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The NFL trade deadline is on November 10, and given Sean Payton’s aggressiveness, the 4-2 Denver Broncos could be buyers this year.
The Broncos weathered the initial six-game storm largely because of their defense, with Bo Nix and company barely scraping by, so if they do buy, it’ll likely be on offense to find a piece or two to help jump-start the unit.
While there are some intriguing defenders who could be available out there, it makes less sense for the Broncos to go buying on that side of the ball, unless they suffer injuries between now and the deadline, so knock on wood that they don’t.
The Broncos could use help at running back, tight end, left guard, center, and right tackle, as the players at these positions have underperformed, and they'd be the easiest to upgrade. Looking around the NFL, not many trade rumors are circulating yet, but there are some.
Any of these players could make sense, depending on the compensation it would take for Denver to acquire them. Today, we're unveiling our Broncos trade deadline big board, ranked from most to least likely.
Note: At this time, all players listed below are on teams with no more than two wins through six weeks.
The Titans are having a terrible season, and their offense is falling apart, with Cam Ward not looking like a legitimate starting quarterback. There have been rumors that Pollard is available, even going back to before last year's trade deadline.
He's mostly been linked with the Seattle Seahawks, but with the Broncos' running-game issues, they could look his way given J.K. Dobbins's struggles. It's unlikely Pollard would cost in a trade, maybe an early third-round pick in 2027 or 2028, with Denver getting him and a pick a round or two later back in return.
With the Colts firing GM Chris Ballard, many believe a fire sale is coming, but they made it clear they still have high expectations. However, if the Colts lose two of their next three games, that could change.
Nelson is playing on an expiring deal, and the Colts don’t have a first-round pick in 2027. Rumors suggest Indy may be willing to move Nelson to add to its Day 2 war chest in 2027. I could see Payton convincing Broncos GM George Paton to pull the trigger on Nelson amid Ben Powers’s struggles, though he hasn’t been the weakest link on the offensive line.
Taylor is a great running back, but his down-to-down consistency has struggled this year, with a success rate barely better than Dobbins’s. But Taylor does have a higher explosive run rate.
Teams aren’t selling out to stop Taylor, as he is facing only a slightly higher rate of stacked boxes than Denver, with both below the league average. The Colts will likely ask a lot for him, and the cost could be the sticking point.
There's also the fit issue. Taylor is better when the quarterback is under center, and Nix is one of the worst quarterbacks in that department, so it's not something the Broncos do much. If Denver wanted to pay for reputation, then giving up an early-round pick for Taylor is possible.
Still, his current level of play and the running-game analytics suggest a third- or fourth-round pick instead of a first- or second-rounder.
Luke Wattenberg has been a mess, and the Broncos are stuck with him through the 2027 season due to the extension he signed last year, unless they can trade him. Payton is familiar with McCoy, who can also play left guard if Denver wanted to look his way to improve over Powers.
McCoy is better at center, though, and his contract wouldn't be an obstacle in a trade. He should cost only a third- or fourth-round pick if the Saints want to move on from him. The Saints may need to suffer one or two more losses before they'd be willing to sell off some players.
The Texans' offense hasn’t been the issue amid their struggles; their defense has. Moreau has had a good year, and the Texans will likely look to offload either Brevin Jordan or Moreau, but the former's injury history and play should stay Denver's hand.
The Broncos should target Moreau, who has legit Y-tight end upside and could raise the floor, but would two Day 3 picks spread over the next two years be enough?
The Cowboys are underachieving, but they like Spann-Ford for his Y-tight end ability as a blocker and receiver, though he is limited as a pass-catcher. The Cowboys just signed him to a three-year extension, and he's a coach's favorite, but Jerry Jones likes to send messages to coaches when the team is underperforming, and that could lead to Spann-Ford being moved.
There haven’t been any rumors, but an earlier Day 3 pick could probably get it done if the Cowboys had interest in moving him.
This would be a dream get for the Broncos, as Parkinson is one of the better true Y-tight ends in the NFL. He is one of the best blocking tight ends and is more than enough of a receiving threat to be a game-changer for defenses.
However, Sean McVay loves Parkinson, and the Rams love their 13 personnel, which works because of him. Parkinson is still young and could be worth a slight overpay to get the Rams to make the trade, but they’re more likely to be buyers than sellers at this time in what could be Matthew Stafford's last ride.
Still, like multiple other players, a few more losses could change things in L.A.
Unlike Taylor, Williams does his best work in shotgun rather than the center, though he is more than capable at both. He isn’t afraid to open up to the media about topics his team would rather keep behind closed doors, and that's something Payton would take issue with.
Williams is a key player in the Rams' running game, and they're unlikely to move on from him unless they are offered a great deal, but as with Parkinson, two more losses could lead to a massive shift in the Rams' goals for this season.
The Bucs are another underperforming team likely to clean house, as questions arise about whether Todd Bowles will even finish the season as head coach. The Bucs could look to sell some players and kick-start a slight rebuild, so maybe Denver could convince them to move on from their starting right tackle.
Heck, the Broncos could even give them one back in McGlinchey, along with picks to get Goedeke. Probably not, though, given McGlinchey's low quality of play and his contract.
Teams don’t like to sell off offensive linemen who are playing well, even if the Bucs decide to be sellers. It's hard to build a quality offensive line in this league.
This is the dream. The Cardinals are wasting McBride’s prime, and they're still multiple years away from being a threat. It would undoubtedly take a first-round pick just to open the conversation, because he is one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
The Cardinals could be willing to trade away McBride at the right price, though. A couple more losses would likely have to happen first, and the Broncos could help with that by defeating them this week.
While McBride isn’t overly realistic, rumors over the past couple of years suggest Denver has been interested in him ahead of the trade deadline. Never say never.
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