The question started innocently enough, only for Sean Payton to obfuscate the Broncos’ intentions as much as possible.
With the trade, and you’re in a buyer position, philosophically, do you believe in the benefit–
“With what trade?” Payton said on a Monday conference call, interrupting a reporter.
Philosophically, do you believe in sending a message to the team that you’re all in?
“We would never make a trade to send a message to the team,” Payton said. “Everyone in the locker room, our players, coaches, management, front office, knows that we’re all in to win.
“The trade would take place — this supposed trade — if we found value in something that could help us,” Payton continued. “Period. That’s it. We’re not looking to send a message.”
As Tuesday’s 2 p.m. trade deadline approaches, the NFL world is keeping a close eye on the Broncos’ aggressiveness, as the club evaluates a potential Payton-dubbed supposed trade. Denver is 7-2 and a game up in the AFC West entering a key stretch run, with two divisional games against the Chiefs remaining. They also still carry a litany of glaring issues, making them a potential buyer at the deadline.
But would they gamble away draft picks for an all-in rental?
“We’ll see,” Payton responded when asked Monday if Denver was in a position where they wanted to make a move.
Payton and others have expressed public confidence in the current Broncos roster. Anything is possible in the next 24 hours, but a trail of breadcrumbs leads to a single most likely outcome: Denver either stands pat or doesn’t make an overall massive splash.
“It is what it is,” Payton said in Sunday’s postgame presser when asked to evaluate his team at the halfway point. “It’s our record. I lost track…”
Someone reminded him that the Broncos are 7-2.
“There you go,” Payton continued. “That’s how I see it. That’s pretty good.”
Trade rumors have floated around the Broncos for weeks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Denver is one of a few teams that’ve made a call inquiring about wide receivers. And Denver has a few positions where it could look to upgrade or find depth: receiver, tight end and left guard, most notably.
But there are considerations with each of those position groups that muddy the waters.
In his almost 20 years as an NFL head coach, Payton’s teams have never traded for a wide receiver at the deadline. In late October, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi also expressed faith in the receivers Denver has on its roster when asked if they could look to the deadline for WR help. Plus, Denver gave $16.5 million guaranteed to tight end Evan Engram in the offseason and still hasn’t figured out how to consistently use him in its offense (0 catches on 3 targets at the Texans Sunday).
The Broncos could also look for help at inside linebacker, but Vance Joseph’s defense revolves around ILB Alex Singleton as a primary on-field communicator. Denver’s is also ramping up inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw to full speed after he missed seven of the first nine weeks while rehabbing a quad and serving a one-game suspension. Greenlaw played 37% of the Broncos’ defensive snaps Sunday and was in on some fourth-quarter looks. His usage should only rise.
“It’s good to have him in the lineup. It was tough waiting and making that decision,” Payton said, referring to the Broncos’ move to put Greenlaw on injured reserve earlier in the year, “but hindsight, it was worth it.”
Denver could evaluate offensive-line help at the deadline, with left guard Ben Powers’ eventual return from a biceps tear uncertain. But the tea leaves, for now, aren’t showing a massive swing. Backup Alex Palczewski has filled in ably the past three weeks, and there’s plenty of overall confidence already brewing inside the Broncos’ locker room.
“We are at the point where we expect to give ourselves a chance to win every game,” quarterback Bo Nix said Sunday, after an ugly 18-15 win over the Texans. “The expectations are that we’re going to compete and find a way, however it looks.”
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