What the Broncos must do next after the Sanders trade

 

Nobody from our side is on the trading block.

• John Elway, Oct. 11, 2019

Life moves pretty fast.

• Ferris Bueller, June 5, 1985

We live in a different world than we did a couple of hours/30 seconds ago.

• Various NFL general managers, “Draft Day,” 2014

Once again, the NFL stands for “Not for long,” as then-Houston Oilers coach Jerry Glanville told an on-field official during an August 1989 preseason game at Tampa Bay.

“Not for long” also describes the length of time the Broncos were looking to stand pat.

Within 11 days, the Broncos went from off the market to being neck deep in it.

In that time the Broncos beat the punchless Titans 16-0, then melted down in a 30-6 loss to a Chiefs team without five starters even before losing league MVP Patrick Mahomes to a knee injury.

But with Emmanuel Sanders, who was traded to the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, what was just as significant was what Elway didn’t want to detail.

“I think eventually with what happened after the Tennessee game and where we were and … with the value that we’re getting for him, we decided it was the best thing for our football team to trade Emmanuel,” Elway said on a conference call with media Tuesday.

Elway declined to elaborate. But in that time, Sanders was ruled out for the second half of the Titans game with a knee injury, returned to the practice field two days later and played another two nights after that, showing no ill physical effects.

What also happened between the Titans game and now was that Sanders communicated his desire to leave.

“Yep. He did,” Elway said Tuesday afternoon. “When we look at it, Emmanuel had issues, and we had issues, so that’s why it was a good time for us to go in a different direction [and] Emmanuel [to go] in a different direction.

“So with that being said, we were able to get the value that we thought was fair, so that’s why we decided to make the deal.”

The Broncos could not have asked for better in the swap. In exchange for Sanders and a fifth-round pick, they received the 49ers’ third- and fourth-round picks. San Francisco, at 6-0 and in dire need of a No. 1 wide receiver, was willing to pay a steep price for what could be a three-month rental with Sanders’ contract expiring after the year.

This was the easy move. While the Broncos lose production at the wide receiver position, they cleared the air in the locker room.

“I think the message that it sends to the rest of the team is that they know what message is being sent, because they’ve been around,” Elway said. “They have a good feel for what’s going on.”

But one thing that is also apparent in the locker room is that the players have a realistic grasp on what the situation for the team is.

And the reality is this: The Broncos cannot be done.

Two more things must happen in the next week and beyond.

1. THE BRONCOS MUST MAKE AT LEAST ONE MORE TRADE BEFORE THE DEADLINE

When asked whether more trades were coming, Elway replied, “Possibly.”

“Don’t know yet,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

The Broncos’ state makes it clear: They must trade Chris Harris Jr. if anyone offers them a third-round pick in the next seven days.

Harris seems likely to move on in free agency after the season. The Broncos could get a third-round compensatory pick in 2021, so any third-round choice would be greater in value. A 2020 third-round selection would also give them a whopping five Day 2 picks — four in the third round, after a draft-day trade with Pittsburgh and the Tuesday swap of Sanders.

With four third-rounders and two fourth-rounders, the Broncos would have the capital to make deals to move up. To turn two third-rounders into a second-round choice. To turn their second-round selection into a late first-round pick. All of these possibilities would be viable if the Broncos can make such a trade of Harris.

Elway said the Broncos have “not lately” heard of interest in the Pro Bowl cornerback. That doesn’t mean it will not be there in the coming days.

Harris is their most valuable trade asset. If he is not in the Broncos’ plans for beyond this season — and a team offers a third-round pick — the Broncos must make the deal.

That said, do not expect a trade of Von Miller. Holding on to him is wise, anyway. The acceleration of his guaranteed money makes a trade impractical, and he has another two years left on his contract.

You don’t want to trade an asset at a nadir, and with 2.5 sacks in his last nine regular-season games and 9.5 sacks in his last 16 regular-season games, Miller’s production is far from its peak. But the play of many other elite pass rushers this century in their 30s — Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, Julius Peppers and Michael Strahan, to name a few — offers ample evidence that Miller should have some big years in front of him.

You could rebuild in the next two years, retain Miller and come out on the other side with a productive pass rusher who would be coveted if he hit the market.

But at least one more trade is only another step. The other necessary move must come from within.

2. DREW LOCK MUST BE ACTIVATED FROM INJURED RESERVE

Elway said that he would bring Tim Patrick back from injured reserve after the bye to help fill the void of Sanders’ departure. That leaves one recallable injured-reserve spot from a group that includes cornerback De’Vante Bausby, tight end Jake Butt, quarterback Drew Lock and running back Theo Riddick.

“Not yet,” Elway replied when asked if he knew who they would bring off injured reserve. “We’re not talking about it.”

If the Broncos activate anyone but Lock, they’re doing it wrong.

The team is 2-5. It just dealt its most productive wide receiver of the past four seasons and should not be done making trades before the deadline. Its five remaining road games are against teams that would be in the postseason if it started today, the peaks of a daunting seven-game stretch through Week 15.

If the Broncos win three of those seven games, they would be doing well. They would also be 5-9, which means no playoffs for a fourth consecutive season and a third straight losing record.

With those circumstances, playing Lock and finding out what he has becomes mandatory. To not start Lock for at least four games in a lost season would make the 2019 Broncos campaign a colossal waste of time.

Unless Lock’s injury is more serious than appears to be the case, he must play — and play with a game plan tailored to his skill set, with quick reads, moving pockets, more shotgun snaps and the freedom to decide to scramble within 2.5 seconds if the first option isn’t there.

What do they have to lose?

The Broncos are 2-9 in their last 11 games with experienced quarterbacks. In Seinfeld parlance, they are at a cockfight at 3:30 in the morning.

To that, Elaine Benes rhetorically asked, “What am I clinging to?”

And realistically, the Broncos have already asked that question of themselves with Tuesday’s trade.

The Broncos took a hard look at Sanders’ production, demeanor and desire to be in Denver and elected to move on. If Harris is not in their 2020 plans, they must make a similar move if the opportunity is there.

Tuesday’s trade was the beginning of what the Broncos need to do to fully rebuild and move forward for the rest of the season and beyond.

It cannot be the end.