Getty The Denver Broncos "could still trade" former Pro Bowl wideout Courland Sutton according to Mile High Huddle's Bob Morris
The Denver Broncos could still trade former Pro Bowl wideout Courtland Sutton according to Mile High Huddle’s Bob Morris — who believes the Mile High franchise could be more interested in the cap space Sutton would create in a potential deal than the receiver himself.
“It’s possible the Broncos could still trade Sutton,” Morris wrote. “One thing to keep in mind is that the Broncos would free up more cap space by trading him after June 1, rather than before that date.”
Morris broke down the numbers on a granular level, noting the differences between trading him before and after what is a crucial June 1 date.
“While players who are cut can be given a post-June 1 designation, trades cannot be designated as such,” Morris noted. “The Broncos would free $6.7M in cap space by trading Sutton before June 1 but would take an $11.475M dead money charge. Trading Sutton after June 1 would free $14.4M in cap space with a $3.825M dead money charge.”
‘No Guarantee’ Denver Broncos Trade Courtland Sutton Soon
Morris did note that the Denver Broncos trading Sutton is not set in stone.
“Of course, there is no guarantee that the Broncos trade Sutton any time soon,” Morris wrote of the team’s unpredictable trade stance on Sutton — and the rest of the Broncos receiving corps this offseason for that matter.
There was a caveat from the Mile High Huddle writer, though, in noting that the Denver front office has multiple trade scenarios to mull over.
“If the Broncos are considering it, they would likely want more in draft pick compensation because they don’t free as much cap space and take a bigger dead money charge,” Morris wrote. “After June 1, Denver gains more space with less dead money, meaning the team might not seek as much draft pick compensation.”
Denver Broncos Wideouts Not Guaranteed For ‘Too Long’
Predominantly Orange’s Jack Ramsey sees Sutton and fellow Denver Broncos wideout Tim Patrick as wideouts with an expiration date in the Mile High City in clear sight.
“Both receivers are on relatively new deals that pay them well but also aren’t guaranteed to keep them in town for too long,” Ramsey prefaced before saying, “Both are pushing 30, and both have considerable question marks around themselves entering 2023.”
Ramsey sees Sutton as someone who hasn’t lived up to the billing his second-round selection warrants.
“Sutton has not quite lived up to the WR1 tag he played under for a few years, has lost a step on his ability to bring in jump balls, and struggled to stay on the field consistently,” Ramsey wrote. “Sutton missed almost all of 2020 and played a full 2021, but missed a pair of games in 2022 and then dealt with lingering injuries in 2023 while missing two full games.”
Patrick is a less settled case in Ramsey’s eyes.
“Patrick, on the other hand, blew his knee out after a few years after a breakout year in 2020,” Ramsey wrote. “He put up 725+ yards each of the previous two years before the knee injury, which resulted in a nice three-year deal for the former undrafted free agent. However, Patrick is now 29 and is coming off the aforementioned knee injury. It is hard to predict what exactly Patrick will provide for the Broncos going forward.”