Renck: Something is still not right with the Broncos’ offense, and it stands to undermine them at exactly the wrong time. The Broncos perch atop the AFC West with a 7-2 record, and the Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) are currently out of the playoffs. But we all know they will be tougher to kill than a cockroach, and the Chargers are not going away, so Denver must maximize its breathtaking start. How? Boost the offense for Bo Nix. Is a trade for a receiver or tight end the final piece to the Broncos winning the AFC West?
Keeler: I’d take one of each — but I’d also be shocked if the Broncos make any kind of skill-guy splash bigger than signing 41-year-old Marcedes Lewis, who wasn’t a “splash” at all. I’d happily take tight end David Njoku off the Browns’ hands if the price was right. (It probably isn’t.) Coach Sean Payton is usually a man of his word, so when he talked during last January’s post-Buffalo news conference about the importance of building up the Broncos’ “inside triangle” on offense — slot guy, tight end, pass-catching tailback — I figured he and general manager George Paton would spring for a makeover of the tight end room. Nope. During that 18-15 win at Houston, holdover Adam Trautman led all Broncos tight ends in offensive snap count (73%). Someone needs to tell Payton that it’s awfully hard to play the triangle with a wet noodle.
Renck: Want a joker for the joker role, then get the “Joker,” right? Or David Njoku, as it were. The hapless Browns would be wise to move the veteran, a player I stumped for the Broncos to acquire a year ago. My stance on Njoku has changed. Njoku would help, but my confidence in Payton carving out a role for him remains tepid. The Broncos have yet to figure out how to use Evan Engram, who was targeted three times with no catches at Houston. Receiver Rashid Shaheed, however, addresses a specific need — the deep threat. Nix has been inconsistent, if not awful, on long passes this season. He showed the skill a year ago, but it has not translated this season because of a myriad of issues, including mechanical flaws. Adding Shaheed would provide a weapon to complement Courtland Sutton, and force teams to make difficult choices when he is in the game with the speedy Marvin Mims Jr.
Keeler: Njoker! Right? It’s in the name! Think of the branding, Sean! Hey, I hopped on the Shaheed Train last week. This offense needs to back linebackers out of the box and make safeties worry about getting beat deep. Rashid would tick all three of those boxes. Payton’s soul dies a little each time there’s a guy wide open more than 30 yards downfield that Bo misses — or whenever that open target drops a dart. Which happens far, far too often.
Renck: The irony is that toppling the Chiefs comes down to the ground game. They don’t run the ball well, and if the Broncos do, they will beat them. But a deep threat forces a defense to make tough choices, prevents the linebackers from crowding the line of scrimmage, makes corners provide a cushion in man coverage. Shaheed has averaged seven targets and five catches per game this season, despite a carousel of quarterbacks. Yes, the move would be counterintuitive based on the Broncos’ summer posture. They traded Devaughn Vele to create snaps for Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant. Both continue to make steady progress. The Broncos, though, have a chance to snare the AFC’s top seed, and there is a clear path to win the division. Shaheed for a third-round pick makes a lot of sense for a team going for it. So you lose him at the end of the year as a free agent. So what? Time to push the chips in on this team. The players and Broncos Country deserve it.
Keeler: The Broncos aren’t chasing the Chiefs anymore. They’re chasing the Colts and Patriots for a first-round bye. Nix is on a rookie contract. It’s time to start thinking about what this team can do this January — and building a roster that can beat Buffalo in the cold, not one that’s just happy to make the dance. Besides legendary QBs, the Pats Dynasty, Chiefs Dynasty, John Elway’s back-to-back champions and the Super Bowl 50 winners had something else in common: Real producers, if not outright stars, at tight end. It’s time to get Bo a toy of his own.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.