Broncos Country, apologies for last Saturday’s hiatus from Future Broncos. I was on a long drive and trip after Denver’s big win against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. We will get back in the swing talking prospects soon.
For this installment, I wanted to discuss some potential pre-trade deadline moves that have been floated and whether or not the Broncos should be interested. It’s something we haven’t covered here yet, so I thought this would be a wise time to do so with the deadline just
a few weeks away.
With the Colts starting off the season 2-4, their front office made a bold move and decided to fire long-time General Manager Chris Ballard. That has caused quite a stir across the media waves with many well-respected analysts believing that Indianapolis could be big sellers prior to the deadline.
The two major players often discussed are running back Jonathan Taylor and left guard Quenton Nelson. First and foremost, there are no doubt these two are tremendous players. Secondly, I think it’s safe to say Denver could use a boost at the running back position since J.K. Dobbins has struggled, Jonah Coleman has been hurt, and RJ Harvey hasn’t had a lot of carries or reps in his second season.
However, some reports have suggested the Colts are looking to recoup their first-round pick they gave up to the New York Jets to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardener. If that’s the price tag, there is no way the Broncos should be interested. It’s not just the draft capital that matters—it’s the fact Taylor has a massive two-year contract thereafter Denver would have to absorb.
Yes, the Broncos are scheduled to receive a fourth-round compensatory pick for John Franklin-Myers. Moreover, will have an additional seventh-round selection from the New Orleans Saints to finalize the Devaughn Vele trade. That’s extra Day 3 capital which will be nice, but let’s be real. The Broncos aren’t in a position to trade away another top draft selection—especially for an aging running back.
That’s happened three of the last five years due to acquiring Jaylen Waddle, Head Coach Sean Payton, and Russell Wilson with a total of four first-round picks involved. The truth is, Denver has a lot of long-term and future needs to address. It doesn’t seem wise to toss away a top pick on a short-term and expensive rental at running back.
With respect to Nelson, he is in the final year of his contract with the Colts. He’s an All-Pro player and one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. He would certainly be an upgrade over Ben Powers who has had an up and down tenure with Denver.
Though I’d imagine his price-tag will also be high. It would also come under the condition the acquiring team would offer him one of the largest contracts at the position. You can’t just trade off premium draft capital for a half a season rental. And honestly, the Broncos already have one of the highest paid offensive lines in football. It’s truly an area where they need to get younger and start saving money against the cap.
Another player that has been floated potentially is Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. I’m not so sure the Lions are even remotely interested in trading him off. He has been a productive player for them, but the nagging injury history is a concern. They are still in the thick of it in a tight NFC North battle, so I don’t even think he is a realistic option for Denver.
Acquiring him would also mean finding a way to extend him since he is in the last year of his rookie contract. I guess I’m not certain he would be much of a needle mover. How quickly could he even pick up Payton’s offense and find a way to be a meaningful contributor? Would he even be a frequent target on offense? How quickly would he get chemistry with Bo Nix? Quite frankly, I’d rather see Denver invest a top pick to address their big need there than attempt to go this route.
All things considered, I just don’t see the Broncos being huge buyers before the deadline. I could be very wrong about this. It’s fair to say they should be aggressive because these moves may line up with the idea of maximizing their Super Bowl window. Though if they don’t pan out, it would also be at the expense of drafting and building for the future—which they’ve done far too often over the past few seasons.
I’m curious to know what you all think. Should the Broncos be buyers? What type of draft capital would you be willing to give up in the event these players were really on the market before the deadline?
