Report: Broncos will listen on trade inquiries for multiple key players

With the trade deadline bearing down on Oct. 31, the smoke of rumors for the Broncos increases.

The latest log on the fire came from SI.com’s Albert Breer, who wrote in his mailbag Wednesday that the Broncos would “listen” to trade inquiries on multiple key players — “even Patrick Surtain II,” as he wrote.

Breer prefaced this with noting Russell Wilson’s contract situation. As has been frequently discussed, Wilson’s 2025 salary of $37 million becomes guaranteed on the third day of the 2024 league year — which comes next March. “Early ’24 will be the time to cut bait,” Breer wrote.

Which led to Breer’s elaboration regarding other players.

After that’s done, I do think Denver will undergo a more thorough retooling, with Payton captaining all of it. Which is why the Broncos are going to listen to trade inquiries on Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Garett Bolles, Josey Jewell, Justin Simmons and even Patrick Surtain II over the next six days. The Broncos aren’t close, they need picks and it makes sense exploring getting more.

That said, there appears to be zero desire to part ways with Surtain, a first-team All-Pro last year. Further, trading Surtain now would make little sense, as the Broncos are unlikely to recoup his value via trade alone.

And if the Broncos did trade Surtain, he would appear to have the most value in a bid to move up to one of the top two draft slots next spring to select a quarterback — similar to how Carolina dealt wide receiver D.J. Moore in its deal to get the No. 1 overall pick last spring. The Panthers subsequently selected Alabama passer Bryce Young with the choice.

So, realistically, strike that notion off the list.

As for Bolles, Sutton, Jewell, Jeudy and Simmons, the dynamic is different. Jewell has an expiring contract after this season and will become an unrestricted free agent next March.

Jeudy will play next year on the fifth-year option; his cap number is $12,987,000. The Broncos could instantly wipe that off of their 2024 books with no dead money if they trade Jeudy; their only dead money would be $2,152,356 on this year’s cap.

Bolles, Sutton and Simmons could yield significant cap savings with a trade or an offseason release. The Broncos would get a combined $40.175 million of relief on their 2024 salary cap if they are dealt now or cut before the start of the 2024 league year — with $15.4 million of combined dead money.

And if the Broncos have to move on from Wilson, they will need all the cap savings they can accumulate. Which goes hand-in-hand with the trade rumors that continue swirling.

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