Insider Forecasts Massive Fire Sale of 5 Broncos at Trade Deadline
The playoff aspirations Denver Broncos fans had for the 2023 season have dwindled amid the team's 0-3 start. This team has all the makings of being a 'seller' come the NFL trade deadline on October 31.
The next two or three weeks will decide whether the Broncos host a fire sale at the trade deadline or push for competitive relevancy in Year 1 of the Sean Payton era.
One NFL insider is already forecasting a massive sell-off in Denver ahead of Halloween. In a Tuesday mailbag article, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer laid out the most likely Broncos to be dealt, if it indeed comes to that.
If this team is 0–5, it’d make sense to explore what you might be able to get for Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Garett Bolles, Randy Gregory or even Justin Simmons (Patrick Surtain II, for me, would probably be the one untouchable). And the reason why it’d make sense is because then, as I see it, you may be looking at a longer rebuild, and one that those five guys might not want to be a part of a couple of years from now.
Every one of those names would make sense to trade if the Broncos are woefully sub-.500 by the end of October, including Surtain. Breer isn't alone in the assertion that Surtain might be Denver's only off-limits personnel asset on the trading block, but I wouldn't be so sure.
Yes, Surtain is a former top-10 draft pick, and he's coming off a first-team All-Pro season. But he hasn't played well thus far, and the Broncos could extort a king's ransom in return for the young cornerback.
Remember, the purpose of a fire sale would be to stockpile draft resources to be used in a full rebuild. A Surtain trade would, in theory, net the Broncos a lot of the pieces necessary to effectuate such a rebuild.
But it might not come to that, even if the Broncos sell the farm in a few weeks. Trading Jeudy and Simmons alone could net a sizable sum for Payton. Throw in Bolles, and it would offer the Broncos one heck of a head start on a rebuild.
Gregory's play since arriving in Denver has likely torpedoed any value he'd have on the trading block, and I'm not sure Sutton would garner all that much interest, either. But when it comes to wide receiver-needy teams trying to make a playoff push mid-season, all bets are off when it comes to speculating on the results of NFL supply and demand.
Russell Wilson is another name to consider, though Breer doesn't mention him in his forecast. The omission is likely due to the onerous dead hits the Broncos salary cap would take in 2024 and beyond, even in the event of a Wilson trade.
Plus, any trade suitor would have to be willing to absorb Wilson's contract, and although his stats thus far have him ranked as a top-10 NFL quarterback, it's hard to argue that his play is commensurate with his cost, especially when juxtaposed with the standings.
Here's the caveat: I've covered the NFL long enough to know that when it comes to trades, especially quarterbacks, never say never.
Time will tell just how active the Broncos are ahead of the NFL trade deadline. But if the team continues on its current trajectory, it's a near-certainty that Payton will indeed be hosting a fire sale in the Mile High City, and stockpiling the resources necessary to fully rebuild this roster in his image.
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