilson) and head coach (Sean Payton). There are more blatant flaws in their roster construction and overall weekly game plans than there are any foundational bright spots that could inspire hope for the future.
It’s time for Denver to sound the alarms after looking lethargic in a 19-8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in front of a national audience Thursday night. It’s time for Sean Payton to stop brazenly lying to the Eastern Colorado media. It’s time for a trade firesale to start a proper rebuild of one of pro football’s worst teams. There’s plenty of time before the Halloween deadline to start making some calls, too.
I know what you’re thinking.
How could the Broncos provide any value to other teams, particularly those with actual goals on the field this year? Well, dear reader, just because Denver is out of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have useful players. Playoff contenders (and other suitors) eye teams like the Broncos specifically because they know that there are still valuable pieces who could contribute in an NFL season stretch run.
Let’s dive right in and break down who the Broncos should be trading to start their rebuild with a war chest of draft picks as they, ideally, price gouge (desperate?) prospective teams.
1
WR Jerry Jeudy
Age: 24
NFL experience: Fourth season
Why he’s potentially available: In the last half-decade or so, Jeudy has to rank up there with some of the league’s bigger disappointments. Once a highly-touted first-round selection in 2020, the Broncos envisioned Jeudy quickly becoming their table-setting, top playmaker.
Instead, in the time since, Jeudy has more or less been a consistent no-show. (Nothing that Steve Smith said about him is, well, untrue.) Through 37 career starts, Jeudy has just 177 receptions for 2517 yards and nine touchdowns. Because of injuries and ailments, he has yet to play a full season, as well. You could, theoretically, attribute Jeudy’s inconsistency to the Broncos’ recent offensive failures. This guy’s quarterbacks have been Drew Lock and late-stage Russell Wilson. Few young receivers would find a way to consistently thrive in that environment. However, if Jeudy was a legitimate difference-maker, he wouldn’t outright disappear for significant stretches.
This is a player with two career 100-yard efforts in over three years. Even when the Broncos do make a concerted effort to feed him the ball, he has a career 59.4 catch percentage. For a 2023 context, that’s like if the Broncos rostered players with comparable catch percentages like Demario Douglas or Kylen Granson (who?). It is not nearly what you’d expect of someone who’s supposed to be carrying an offense based on his draft position. It is what you’d expect from a player drafted in the fifth round, not the first.
Factor in a seemingly sour and immature attitude, and I’d be shocked if Jeudy is still in Denver by Halloween. Someone will take a flier on a receiver that has a fifth-year contract option remaining (if they pick it up). Jeudy needs a hard reset because he and the Broncos should be assuredly done with their relationship.
Best fits: New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers
2
S Justin Simmons
Age: 29
NFL experience: Eighth season
Why he’s potentially available: Even as he approaches a decade in the professional game, Simmons remains a valuable defender. A three-time Second-Team All-Pro (2019, 2021-2022), Simmons has probably been one of the NFL’s more underrated players for a while. I say “underrated” because he’s languished during the prime of his career on one of the league’s more inept squads. Seriously, Simmons has been a part of one winning squad in 2016 — his rookie season.
These days, as he nears his 30s, having Simmons around Denver feels like overkill on one of the worst defenses in football lore. Denver is poorly-coached (thanks, Vance Joseph) and can’t stop anyone. That defense is primarily why the Broncos are at the bottom of the standings. But if there were more cohesion and more of a pass rush, I have little doubt that a versatile safety with a career of 28 interceptions and over 550 tackles would be more noticeable elsewhere. At his finest, Simmons can be the humble leader of a secondary and the physical tone-setter for an aggressive, attacking defender. Free safeties like him can seamlessly feature anywhere.
It does not serve the Broncos’ long-term future well to keep veterans like Simmons around. He might be a good soldier, but it’s high time Denver sees what it can flip for one of its franchise players in recent years. Simmons deserves to go to a playoff contender or rising team because he’ll probably be done in the NFL by the time the bumbling Broncos are good again. Plus, he’s under contract through 2024, making any deal an extended rental of sorts.
Best fits: Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers
3
DE Frank Clark
Age: 30
NFL experience: Ninth season
Why he’s potentially available: Wherever he’s played in his NFL life (Seattle, Kansas City, Denver), Clark is a pass-rushing mercenary. He is supposed to be the final cherry on top of a good defense; the defensive end who plays clean-up in the biggest moments for a team with legitimate January and February aspirations. There’s a reason he has the third-most sacks in NFL playoff history with 13.5. He is not suited to be a No. 1 pass rusher, especially at this advanced stage of his career, nor will he help any team that clearly needs a teardown.
Let’s run down the Broncos’ current situation:
- Their defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed. Rather than serve as more of a role player, a currently injured Clark is arguably their primary pass rusher when he’s healthy (with apologies to Nik Bonnito).
- There is no Chris Jones, Michael Bennett, or Cliff Avril to draw attention away from Clark.
- The Broncos, at this moment anyway, will definitely NOT be playing meaningful football in January.
So … why is Clark still wearing the Broncos’ orange uniform? Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Denver has already cleared the way for potential trades by convincing Clark to take a pay cut:
Keep an eye on this one: The #Broncos and DE Frank Clark agreed to a pay cut that takes his $3.5 million base salary down to the minimum the rest of the way $841k), sources say. Clark gave back $1.679 million in base pay as part of the restructure. pic.twitter.com/fTpOuoeV0l
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 12, 2023
Denver signed Clark in the offseason because they needed pass-rushing assistance and because they thought they’d be a better team with Payton at the helm. The first part remains true; the second is patently false. Pass rushers do not grow on trees, but veterans in their early 30s have no place in feeble programs like Denver’s. On a two-year deal, Clark should be much more enticing to a team trying to get over the playoff hump.
Best fits: Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins
4
OT Garett Bolles
Age: 31
NFL experience: Seventh season
Why he’s potentially available: Another player mired in a depressing whirlpool of losing, Bolles, has gone under the radar because of the Broncos’ sheer ineptitude. But even at 31, it’s abundantly clear he remains an above-average offensive tackle. In a league where players at that position increasingly come at a higher premium every year, that is no small feat. There are not enough competent offensive linemen — especially on the edge — to go around all 32 teams.
Bolles’ peak came in 2020 when he earned a Second-Team All-Pro nod, but he’s been solid throughout his career. According to Pro Football Focus’s grading system, the big man has hovered around a 73 grade (note: 60 is average) for the length of his time in the NFL. Theoretically, Bolles could be a part of the next Broncos’ era — solid tackles tend to age like fine wine and play well into their 30s. But, like Simmons, losing can tend to wear on a veteran. The least Denver could do is facilitate a trade that lets an older player like Bolles get a chance to win before his play potentially curtails off a cliff.
Does this sound like a guy who wants to continue calling Denver home?
“I’ve been here for seven years and all I’ve done is lost.”
Broncos lineman Garett Bolles shared his emotions after Denver’s 50 point defeat in Miami. #9sports pic.twitter.com/Q8eR2I68H6
— Scotty Gange (@Scotty_G6) September 24, 2023
Bolles’ morose feelings aside, the Broncos must also consider their best business options. The veteran would easily fetch the best return of any player the Broncos might trade in the coming weeks. Everyone’s always looking for quality linemen, and they’re willing to pay the price.
Best fits: Los Angeles Rams, Packers
5
WR Courtland Sutton
Age: 28
NFL experience: Sixth season
Why he’s potentially available: Similarly to Jeudy on the other side of the Broncos’ offense, Sutton has provided a mixed bag of production. The difference between himself and Denver’s younger playmaker once flashed actual potential as a No. 1 receiver. In 2019 — ages ago, considering everything that’s happened since — Sutton caught 72 passes for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns while averaging over 15 yards a catch. Injuries, particularly a torn ACL in 2020, subsequently derailed Sutton’s ascent. While he still shows flashes now and then, Sutton has never regained that top form. He’s become a glorified possession receiver, not someone you build an offense around.
What plays into Sutton’s (and the Broncos’) favor is that he hasn’t shown signs of being difficult in the locker room. For the most part, Sutton has checked in with his hard hat and lunch pail for years with Denver, never complaining much despite losing his mojo. This means a lot when NFL teams gauge how a potential trade acquisition can fit into a culture and whether they’re worth the trouble of tossing around their team’s overall dynamic and chemistry. Better yet, no one who trades for Sutton will expect a focal point. They want a WR2 or even WR3 who can reliably make plays when the best options are covered — a solid player, not a difference-maker or field-tilter.
Sutton can fill that role with aplomb for any playoff-caliber team.
Best fits: Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens
