DENVER, Colo. — The Broncos are officially sellers.
The Broncos traded Bradley Chubb, 26, to the Miami Dolphins for a package that includes a first-round pick in this year’s draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. News of the deal broke less than two hours before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Chubb posted 5.5 sacks in the first five games of the season but hadn’t notched another in the past three weeks.
Denver sent Chubb and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick to the Dolphins in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 fourth-round pick and running back Chase Edmonds. The first-round pick the Broncos received originally belonged to the 49ers, which would be the 20th pick in the draft if the season ended today.
The Broncos currently have one first-round pick, two third-round picks, a fourth-round picks, a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. They’ve lost their sixth-round pick in next year’s draft and picked up an extra fourth and seventh-round pick. They’ve lost their fifth-round pick for 2025.
Edmonds signed a big deal with the Dolphins this offseason, worth $12 million over two seasons. It was the second-largest deal given to any running back this offseason by total money, guaranteed money and average annual value behind only Leonard Fournette. The Broncos will owe him just over a million dollars for the rest of this season. They’ll have the option to keep him for $6 million next season or let him walk for nothing.
Edmonds, 26, has been used sparingly this season behind Raheem Mostert. He’s picked up 120 yards on the ground and 96 through the air, while adding three total touchdowns and 2.9 yards per carry average. For his career, Edmonds is a 4.5-yard-per-carry rusher.
Edmonds is one of four running backs on the Broncos’ roster with starting experience, alongside Melvin Gordon, Latavius Murray and Marlon Mack.
Chubb was the Broncos’ top pass-rushing option, but they’ve got some good options even with the 26-year-old out of the picture. Randy Gregory could return from injury as soon as next week. Baron Browning could be back to continue his breakout season around the same time. Rookie Nik Bonitto worked his way into the sack column in each of his last two games.
Chubb is likely to sign an extension with the Dolphins in the near future, which should be a multi-year deal worth more than $20 million per season. The Broncos would have needed to make a similar deal with Chubb at the end of the season if they hadn’t traded Chubb. Other options were to give him the franchise tag, which would keep him in Denver for one more season for about $20 million, or lose him in free agency and likely pick up a third-round compensatory draft pick.
Now, the Broncos have more money to work with this offseason. Dre’Mont Jones, Dalton Risner and Jonas Griffith are among the starters in need of new deals. The Broncos are projected to have about $23 million in cap space this offseason.
