Getty Quarterback Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos.
The Denver Broncos have acted with conviction this offseason. They’ve stood by every move with the idea that they are moving closer to Head Coach Sean Payton’s vision.
That led them to Bo Nix. Payton and Co. tabbed the former Oregon Ducks quarterback with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 draft to be their quarterback of the future. All signs point to Nix having a shot at starting as a rookie. The Broncos must do everything they can to help.
They have loaded up on wide receivers. But tight end and offensive line remain question marks.
On the latter front, the Broncos center spot is “of particular concern,” according to Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, who offered a hypothetical trade package to find a solution.
“Without striking up a deal for a veteran, Denver will be left picking between inexperienced young players like Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth or a failed former starter in Sam Mustipher,” Kay wrote on May 13. “This isn’t the type of talent a club wants snapping for a rookie and could be upgraded with a small move on the trade market.
“Nate Herbig would make sense for the Broncos as a cost-effective, experienced center who is still relatively youthful with upside. Acquiring him for the Pittsburgh Steelers could position the club to develop Herbig alongside Nix for years to come.”
Kay’s hypothetical trade would secure Herbig for a late-round pick.
Broncos get:
– Nate Herbig
Steelers get:
– 2025 sixth-round pick
Kay’s proposal calls for a 2025 seventh-round pick. But the Steelers already own the rights to the Broncos seventh-round pick in 2025. If the pick doesn’t convey to Pittsburgh, it reverts to the Philadelphia Eagles. Instead, the scenario above utilizes one of Denver’s two sixth-round picks.
Steelers Depot’s Tyler Wise described Herbig – who is going into the final season of a two-year, $8 million contract – as a “people mover.”
Nate Herbig: People Mover
The Steelers notably signed Russell Wilson after the Broncos cut him.
Denver is still on the hook for $85 million of Wilson’s salary, which allowed the Steelers to sign the nine-time Pro Bowler to a veteran minimum salary.
Broncos general manager George Paton could have little interest in doing a trade with the Steelers. But the 6-foot-4, 334-pound Herbig would be a low-risk option that could pay dividends for the Broncos and Nix.
Nick Herbig Could Bring Experience to Broncos in Potential Trade
GettyNate Herbig #71, Dan Moore Jr. #65 and Montravius Adams #57 of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
An undrafted free agent out of Stanford, Herbig spent his first three seasons with the Eagles, starting 12 games in 2012.
He has also suited up for the New York Jets, starting all 11 of his appearances in 2022. Herbig has started 30 of his 61 career games. But he only started two games for Pittsburgh last season and is tracking to be a backup this season.
That could present an opportunity for the Broncos.
“Herbig may already be on his third team since entering the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2019, but he’s only played 2,239 offensive snaps in his career,” Kay wrote.
“While he may not be a Pro Bowl-caliber talent, Herbig could stabilize the center position in the Mile High City. He did earn a commendable 67.6 Pro Football Focus grade last year—a noticeable upgrade over the 57.9 mark that Wattenberg scored in 2023—and has fallen below that mark just once in his five NFL seasons.”
Alex Forsyth Makes Sense as Starting Center
GettyOffensive lineman Alex Forsyth #78 of the Oregon Ducks.
Forsyth is inexperienced, only becoming a full-time starter at center in his final season at Oregon. But there, he got familiar with Nix and wide receiver Troy Franklin who are now on the Broncos’ roster.
The pivot spoke highly of his former teammates and would make as much sense as any other option as a former seventh-round pick with a year in the system under his belt.
Questions about Wattenberg and Mustipher only elevate Forsyth as a candidate to start at center.
That doesn’t mean the Broncos shouldn’t look to add proven depth at the position before training camp. But the potential arrival of an outside option shouldn’t immediately relegate Forsyth to an afterthought.
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Proposed Broncos Trade Lands $8 Million ‘People Mover’ to Help Bo Nix