Broncos need to do a fire sale

Things are bad. Yes, it has been just three games, it is still September, but things are bad.

Yesterday, the Denver Broncos were defeated by the Miami Dolphins by the score of 70-20. Yes, you did not read that wrong. They allowed the Dolphins to score 70 points, the most points allowed in 60+ years, and were defeated by 50 points. The Dolphins had five total rushing touchdowns as well as five total passing touchdowns in this one. This is about as ugly as it can get and the biggest sign that things need to change on this roster in a big way.

Simply, the team is not good, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Vance Joseph deserves a lot of the blame, but at the end of the day, the talent on the field performed terribly, they were embarrassed, and they simply gave up in the second half of this game.

Things need to change, the roster needs to be blown up, and it is time for the Broncos to do a full reset this upcoming offseason. The first step towards doing that is selling off pieces at or before the trade deadline. The team has a few valuable pieces, but at this point, you take what you can get and use that draft capital to build this roster from the bottom up next year.

Fire Sale Candidates

Safety Justin Simmons

The veteran safety is one of the Broncos' most valuable assets and someone who could net them a late first-round pick from a contending team. He is arguably the best safety in the league, has proven to be a ball-hawking defensive back throughout his career, and could be a big swing by a contender for their postseason push.

Simmons has been a great Bronco, a locker room leader, and someone who has been great for the community, but it is time to sell. Get some value from him, hopefully, a late first-rounder, and use those premium picks to improve this team this upcoming offseason.

Left Tackle Garett Bolles

Left tackle is a premium position and a player like Garett Bolles could net you a decent return in the trade market. He’s not an elite or even great left tackle, but he is good enough that he could be an improvement over what a team currently has right now or help replace an injured starter.

I am not expecting a huge return for Bolles, but if you could come away with maybe a third or fourth-round pick for him while also shedding his salary, I think you make that deal. Again, this team needs all the draft assets it can get, and getting some for Bolles would be a major win. Plus, it sounds like the Broncos left tackle is tired of losing and may like a fresh start elsewhere.

Wide Receiver’s Courtland Sutton/Jerry Jeudy

Both receivers were in trade talks this offseason and the Broncos decided against moving either player. Now, with the team at 0-3, a tough stretch ahead of them, and already likely looking ahead to 2024, they should start listening and shopping both receivers again.

Jeudy is the younger and more explosive option who could interest teams, but he has been on the block before and no team has ever met the Broncos asking price for him. It seems unlikely that they would do it now, but you should still listen. As for Sutton, you take what you can get. Shed that salary, get likely a day three selection in return, and let the younger players play.

Again, they have shopped both players already and no team ever met their asking price so I am skeptical about any deals happening here, but we shall see.

Linebacker Josey Jewell

The longtime inside linebacker did leave this game with a groin injury, so it is unclear how long he will be sidelined, but he is another player who makes sense to be dealt. He is in the final year of his deal and the Broncos just drafted Drew Sanders in the third round of the 2023 Draft. Take what you can get for him, a player you are likely not bringing back, and let Sanders play more for the rest of the season.

The return here would likely be a late-round pick at best, but it is better than nothing. The Broncos need to take what they can get with some of these players. I am not sure if any team would even be interested, but he is certainly one of the more logical candidates.

Final Thoughts

The Broncos need to do something to shake this team up. The longtime players I listed are not cutting it and have been part of multiple losing seasons now. They should have some value and it is time for the Broncos to sell them off and get what they can. Veteran safety Justin Simmons is your big fish here and someone who should bring back some premium draft capital in a trade. The rest? Likely nothing more than maybe a third or fourth at best and likely a late-round pick for Sutton and Jewell.

The NFL Trade deadline is on Halloween this year and we are a little over a month away from that. The Broncos' schedule looks rough from here on out and with the defense playing as bad as it has recently, every game on their schedule will be tough for them. So it is finally time to throw in the towel, do a full reset this offseason, stop with the band-aids, and start that process with a fire sale at the trade deadline.