After making headline-grabbing trades for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton in recent years, the Denver Broncos are no strangers to making bold moves.
Although Wilson was cut this summer and Payton has overseen a rebuild in Denver, the outcomes of both transactions have been varied. The Broncos may need to redouble their aggression if Payton wants to take Wilson’s spot this offseason.
A trade wherein the Denver Broncos get the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft from the Arizona Cardinals was proposed by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport.
With Wilson gone, the Broncos have three options for the position of quarterback: take a chance on Jarrett “Not an NFL Starter” Stidham in 2024, hope that [J.J.] McCarthy or [Michael] Penix falls to them at No. 12, or be aggressive once more and trade up, according to a March 21 article by Davenport.
In this experiment, Davenport would assume the role of general manager for the Broncos. Here is how the deal would appear:
Broncos get:
– 2024 first-round pick (No. 4 overall)
– 2025 fifth-round pick
Cardinals get:
– 2024 first-round pick (No. 12 overall)
– 2025 first-round pick
– Conditional 2025 pick
The Broncos’ organization has every reason to hesitate before making such a trade following the Wilson debacle. However, Payton might not have a choice, with at least three quarterbacks projected to go within the first five picks.
“If Payton has his heart set on, say, McCarthy, then Denver is going to have to mortgage the future (again) and move up,” Davenport wrote.
Broncos Will Get a Chance to Advance Since the Cardinals Will Consider Offers for the No. 4 Pick
After the Broncos cut Wilson, the team was left with Stidham and Ben DiNucci as options under center. Payton and the Broncos might have an opportunity to improve at quarterback in the first round.
Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort told reporters during a March 20 press conference that all trade offers are on the table — including for the No. 4 pick.
“I think we’ll always have the conversation, we may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it’s at [No.] 4 or anywhere we’re picking but we’re always going to have the conversation and if it makes sense, if it’s attractive to building our team, then it’s something that we’ll certainly consider no matter where we’re at in the draft,” Ossenfort said.
Teams like the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots will likely all draft a QB in the first three picks. The Broncos are in a tricky spot, given its first-rounder is just outside the top 10.
Denver might have to strike a trade with a team like the Cardinals to leapfrog other QB-needy teams.
