Report: Per league sources, Broncos’ asking price for Jeudy, Sutton is ‘too high’
Mar 24, 2023, 12:06 PM
It takes two to make a trade. And both sides want a fair deal when executing a swap.
But according to a report from The Athletic, what is fair to the Broncos isn’t perceived that way by other clubs interested in wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.
According to that report, written by Jeff Howe, the Broncos have made it clear that the asking price for Jeudy involves at least a first-round pick.
But elsewhere, other teams don’t see Jeudy that way:
But as rival teams analyze Jeudy, they’re seeing a receiver who has missed time each year with injuries and has yet to amass enough production over long, consistent stretches. It’s fair to wonder how much of the latter critique has been circumstantial, as the Broncos have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league for three years.
Indeed, the conundrum the 2020 first-round pick is this: Which player is the real Jeudy? If it’s the player who amassed 523 yards and three touchdowns on 37 receptions in the final six games of the season, that would represent a first-round value. Those numbers extrapolate to 1,482 yards and 8.5 touchdowns on 105 catches over a 17-game season.
But prior to that stretch, Jeudy had 120 catches for 1,772 yards and 6 touchdowns over his first 35 career games. That yields a decidedly more modest 17-game pace of 58 receptions for 861 yards and 3 touchdowns.
As for Sutton, he “isn’t viewed as a No. 1 receiver,” writes the Athletic. “So, the Broncos’ asking price has remained too high for him, as well.”
While the free-agent receiver class is not robust, the draft remains bountiful. College football has no trouble producing quality pass catchers, and teams generally see the draft providing better value at the position.
Or, at the least, better value than the Broncos reportedly seek.
***