When it comes to getting the Denver Broncos salary cap, the team is in a sticky situation. All signs point to the Broncos cutting quarterback Russell Wilson, and if he’s not designated a post-June 1 release, they’ll eat $85 million in dead money.
The Broncos will look to trade some players away to not only get under the cap but secure more draft picks. At least, that’s what NFL.com’s Kevin Patra seems to be advocating as he went around the league to identify the one offseason move each team should make.
We don’t need to rehash the Russell Wilson situation — that will get plenty of attention in the comingweeks. Instead, let’s look at the wideout room, where the status quo won’t do for another season, no matter what happens at QB. Jeudy (53.6 receiving yards per game) still hasn’t broken out heading into his fifth pro season, and the Broncos would probably like to move on. However, given the $12.987 million Jeudy is guaranteed on his fifth-year option in 2024, it might be hard to find a buyer. Trading Sutton, who caught 10 TD passes in 2023, would deal a bigger blow to the Broncos’ on-field upside in 2024 but should garner a aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabetter trade return. Last offseason, Sean Payton dismissed rumors that Denver was shopping its top wideouts. This year should be different.
Indeed, Jeudy’s tenure as a Bronco has been disappointing for many reasons. He hasn’t lived up to his first-round pedigree after Denver selected him with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
Jeudy has failed to crack the 1,000-yard mark in a season, and his career-high in touchdowns is only six. To make matters worse, fellow wideouts CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson were also selected in the first round in 2020.
Both Lamb and Jefferson have garnered All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, while Jeudy hasn’t even come close. While some of that may be due to the lackluster quarterback play in Denver, Jeudy’s attitude has also been a concern, whether it was him yelling at Steve Smith Sr. on the sideline or complaining on social media that he isn’t getting enough touches.
It has felt like Jeudy never wanted to be a Bronco at times. His $13 million cap hit will likely make it harder to obtain significant compensation in a trade. The Broncos are looking at getting probably a fifth or sixth-round pick in return for him.
When it comes to Sutton, though, he would garner a much better return in a trade than Jeudy. After resurrecting his career this past season, Sutton has raised the bar for the rest of the Broncos’ receiver room.
However, Sutton’s shelf life in Denver could be soon expiring. His 10 touchdowns and numerous eye-popping catches last season will grab the attention of teams looking for talented pass-catchers on the trade block.
The Broncos are in a unique situation. On one hand, the Broncos need Sutton to help the next starting quarterback due to their lack of talent at wide receiver. On the other, Denver also needs draft capital, which he would garner the most in return.
If the Broncos do pull the trigger, they could secure a third-round pick or better. Letting the only real threat on offense go will be tough, but the wide receiver pool in the NFL draft offers up increasingly impactful talent year after year.
