Jerry Jeudy isn’t tradable only if the Broncos are in win-now mode

Broncos head coach Sean Payton has categorically refuted the claim that his team is shopping Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. This is like saying you won’t eat chocolate cake or sardines for dessert because you are on a diet. One is clearly easier to reject than the other.

“I see and read just like everyone else does,” Payton said to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero at the annual owners meeting in Phoenix. “Then occasionally, when someone really crowds the plate, I throw a fastball right at their chin, and they back up, and they’re like, ‘Alright.’ And so I haven’t thrown any fastballs lately, but we’re not trading those two players.”

Well… okay… but… c’mon now.

“Why do people call?” Payton continued. “Because they know we’re void of draft picks and that we might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding Courtland. But we like the current group that we’re working with.”

Like most parents with multiple children, you love ’em all. But let’s face it, there’s a difference in how you feel about the kid that got into Harvard and the one who is at Arapahoe Community College.

Don’t fall for the banana in the tailpipe on this particular tall tale.

If the Broncos weren’t willing to trade their two stars, why was there such interest in 6-foot-5 wideout Allen Lazard?

“(The) #Broncos were also very aggressive in their pursuit of WR Allen Lazard,” tweeted Jordan Shultz. “But likely would have had to make a trade. Denver really values his toughness and route-running.”

Why were the Broncos sniffing around Adam Thielen?

“I think there was the Broncos, Cowboys,” Thielen said during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show. “I had conversations with those teams and a few others. And, again, the Panthers just felt like the best fit and it all kinda just worked it.”

In addition, what should we take from the Broncos signing former Saints receiver Marquez Callaway to a one-year deal? Callaway was very productive with Payton, accounting for 46 catches, 698 yards, six touchdowns for New Orleans when the two were together in 2021.

What do we make of the training injury to K.J. Hamler that will sideline him until the start of training camp and perhaps longer? Hamler has shown brilliant flashes for the Broncos, but relying on Hamler to be healthy is like counting on hippies in Boulder to forget about what to do on April 20.

Sean Payton can deny, deny, deny all he wants, but the phone is clearly ringing because the Broncos are putting out the bat light. Help catching the ball is needed in the Mile High City.

According to 9News Broncos insider and 104.3 The Fan contributor Mike Klis, the asking price for Sutton was a second-rounder and a first for Jeudy. This price tag for Jeudy seems reasonable, if perhaps a small stretch. A second-rounder for Sutton is absurd.

Sutton is a shadow of his former self. His ACL injury in 2020 dramatically changed almost everything about him as a reciever. He has almost no separation ability. His elite talent in high-pointing passes has been neutralized. A middle-school rumor about Jenny breaking up with Tommy has more speed than Sutton on the field. He has just four touchdowns in 122 receptions over the past two years. In that same time, his yards per reception is at the lowest of his career (13.0).

Let’s face it, Sutton’s best days are behind him. It’s hard to imagine the Broncos wouldn’t deal Sutton and his $14.5 million contract for far less than a second-round pick. The fact they haven’t dealt him likely indicates they can’t deal him.

Jerry Jeudy’s value isn’t on the other side of the fence compared to Sutton. It’s on the opposite end of the football equator.

Jeudy has become the most-dangerous weapon on the team. Because the point of the game is scoring, he projects to be the Broncos most valuable player and most important asset towards winning.

Many want to be critical of Jeudy as if the future is determined by lifetime achievements rather than what exists in the here and now. While it may be frustrating that his initial development has taken two and a half years, what Jeudy brings to the table is where he left off last season, not where he started when he was drafted.

“Jeudy returned from a two-game absence from a sprained ankle last season to finish with 37 catches, 523 yards and three touchdowns over the last six games,” Klis recently noted. “That projects out to 105 catches, 1,481 yards and nine touchdowns over a 17-game season.”

“The key there is for Jeudy to play 17 games,” the 9News Broncos insider added. “Ankle injuries have limited him to an average of 12.5 games the past two years. Still, expect the Broncos to not only count on Jeudy to have a big year in 2023, but it would be a surprise if by the May 2 deadline they did not exercise the fully guaranteed, fifth-year option of $12.987 million for 2024.”

The value of picking up the fifth-year option is a total bargain. But, that fact doesn’t mean the Broncos should ignore what a trade could bring.

Payton told Broncos employee Phil Milani in an exclusive team orchestrated interview that during the free-agent period they put together a, “must, need and want list.” This should also apply to the draft.

Must the Broncos acquire a first- or second-round pick?

Sadly, the answer is yes. The capital used to trade for Russell Wilson and Payton has been crippling. Spending the most amount of money this year in free-agency is a dubious badge of honor. So, need and want go out the window. If the Broncos don’t get a first- or second-round pick, they will be bereft of a critical starter for years to come.

This is exactly why they should consider moving on from Patrick Surtain as his is the only guaranteed first-round value with possible multiple picks. The next best option is Jeudy.

Teams understand the desperate situation the Broncos are in. They are circling like vultures around a freshly downed beast in the Sahara. Sean Payton is puffing out his chest as he attempts to protect his herd. But, nobody is going to bite. The Broncos have no upper hand in this situation. There is now zero chance they can get rid of Sutton, and the dark inevitability of value castration has cut through their once proud championship DNA.

Not only should they trade Jeudy, they must dump him for far less than originally imagined. Payton now stands at the precipice of an alarming test of pride or reason.

The decision on how to move forward circles the same drain when it comes to evaluating whether they feel they are in a championship window or not. If they truly believe in Russell Wilson to win now, then hold onto Jeudy, extend his fifth-year option and get ready to give him a mind-blowing second contract.

If they have doubts, then they should do what it takes to be smart. Trade Jeudy for a likely mid-second round pick and reinforce either your defensive or offensive line.

As the only person on earth who understands that Surtain contains the most value and believes that Jeudy is the team’s best player, my decision would be to hold onto Jeudy and deal Surtain.

Save your online vengeance. I know this isn’t going to happen. It is one of many mistakes made over the years as the team constantly thinks they are in a non-stop state of must winning-ism. However, the reasoning behind what appears to be ludicrous thinking stands firm as it can be applied directly to Jeudy.

It should be noted that Sean Payton isn’t even trying to disguise that he alone is making these critical decisions for the organization. Why should he even pretend to care what George Paton thinks? He was hired to change the culture and set the tone. He is well within his rights to do so. But, be forewarned Sir Payton that pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

While you may be stuck with Sutton, jettisoning Jerry is justified at whatever the cost.

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