Broncos trade deadline: Are they buyers or sellers in 2023?
The Denver Broncos have had some slow starts since Peyton Manning retired, but the 2023 season has been one of the slowest in their history. September was not kind to the franchise and October has been only a little better. As such, will the team be active before the trade deadline?
The Broncos are at the bottom of a division in which three of the four teams are under .500. The Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders already own the tie-breaker and at 2-5, Denver would need to go on a three-week tear to simply get back to an even record.
Sean Payton is no stranger to such runs, but his new team feels different. Despite staying in most games this season, the team has regularly slumped in the fourth quarter.
Why the Denver Broncos need to be sellers at the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline
Aside from the massive comeback against the Chicago Bears in Week 4 and the two-point comeback in a late thriller against the Green Bay Packers last week, Russell Wilson's team has come up short late in games.
That's the crux of the problem for the Broncos. Despite their quarterback putting up 13 touchdowns and four interceptions, the team is still finding ways to lose. Wilson built his career on pulling off late drives, but since joining Denver, he's proven unable to do that consistently. Throw in a defense that is currently ranked near the bottom in every team category, and that's a recipe for trouble.
The question of whether the team will be buyers or sellers is entirely up to how the team feels about the next handful of weeks. If they lose the next two matchups, they'll need to win for the rest of the season to obtain a winning record.
One of those matchups is against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that Denver hasn't defeated since Peyton Manning was in town. Then, following a bye, the team will take on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. In other words, they will face two of the top teams in the AFC.
So, when one looks at their situation, it's pretty much a guarantee that the franchise won't be buyers. However, the real question is whether they'll be parting ways with any of their players.
Which players might the Denver Broncos trade?
At this point, the biggest trade candidates are Jerry Jeudy, Justin Simmons, and Courtland Sutton. That is not to say that the team will trade all three stars, rather, one or two might be on the trade block. It simply depends on the offers presented to the team.
The top candidate is Jerry Jeudy, as Broncos Country has turned against the wide receiver. Many are frustrated with Jeudy as general manager John Elway dropped a first-round pick on him in 2020 and have failed to see a strong return on the investment.
This is the wide receiver's fourth year in the NFL and he has missed the 1,000-yard mark in the previous three seasons. This year, he has earned just 286 yards in seven games and has yet to catch a touchdown pass. He already has a year in which he didn't catch a single touchdown, so fans are bracing for the worst if he survives the trade deadline.
Justin Simmons is the other most likely trade candidate for the Denver Broncos. The safety is about to turn 30 years old and his play has declined compared to last year. In 2022, he earned a 70.7 PFF grade and this year, he has a 57.3 grade. However, with his better days still fresh in the minds of fans and front offices, they might be willing to take a gamble on the safety.
Courtland Sutton figures to have an outside chance of getting traded, but he has played well this season and Russell Wilson appears to be developing a connection with him. As such, he might be safe unless the team gets a big offer.
What time is the 2023 NFL trade deadline?
The trade deadline is Tuesday, October 31, which happens to be Halloween. Officially, the deadline for making a trade is at 4:00 p.m. EST, meaning fans can check the news for moves and then start to get ready for Halloween festivities.