As the NFL’s trade deadline (Oct. 31) draws closer, teams have been calling the Denver Broncos (1-5) about the possibility of a fire sale.
The Broncos have already traded outside linebacker Randy Gregory to the San Francisco 49ers, and the team also released pass rusher Frank Clark. More moves could be on the way, but coach Sean Payton isn’t tipping the team’s hand.
“The focus is on the schedule and winning the next week,” Payton said Monday. “Certainly, every year when this time comes, there’s speculation. People call, and people call teams that aren’t playing well or are struggling to see if they’re interested in moving players. That would be the only thing [going on].
“It doesn’t require a four-day summit relative to what the plan is. George [Paton] would bring any information to Greg [Penner] and myself, but right now, our focus is on playing Green Bay.”
The team’s most notable players who could draw trade interest are wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Pat Surtain, Denver’s star cornerback, likely has the most trade value of any player on the team, but the Broncos are unlikely to trade their best player.
Denver will host the Packers on Oct. 22 and the Chiefs on Oct. 29 before the NFL’s trade deadline arrives on Oct. 31. The results of those games might influence the team’s approach to potential trades in the coming weeks.
