Getty General Manager George Paton of the Denver Broncos.
Gaining draft capital is necessary for the Denver Broncos, who have just eight picks in the 2024 NFL draft.
For the Broncos to do that, it might have to come at the expense of an All-Pro talent. John Buhler of FanSided proposed Denver ship All-Pro offensive tackle Garett Bolles to the Green Bay Packers for three 2024 draft picks.
The Broncos would hypothetically receive the Packers’ first-round pick (No. 25 overall), second-round pick (No. 58) and sixth-round pick (No. 202) in this year’s draft. Buhler acknowledged this trade “accelerates Denver’s rebuilding process.”
“Trading Bolles to Green Bay would further illustrate that Denver has begun an honest rebuilding effort,” Buhler wrote in his April 5 article. “It may not work out well for general manager George Paton. How sure are we that head coach Sean Payton will want to stick around for that? He did briefly retire because he wasn’t interested in doing that when he previously coached the New Orleans Saints only a few years ago.”
Bolles would make sense for Green Bay as the team moved on from five-time All-Pro OT David Bakhtiari on March 11. Buhler argued that trading Bolles to a contender is smart given Denver’s chances this season.
“[This] is the right thing to do for the Broncos. They are about to be oh, so very bad once again,” Buhler wrote.
Bolles Would ‘Love to Be a Bronco for Life’
Nothing is guaranteed in the world of professional sports. The NFL is a business, yet Bolles has expressed his desire to remain in the Mile High City.
Bolles told Mike Klis of 9NEWS Denver at the NFL Honors that he would “love to be a Bronco for life.”
“I’d love to be in Denver,” Bolles told Klis on the red carpet at the February 8 ceremony. “It’s where my kids grew up. It’s where my wife is. It’s where they go to school. But at the same time the Good Lord knows where I need to be. It is a business.”
Following the offseason release of veteran safety Justin Simmons, Bolles is the longest-tenured Broncos player. The Utah product commented that he loves everything about the organization and is “very grateful” to be in Denver.
“I think it speaks volumes for a player who can play his entire career with one team,” Bolles said.
Packers Would Give Bolles a Realistic Shot at a Super Bowl Title
Bolles has never experienced the postseason since being selected 20th overall in the 2017 NFL draft. The Broncos have missed the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons since winning the 2016 Super Bowl.
The veteran has never come close as Denver has suffered a losing record in every season of his seven-year career. If Bolles lands with the Packers, he would have a realistic chance at postseason glory and a Super Bowl title.
Quarterback Jordan Love threw 32 touchdowns to 11 interceptions as he guided Green Bay to a 9-8 record in his first year as the full-time starter. Love led the Packers to the Divisional Round before losing 24-21 to the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers.
Several NFL analysts expect Green Bay to challenge the 49ers for NFC supremacy during the 2024 campaign.
Assuming the Packers can do that with Bolles in tow, Love will be in excellent shape heading into year two as a starter.