Making the case for trading Troy Franklin instead of Marvin Mims

Roster construction in the NFL is rarely about collecting the most talent. It’s about deploying it efficiently and knowing when a surplus at one position can be converted into a need at another.

The Denver Broncos are sitting on exactly that kind of surplus right now. With Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton firmly entrenched as the top two receivers, the battle for the third spot has created a logjam that may be better solved through a trade than through a timeshare.

On a recent edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, the hosts debated which of the Broncos’ depth receivers – Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin or Pat Bryant – would be the smartest trade piece to move. The conversation quickly narrowed to the two most logical candidates, with Schlereth landing on a position that might surprise some fans.

“I think if you’re going to trade a wide receiver, I think the likelihood of Marvin Mims is less than the likelihood of Troy Franklin,” Schlereth said.

Mike Evans followed up.

“So you think Troy Franklin’s more of a trade piece?” Evans asked.

Schlereth laid out the reasoning with the kind of roster-building logic that separates emotional decisions from strategic ones.

“You’ve got an All-Pro kick returner, which gives you the best value coming back. He was a second rounder, but what are you going to get for Marvin Mims? And what would you get for Troy Franklin? Who had what, 60, 62 catches or something last year?” Schlereth said.

That framing flips the conventional assumption on its head. Franklin’s production – 65 catches, 709 yards and six touchdowns last season – makes him the more accomplished receiver of the two. But that production is also what makes him the more valuable trade chip. A player with that kind of stat line on a rookie contract commands real interest from receiver-needy teams.

Mims, by contrast, has carved out a role that extends beyond the receiving corps entirely. His Pro Bowl-caliber work as a kick returner gives him dual value that is harder to replace internally.

Schlereth then brought it home with the practical calculus.

“I just think that the value of your starting kick returner who’s a Pro Bowl returner, is such that, although you may get more value in return, what if you can get a third-rounder for Troy Franklin?” Schlereth said.

Franklin fetches meaningful draft capital. Mims stays and continues to contribute in two phases of the game. Pat Bryant remains as a developmental piece competing for snaps. And the Broncos convert a roster redundancy into a future asset without weakening any area they can’t absorb.

The Broncos don’t need five capable receivers if only three are going to play meaningful snaps. Schlereth’s argument is built on the simple idea that a player’s trade value is highest when his production is fresh and his contract is cheap.

Franklin checks both boxes. And waiting too long to make the move risks watching that value erode on the bench, one of the quieter mistakes front offices make when they fall in love with depth for depth’s sake.

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