ESPN suggests Broncos could use Courtland Sutton to trade up
Apr 18, 2024, 10:36 AM
The Denver Broncos may have a Courtland Sutton problem on their hands.
The veteran wide receiver didn’t show up at voluntary workouts this week, as the NFL Network reports he’s seeking a new contract from the team. Sutton is coming off a season in which he caught 10 touchdowns, but also only had 772 yards receiving, which was 44th in the NFL.
As our own Andrew Mason pointed out, the numbers show Sutton isn’t deserving of a new deal from the Broncos.
So, could Sutton have played his last down in orange and blue if the two sides can’t reconcile? Perhaps, and a new mock draft from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on Thursday suggests the Broncos could use Sutton to trade up the board.
This one is a bit quirky, as Barnwell proposes a trade for every team in Round 1, but he sees the Broncos with potential to get to No. 4 overall in a deal with Arizona.
In this deal, Denver would give up No. 12 this season and their 2025 first-round pick and second-round pick, plus Sutton. They’d get back No. 4 this year and a third-round selection as well.
“The Broncos have been remarkably quiet this offseason after the Russell Wilson trade, and while that’s partly a product of their cap situation, Payton surely has to be thinking about what’s next for this team at quarterback,” Barnwell writes. “The Cardinals would also (get) a player who can help Kyler Murray and the offense now in Sutton, who is 29 and has two years remaining on his existing deal.”
It’s an interesting idea for both teams.
The rebuilding Cardinals would land several premium picks from the Broncos, plus a wide receiver who could catch footballs from Murray right away. Denver, of course, could draft their QB of the future. That selection would likely be J.J. McCarthy or Drake Maye, depending on how the draft board falls.
Who are the Broncos taking at No. 12? Get all the latest mock drafts here!
If Courtland Sutton doesn’t want to be here, it’s not a terrible idea. It could, in theory, save the Broncos from parting from an extra first-round pick to move up eight spots.
We’ll know soon enough, as the 2024 NFL Draft starts one week from today.
