Getty Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton at his introductory press conference.
While the Denver Broncos were one of the most active teams in free agency, they’ve also been front and center of recent trade rumors.
There were reports that the Broncos were having talks with other teams surrounding wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero caught up with Broncos head coach Sean Payton and got an answer that everyone has been wanting.
“I see and read just like everyone else does,” Payton said. “Then occasionally, when someone really crowds the plate, I throw a fastball right at their chin, and they back up, and they’re like, ‘Alright.’ And so I haven’t thrown any fastballs lately, but we’re not trading those two players.
Payton also mentioned that Denver has received calls about their top two wide receivers from last season.
“When people call and the phone rings like it does this time of year, (general manager) George Paton’s job is to pick it up and say, ‘Hey. Tell you what, we’re not.’ And so, we’ve received calls, you bet. Those are two good football players. But we’re in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do people call? Because they know we’re void of draft picks and that we might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding Courtland. But we like the current group that we’re working with.”
Both playmakers haven’t lived up to the level that most have hoped for since they were both drafted within the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.
Jeudy, a 2022 first-round pick, has yet to reach the 1,000-yard mark during his first three seasons and has struggled finding the endzone.
Last season, Jeudy scored six touchdowns, but didn’t score once in 10 games in 2021 and only scored three times as a rookie.
Jeudy finally found himself playing well towards the second-half of last season where he averaged 75.8 yards per game over the final nine games of the season and scored four of his six touchdowns.
Closing out the season with momentum, Jeudy’s final game he had a career high 154 yards leading the way for Denver’s best offensive game of the season.
Sutton has struggled as well since receiving his four-year contract extension back in 2021.
Since signing his new deal, Sutton has played in 22 games and only has 79 receptions for 988 yards and just two touchdowns.
Averaging just 55.3 yards per game last season, Sutton also had a career high nine dropped passes.
Reports Surrounding Jeudy
According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Denver’s wide receiver Jerry Jeudy’s name has come up quite a bit in trade discussions.
Howe reported that the asking price for Jeudy is remaining high and the Broncos are asking for at least a first-round pick in return.
On March 13, Dan Graziano of ESPN reported that multiple teams believe that the Broncos could trade one of their wide receivers. Graziano mentioned that Denver has had talks with teams about Jeudy.
Back on February 17, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated mentioned that the Broncos could move on from Jeudy and said that the former first-round pick was available before the trade deadline last season.
Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Dallas Cowboys made an offer to Denver for the former first-round receiver before the trade deadline, but the two sides could not agree on a deal.
Reports Surrounding Sutton
According to Matthew Berry of NBC Sports Edge, the Broncos have been “quietly shopping” wide receiver Courtland Sutton while at the NFL Combine.
Berry adds that Denver is “Not actively pushing him, but definitely trying to see if there’s a trade market for him and if they get a decent offer, would move him.”
Because of his expensive contract, it’s unclear what the Broncos could get for Sutton.
“I think you could get a third of fourth-rounder for him,” said former Broncos defensive lineman Derek Wolfe on his local radio show.
With the Broncos needing as much talent as they can, it sure sounds like keeping their top two receivers is going to be the right decision.