Broncos should trade almost any player who can fetch a draft pick

Not only is it time for the Denver Broncos to tank, they should speed that process up by being very active at the Oct. 31 trade deadline.

It’s time to move almost every single player who can fetch a draft pick. If that means making five, six, seven or even eight deals, then so be it. The best case scenario for the Broncos next spring would be having 10-plus draft picks, including multiple first-rounders.

For the first time in a couple of seasons, the Broncos will have their own first-round selection. In a perfect world, it would be No. 1 overall.

If edge-rusher Bradley Chubb could fetch a first-rounder at last year’s trade deadline, there’s no reason to think star cornerback Pat Surtain II couldn’t get you two of them. Even safety Justin Simmons could maybe get you one, if not a second-rounder. Left tackle Garett Bolles could hopefully do the same.

And then there’s Jerry Jeudy, who if someone offered a third-round pick, Sean Payton and George Paton should take it in a heartbeat. After that, if you can get fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh-round selections for guys like Courtland Sutton, Josey Jewell, Kareem Jackson and D.J. Jones, it’s time pull the trigger.

The only guys that should be safe are the rookies, running back Javonte Williams and last year’s high-priced free agent acquisitions. Sure it’d be nice to move on from Mike McGlinchey and that huge contract, but no team is going to take on his salary. The same goes with QB Russell Wilson. His future will be determined this offseason, and that’s a different story for a different day.

Whether or not Payton knew he signed up for a rebuild has been a matter of great debate, but the reality is he’s smack in the middle of one. And getting a lot of draft capital would go a long way toward overhauling a roster that lacks depth and frankly, talent.

If the Halloween deadline means that’s the last time the Broncos win a game this year, then so be it. It’d make for a painful final two months of the season, but the dirty little secret is losses right now are a good thing. There are some really bad teams out there, so it might take a 1-16 or 2-15 record to get the No. 1 overall pick.

And you can’t truly reach rock bottom and rebuild unless you have a franchise quarterback. That’s what USC star Caleb Williams, who looks every bit like Patrick Mahomes 2.0, projects to be.

Payton can say all he wants Denver isn’t picking up the phones, but don’t buy that for a second. It’s a good strategy to not admit publicly the Broncos are sellers, but the reality is there probably should be a giant “We’re Open” sign outside the Centura Health Training Center.

If other teams want to raid the bare cupboards of the Broncos roster, let them have the handful of guys who can actually bring something back in return.

It would be brutal to part with Surtain, but cornerback simply can’t rule or wreck a game like quarterback or edge-rusher. Teams can just not throw in their direction. The Broncos can parlay Surtain into assets that can hopefully help this proud franchise return to the Super Bowl. Heck, even the playoff would be nice.

And Simmons, Bolles, Jewell and Sutton have been part of the losing culture for too long. They’re good dudes, but a change of scenery would be best for all involved. Jeudy has now become a distraction, picking pregame fights with borderline Hall of Famers. He should be moved this week.

It’s time for Payton and Paton to do what John Elway never wanted to admit. This team requires a full rebuild, tearing it all down in order to build it back up. That starts by getting draft picks, and a lot of them, in the next two weeks.

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