Rumor Mill: Ramsey, Manning & Williams | Are the Broncos in the trade market?

The NFL is seemingly turning into the NBA, where disgruntled or marginalized players can force their way off a roster and into a more advantageous situation. We've seen it unfold multiple times already this year, with the likes of Odell Beckham, Jr., Antionio Brown, Jadeveon Clowney and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

A few new names have hit the rumor mill this week, and Denver Broncos fans are wondering whether GM John Elway will get in on the sweepstakes. Let's take a look at the high-profile players now available and whether a Broncos connection exists or is even likely.

Jalen Ramsey, CB | Jacksonville Jaguars

The most recent name to hit the rumor mill is Jacksonville's diva cornerback Jalen Ramsey. A former top-5 draft pick, Ramsey's brief NFL career has been tumultuous and at times adversarial toward the Jaguars but you can't say the man hasn't produced.

Now in his fourth year, the high-maintenance Ramsey has already made two Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2017, the year the Jaguars made it to the AFC Championship Game. He's got some stock but with Nick Foles going down (likely for the season), the immediate future doesn't appear fortuitous for Ramsey and his team and he's tired of losing. Plain and simple.

That doesn't mean the Jags should acquiesce and accommodate his disgruntled request for a trade. But teams have been calling Jacksonville to inquire and the ask is a big one.

I'm hearing two first-rounders is what it would take to get Ramsey out of Jacksonville. Would such an exorbitant cost make sense for the Broncos?

Verdict: Absolutely not.

The Broncos are a team knee-deep in a 'cold' rebuild. The front office won't admit to a rebuild publicly but the Broncos are indeed having to restock the cupboards, starting over with a new head coach in 2019.

Denver needs all the draft capital it can stockpile at this point. Giving up two first-rounders is something a team on the cusp of a championship would do — mortgaging the long-term stability for short-term gains.

Are the Broncos interested in Jalen Ramsey? Of course. Who wouldn't be? But base interest doesn't mean the team is willing to give up a king's ransom to acquire him.

Eli Manning, QB | New York Giants

The Giants officially pulled the plug on the Manning era in the Big Apple, supplanting him with rookie first-rounder Daniel Jones. Eli has been the epitome of impotent as a QB dating back many years now.

He never had much of a fastball but whatever 'oomph' he did have has long left him. And yet, fans have hit me up on social media to ask if the Broncos are interested.

Perhaps it's because of the familial ties to Peyton Manning and a nostalgic hankering for those successful years the Sheriff had in Denver that has some fans pining for Eli. Get that out of your heads, though.

Verdict: No way.

The Broncos have their veteran stop-gap in Joe Flacco. If'n you believe John Elway, the Broncos think Flacco is in his prime still, and the team drafted the long-term, future guy in the second round this past spring — Drew Lock.

Even if Eli still plans on playing post-2019 and ends up on the free-agent market and the Broncos end up moving on from Flacco after this season, Peyton's little bro isn't coming to Denver.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Elway bring in another veteran fail-safe next year if Flacco bombs in 2019, but it would only be to serve as a veteran fail-safe and mentor to Lock in that situation.

Still, the odds of Eli ever landing in Denver, in the shadow his big brother, are next-to-nil. The Manning family has always strived over the years to keep the Peyton and Eli stories separate. That's not about to change for a backup job in Denver or Indianapolis.

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Trent Williams, LT | Washington Redskins

Now we arrive at the disgruntled player that has really captivated the minds of Broncos Country. On the heels of Garett Bolles' Week 2 performance in which he was flagged a whopping five times for holding (four accepted), fans are desperate for any upgrade at the left tackle position.

And understandably so. The options for upgrading a premium position are extremely limited once the regular season begins. The trading block is the only way to get it done and it requires an outside team being willing to deal a player at premium position.

Williams has held out in Washington for a while now, while the Redskins have moved on with Donald Penn at left tackle. Meanwhile, the Broncos' are being 'held' hostage by the incompetent play of Garett Bolles.

Verdict: Still possible but unlikely.

Remember the 'cold' rebuild? Word on the street is that Washington is asking for a first-rounder as a starting point for even listening for offers for Williams. The Broncos need every draft pick they have.

If Williams was a bit younger, it would be easier for Elway to rationalize such a trade, or if the Broncos were in a more competitive form. But as good as Williams is (best LT in the NFL), he's 31 and will want a new contract with any team that acquires him via trade.

Andrew Whitworth is proving that NFL tackles can play long into their 30's but there's no guarantee Williams would follow suit. Meanwhile, Williams hasn't played any meaningful football in 2019 and would take some time to get into shape.

If Bolles continues to torpedo the Broncos' offense while Ja'Wuan James is sidelined with a knee injury, Elway might feel like he has no choice but to knee-jerk a trade for Williams. Never say never, but considering where the Broncos are as a franchise in the overall scheme of things, I don't see a Williams trade happening, though the interest is there.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.

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