Broncos stand pat at trade deadline, reaffirming commitment to long-term rebuild
Denver Post
George Paton signaled the direction his franchise was headed long before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Speaking to reporters at the annual league meetings last March, the Broncos general manager laid out the plan — albeit in somewhat coded language.
“I think (head coach) Sean (Payton) said ‘retool,’” Paton said at the time. “We’re excited for the challenge. Other teams have been through this and came out ahead. We want to build the right way for sustained success. We plan on doing that, and we’re excited for the challenge.”
In that context, the Broncos’ decision to stand pat at the trade deadline while in the middle of the playoff hunt at 5-4 makes sense. As much as ending the franchise’s eight-year postseason drought is a priority, the primary concern at Broncos HQ remains constructing a team built to win long-term.
Thus, outside of sending edge rusher Baron Browning to Arizona for a sixth-round pick, Denver remained committed to the talent in the building. Browns tight end David Njoku or a wide receiver isn’t walking through the door.
The Broncos’ options were limited after eating $53 million of Russell Wilson’s $85 million in dead money in 2024. With just $3.1 million in space, according to Over the Cap, the more pressing need was recouping draft capital after parting ways with seven picks to acquire Wilson and Payton in recent years — especially since the Broncos are not a playmaker away from serious contention.
“Superman is not walking in,” Payton said. “My brother’s the worst at this…He just wants to see action. I think that there’s so much more that goes into it relative to acquiring a player. Contracts go into it, vision goes into it and locker rooms go into it.”
Going into the season, the consensus was that the Broncos were rebuilding. The team parted ways with Wilson, All-Pro safety Justin Simmons, and veteran wideouts Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick — who was released in August.
Despite those departures, the Broncos have exceeded expectations under rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Denver is currently the seventh seed in the AFC with a better record than the Jets, Dolphins and Bengals.
A playoff appearance would be great for a fanbase that hasn’t had one since the 2015 season. But the big picture remains the focus. And that means building through the draft.
Baltimore has assembled one of the best teams in the league by drafting Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Ronnie Stanley. One of the biggest reasons the Lions are Super Bowl contenders is because they have drafted well.
By trading away Browning, the Broncos currently have seven picks in the 2025 draft. Denver has a pick in each of the first four rounds and three picks in the sixth. If the Broncos keep their first-round pick in this upcoming draft, it will be the first time drafting on the opening night in back-to-back years since 2020 and ’21.
Denver’s humbling 41-10 loss to Baltimore made it clear the Broncos need playmakers. The tight ends were nonexistent — Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull combined for one catch. Starting running back Javonte Williams was held under 50 rushing yards for the sixth time in nine games. Outside of Courtland Sutton’s 122-yard performance, the wide receivers totaled a combined 45 yards on six catches.
Denver’s offense is flawed, ranking 25th in total yards (308.6 per game) and 23rd in points (20.3 per game). The Broncos haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver since 2019.
But even if the team traded for someone like former Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who was sent to Baltimore, or Njoku, who stayed in Cleveland, the Broncos have a handful of issues that can’t be solved by acquiring one player.
Payton has stated numerous times he wants the young guys to have a chance. On Monday, he said he expects rookie running back Audric Estime to get more opportunities to run the ball. Meanwhile, rookie wideouts Troy Franklin (14 catches, 141 yards and a touchdown) and Devaughn Vele (18 catches, 176 yards) have received extended playing time in recent weeks.
The connection between Nix and Franklin hasn’t resulted in many home run plays nine weeks into their first season in Denver. But the Broncos traded away three picks to move up in the fourth round to acquire Franklin because they saw value. It’s too early to jump off that ship.
To the Broncos’ credit, they have managed to get this far with the talent on hand. Denver entered the season with a projected win total of 5.5 victories. Given the opponents that lie ahead, they have a chance at surpassing that and then some. Following matchups against the Chiefs and Falcons, Denver will play the Raiders, Browns and Colts (8-19 combined record). Las Vegas and Cleveland are among the worst teams in the league, both sitting at 2-7.
The Broncos have shown the ability to beat bad teams. With a strong defense — ranked sixth in total yards allowed (295.2) — they should be competitive nearly every week down the stretch.
The retooling process was never meant to take a few months. On Tuesday, Denver decided to live with that and move forward in developing the young talent on the roster.
“We have a young group. We have some veterans mixed in,” Payton said. “We just have to continue. Much the same as we’re developing the quarterback — which obviously gets a lot of the attention — we have to be developing these other younger players just as well.”
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