Broncos Should Resist the Temptation to Hold a Fire-Sale
With the Denver Broncos disappointing for yet another year, fans are calling for the team to tear it down and start over. While there are a few players who could be traded for draft capital, it would be unwise to strip the team of valuable pieces completely.
This team is not destined for a rebuild but rather a reload — for a few reasons.
The Broncos most likely to be traded or have been rumored to have trade interest are wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, and offensive guard Dalton Risner. Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, center Lloyd Cushenberry, and running back Melvin Gordon could also be expendable.
If fans truly want a 'fire sale,' that would mean throwing in players like defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, wideout Courtland Sutton, and safety Justin Simmons, which would be ludicrous.
After extending quarterback Russell Wilson, the Broncos are committed to him for at least the next four seasons. Sorry to the 'Russ is washed' crowd, but he can’t realistically be traded.
With Wilson leading the team for the foreseeable future, Denver needs to commit further to give him the best chance to succeed. Rumors of Jeudy and Hamler garnering trade interest have dominated the media.
While there is an argument for Jerry to be shipped out, Hamler hasn’t been utilized to the best of his abilities in this offense. As long as Nathaniel Hackett is calling the plays, this offense will continue to shoot itself in the foot.
With the proper offensive play-calling, the trade rumors surrounding these two wideouts wouldn’t even be in the realm of possibility. Taking away either playmaker will only further hinder Wilson as he acclimates to playing outside of Seattle.
Coaching has held back the Broncos for seven grueling years, and Hackett is purportedly one more loss away from getting canned in the middle of his first head-coaching stint. Denver was believed to be a quarterback away from competing, but with a lame-duck head coach, this team is stuck pushing a boulder up the Rocky Mountains as if they were Sisyphus.
With another head coach possibly stepping in during the offseason, it would be irresponsible to strip the roster of multiple valuable pieces. Doing so would be like taking the turkey and mashed potatoes away and opting for the buzzard you saw on the side of the road and turnips for Thanksgiving dinner.
Whoever Hackett's potential successor could be, the Broncos would be setting him up for failure based on the misconception that 2023 draft picks would come in and immediately fill the glaring holes.
Now is not the time to completely blow up the Broncos. Trading away a player like Chubb or Risner makes sense, whether it is due to contract or depth, but to ship off cornerstone pieces like Sutton or Jones would be questionable at best.
The belief that Wilson is magically washed after playing under a first-time head coach and play caller who is in over his head just doesn’t compute. Wilson has made his mistakes, of course, but it’s bigger than just him.
Restock, don’t burn it down. Reload, don’t unload.
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