Getty Broncos head coach Sean Payton may have a sensible trade chip among his receiving corps.
The Denver Broncos’ receiving corps has the potential to be one of the NFL’s most productive groups during the 2023 season, but one of their forgotten young weapons could find himself on the trade block before Week 1.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox recently picked one player for each of the 32 teams in the league that he feels should garner trade consideration before the start of the 2023 season in September and landed on a somewhat predictable choice for the Broncos with wide receiver and former 2020 second-round pick K.J. Hamler.
Hamler’s first three seasons in Denver have been frustrating, to say the least. Despite showing promise as a rookie with 30 receptions for 381 yards and three touchdowns, he has played just 10 games over the past two seasons due to injuries. He is also currently not participating in OTAs after — according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network — he underwent surgery to repair a partially torn pectoral in March, something that does not bode well for him trying to earn the confidence of Sean Payton’s new coaching staff.
“Hamler’s injury complicates things, but his reported 4-6 month recovery timetable could still allow him to be ready by Week 1,” Knox wrote in his June 5 article. “Denver should make Hamler available now. His future probably isn’t with the Broncos, and with other receivers competing for spots in organized team activities [OTAs] and training camp, he might not even find a role with Denver this season.”
Broncos’ New WR Additions Could Ouster K.J. Hamler
GettyThe Broncos used a 2023 second-round pick on Oklahoma wideout Marvin Mims Jr.
Regardless of injuries, Hamler still possesses upside as an NFL receiver. He has blazing speed, having clocked an electronically timed 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash coming out of college. He is also still relatively young with his 24th birthday coming up in July. Based on how the Broncos have gone about reinforcing the receiver position for 2023, though, it seems more likely than ever that Hamler’s future is not in Denver.
The Broncos signed Marquez Callaway and Lil’Jordan Humphrey to free agent deals back in March, adding a pair of receivers who worked with Payton toward the end of his tenure with the New Orleans Saints. While both have experienced their own share of inconsistencies, the familiarity they have with Payton could help them earn depth spots in the rotation over Hamler, especially with the latter still rehabbing his pec.
The Broncos also used their first pick of the 2023 draft (No. 63 overall) on Oklahoma standout receiver Marvin Mims Jr., who caught a career-best 54 passes for 1,083 yards and six touchdowns for the Sooners in 2022. Mims bears a lot of similarities to Hamler with comparable speed — he clocked an official 4.38-second 40 time at the Combine — and a near-identical build, the only difference being Mims is two inches taller.
Now, Mims might not be ready for a significant workload when the season begins, but his development should be a higher priority than Hamler’s behind the starting trio of Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick. And if the Broncos have a sense that they might not be interested in retaining beyond 2023, it would make a lot of sense for them to cut their losses now and get what they can for Hamler on the trade market.
What Trade Return Could K.J. Hamler Get Broncos?
GettyK.J. Hamler could be headed for the trade block after the Broncos added to their receiving corps for 2023.
The Broncos have no hopes of recouping the full value of the Hamler pick from 2020 if they elect to trade him during the 2023 offseason. He was the No. 46 overall pick in that year’s draft and, even at the highs of his rookie season, has come nowhere close to living up to that level of investment. Could a trade involving the young slot receiver at least net the Broncos a mid-to-late Day 3 selection, though? Most likely.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Broncos had trade conversations with teams about Sutton, Jeudy and Hamler prior to the start of the new league year on March 15, and while Payton shot down the possibility of Sutton or Jeudy getting traded, there has been no firm confirmation that Hamler is in Denver’s plans moving forward. With three notable receivers joining the roster since then, the Broncos may want to revisit the trade talks they were having about Hamler and assess whether the return would be worth it.
The trick, as Knox mentioned, is figuring out whether a team wants to take a chance on Hamler with him actively recovering from an offseason injury. An acquiring team would not have trouble fitting Hamler’s $2.27 million cap hit on their books for 2023, but they would essentially be giving up a draft pick for a one-year trial run on a slot receiver who has a troubled history with injuries despite showing sparks along the way.
Perhaps a team like the Philadelphia Eagles — who are projected to have multiple picks in the fifth and sixth rounds of 2024 due to the compensatory formula — would feel more comfortable taking a risk on a once-promising talent, but it could be tough waters for the Broncos to navigate unless they are willing to sell low on Hamler.