Broncos Named as 'Potential' Mac Jones Trade Suitor by CBS Sports

Word on the street is that the New England Patriots have tried shopping quarterback Mac Jones. Aside from being the winningest head coach of the past quarter-century, Bill Belichick is also known for being ruthlessly pragmatic.

Where could Jones land, if Belichick is able to find a suitor willing to meet his asking price? Curiously, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin circled the Denver Broncos as one of the top fits.

They're tied to Russell Wilson through 2023 (and would have to eat lots of money to dump him in 2024), but new coach Sean Payton has already hinted that new No. 2 Jarrett Stidham is a candidate for future starting reps. Why wouldn't he unturn every stone as he looks to revive the franchise, especially considering he was admittedly high on Jones as a prospect while coaching the Saints? Stylistically, the QB's short-area efficiency is at least a little reminiscent of Drew Brees.

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Don't make me laugh. This is a stretch, to say the least. Even if we were to assume that no greater fan of Jones could be found under the sun than Payton, the Broncos don't have any room left in the QB inn.

Wilson would have to be part of this fantasy trade in order for it to even remotely approach the plausible. With a salary-cap number of $22 million this season, the Broncos just paid Wilson a $12M bonus.

Cutting Wilson before June 1 would incur an $85M dead-cap hit in 2023 and nearly $50M in 2024. Considering his cost, Wilson's trade value around the NFL has cooled in the wake of his terrible 2022 season. For better or worse, the Broncos are stuck with Wilson for the foreseeable future.

That was half the calculus behind the Walton/Penner group's decision to splurge and not only give up premium draft capital to acquire Payton, but pay him handsomely. It's on Payton to figure out how to get Wilson's play back to a level commensurate with the $245M contract extension Denver gave him last summer.

Just in case, Payton hedged by signing Stidham. And while the Broncos also have Jarrett Guarantano still on the roster, if another QB is added this offseason, it'll be via the NFL draft or the college free agent ranks afterward.

Jones landing in Denver is an absurd notion. But it is the offseason. The storyline pickings, outside of draft buzz, are admittedly slim.

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