The Denver Broncos need to be buyers at the NFL trade deadline

The Denver Broncos would be doing a disservice to the fans and their franchise if they’re not buyers at the NFL trade deadline.

When you have a chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015, you go for it.

With the Broncos at 5-3 through eight games, getting to 10 wins isn’t out of the question. The schedule gets tougher the next two weeks with the Ravens and Chiefs back-to-back, but Denver still has games with the Raiders, Browns, Colts, Chargers and Bengals.

All of this are winnable, plus Kansas City comes to Empower Field at Mile High in Week 18. If they have the No. 1 seed wrapped up, you likely won’t see Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones that day. If the Chiefs are still undefeated, that’s obviously a different story, but they’ll almost certainly drop a game or two between now and January.

And with the trade deadline looming between now and Nov. 5, the Broncos only have one more game to figure out their plan. Let’s hope head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton have already made up their minds. They should be all-in on this season.

Priority No. 1 needs to be getting Bo Nix some more weapons. Lil’Jordan Humphrey had a frustrating fumble on Sunday against the Panthers, one that eventually put the team in a 7-0 hole against the worst team in the NFL.

There’s a reason Humphrey started the year as a practice squad player. Because that’s about where he belongs at this stage of his career. Broncos Country isn’t exactly real thrilled that former Saints seems to get a bonus gold star from Payton.

Cutting Tim Patrick this summer remains the most puzzling move of training camp, but that’s a different story for a different day.

The Titans are awful, why not call them about wide receiver Calvin Ridley? Tennessee traded DeAndre Hopkins, so you have to think they’d be willing to ship out Ridley for the right price.

The same logic can be applied to Mike Williams with the pitiful Jets and Darius Slayton with the other New York team, the Giants. Mid-round draft picks should do the trick for Ridley, Williams or Slayton.

Yes, Denver’s tight ends finally showed up against the Panthers, but the position still needs to be upgraded. Greg Dulcich looks like a bust, as he’s can’t even get a gameday jersey. And Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins aren’t long-term answers.

Bringing in a running back also could be on the Payton and Paton to-do list, although Javonte Williams has looked better in three of the last five games and Jaleel McLaughlin remains shifty and fun to watch. He also has an incredible knack for finding the end zone in tough spots.

The biggest thing the Broncos can’t do is be sellers. That would be insulting to the fanbase and send a bad message to the players in the locker room. An NFL.com report over the weekend said Denver may listen to offers on OLB Baron Browning.

Browning hasn’t developed into the player we all thought he could be, but moving guys for late-round draft picks isn’t the right approach. That’d tell the men on the roster you don’t believe they can make the postseason this year, or make any noise if they do. Browning has fallen out of the rotation, but he’s needed depth if any of the Broncos best three pass-rushers go down.

No, selling simply isn’t an option. Neither should standing pat. Go get Nix another toy to play with and continue to improve an offense that’s on the rise.

Nix had his best game as a pro fewer than 48 hours ago. Show the rookie QB and the rest of the team you really believe in them. The Broncos should go buy something cool before the NFL trade deadline next week.