Payton on Trade Deadline: Broncos 'Not Looking to Do Business'
Despite already dealing away starting outside linebacker Randy Gregory, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton claimed the team is "not looking to do business with any of our players" ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline, which he apparently was unaware of until Tuesday.
Wink, wink.
[General Manager] George [Paton] and I talk every day, three or four times a day," Payton told reporters. "We’re not looking to do business with any of our players. That doesn’t prevent teams from calling at times. We just—you pick the phone up, but that’s kind of where it’s at. We’ve got a good handle on this current roster and our vision for the roster a year from now. That’s the part about improving and getting better. Until you just said it, I wouldn’t have known it was three weeks away. Three weeks seems like an eternity right now.”
If that sounds like coachspeak, it's because it probably is. The Broncos are 1-4 with a Thursday night road tilt against the Chiefs on deck. The playoffs are all but mathematically impossible. They're closer to earning the No. 1 overall draft pick than a winning record.
The time for a rebuild is now — and with it, the expulsion of several high-profile assets to recoup desperately needed capital. Which several league insiders posit as an inevitability.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported after Gregory's departure that Denver is open to fielding offers regarding "almost any" defensive player. Relatedly, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added that OLB Frank Clark is drawing interest from prospective suitors and may be next on the move.
ESPN's Dan Graziano stated Tuesday the Broncos are "listening" on wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton while Outkick's Armando Salguero recently floated safety Justin Simmons and left tackle Garett Bolles as potential trade options.
All this smoke could — and likely will — lead to a fire(sale).
We'll see if Payton's tune changes come Friday morning.
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