The Denver Broncos have reportedly been listening to trade offers for numerous players on both sides of the ball for some time now.
But with the trade deadline quickly approaching in just a few days, on Oct. 31, will Sean Payton and George Paton make any moves?
Does the fate of many players rest on if the team beats the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday? Or, is the future of many Broncos already decided regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s game?
The DNVR Broncos Crew breaks it down.
All odds below are courtesy of bet365.
Would beating the Chiefs change the way the Broncos approach the trade deadline?
Zac: Absolutely — Beating the Packers this past Sunday had absolutely no impact on the way the Broncos will approach the trade deadline. Much like their win against the Bears, it was an uninspiring win against what will eventually be viewed as one of the worst teams in the NFL.
However, if somehow Sean Payton pulls off the massive upset against Andy Reid and the Chiefs, it will be the complete opposite story.
Sure, the Chiefs aren’t as sexy as they once were a few years ago when Patrick Mahomes was slinging’ 50 touchdowns and Tyreek Hill was running past every defense in the league. But the 6-1 Chiefs, who are on a six-game win streak, are as good as any team in the NFL thanks to their top-six offense and top-three defense. I say that to show just how impressive a win would be for the Broncos.
If Denver beats the Chiefs, it would be much more than just the team snapping their 16-game losing streak to their division rival. It would show Payton & Paton that this version of the Broncos is much closer to a finished product than anyone believes they are right now. It would show Broncos’ management that this group of players can compete for the playoffs, even if it’s not this year, and that a full teardown is not needed.
Beating the Bears and Packers felt good, but meant nothing. Taking down the almighty Chiefs would mean the world, so much so that Denver would hold onto key players such as Justin Simmons, rather than start looking toward the future and moving on from key players just two days after the game.
RK: No — Sean Payton knows what he has on this team, he knows what he needs on this team and he knows what he wants off of this team.
Over the last several games, Payton and the front office have been preparing a plan for how they will approach the trade deadline, a win over the chiefs — as satisfying as it may be — would not and should not change the team’s approach to the deadline. The rest of this season is still about building for the future.
I should note, though, that I have never expected to see a full fire sale at the deadline. We will see one of two trades regardless of Sunday’s result.
Hank: Yes — If everything goes as expected on Sunday—the Chiefs win their 17th in a row over the Broncos—Denver should be taking just about every half-decent offer they can find.
As it stands now, the Russell Wilson era should end after this season. The Broncos have given no reason to believe that they can with with Wilson leading the way at any point moving forward. They should bite the bullet this offseason and turn the page.
But biting the bullet will be expensive, and saving cap space to foot the bill will be crucial. The Broncos will save almost $10 million if they move on from Courtland Sutton after the season. If they move him at the trade deadline, they’ll save an extra $7.8 million.
Sutton is just one example. Move on from a few vets and they could raise a decent chunk of cap space and roll it over to next year. That’s why just about everybody on a second contract should be on the table in trade talks.
But if the Broncos pull off the win on Sunday they may be able to talk themselves out of committing to a teardown… at least for now. To keep Wilson for another two years would only cost the team $18.5 million more per season versus releasing him. Much of that additional money wouldn’t hit the salary cap until 2026 anyway, which is when the Broncos would likely move on from him.
Essentially, if the Broncos want to turn the page and reset the books, they should get a jump on the project on Tuesday and hold a fire sale. It’s a penny-pinching move, but it makes sense if you’re planning to next compete in 2026.
But if the Broncos want to keep building from where they stand, they should only take solid trade offers during the season. If they get to the end of the season and want to rebuild, they can still make trades and clear plenty of cap space.
Picks Picks Picks
Russell Wilson passing yards over/under 205.5
Zac: Under.
RK: Over.
Hank: Over.
Patrick Mahomes passing yards over/under 285.5
Zac: Over.
RK: Under.
Hank: Under.
Will Russell Wilson throw an interception?
Zac: Yes.
RK: No.
Hank: No.
Courtland Sutton receiving yards over/under 46.5
Zac: Under.
RK: Over.
Hank: Over.
Jerry Jeudy receiving yards over/under 44.5
Zac: Under.
RK: Under.
Hank: Over.
Travis Kelce receiving yards over/under 75.5
Zac: Over.
RK: Over.
Hank: Over.
Javonte Williams rushing yards over/under 48.5
Zac: Over.
RK: Under.
Hank: Over.
Isiah Pacheco rushing yards over/under 64.5
Zac: Over.
RK: Over.
Hank: Under.
Patrick Mahomes rushing yards over/under 23.5
Zac: Over.
RK: Under.
Hank: Under.
Broncos-Chiefs total points over/under 46
Zac: Over.
RK: Under.
Hank: Over.
Bears @ Chargers (-8.5)
Zac: Bears.
RK: Da Bears.
Hank: Chargers.
Chiefs (-7) @ Broncos
Zac: Chiefs.
RK: Broncos.
Hank: Broncos.
Raiders @ Lions (-8)
Zac: Lions.
RK: Lions.
Hank: Raiders.
Leaderboard
Last week
Hank: 7-3
Zac: 5-5
RK: 4-6
Overall
Hank: 45-40-1
Zac: 44-41-1
RK: 39-46-1
