One of the ways NFL general managers and head coaches earn their money is by taking advantage of other NFL general managers and head coaches — finding weak links to exploit in trades or other transactions.
The Denver Broncos brain trust of general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton are a pretty good team when it comes to that particular part of the job.
The latest example of which seems to be the March 17 trade between the Broncos and Miami Dolphins, in which the Broncos landed superstar wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in exchange for their 1st round pick (No. 30 overall) in a year in which there isn’t much excitement outside of the 1st 10-15 picks.
“It’s weird when you trade Jaylen Waddle for (the 30th pick) and then you see all the receivers that are going to be available at 30 and their best case scenario is maybe they will be as good as Waddle,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on Wednesday.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been this late in the (pre-draft) process studying roster and really diving in and felt more helpless about a roster,” The Ringer’s Todd McShay said.
The 1st round of the NFL draft begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST in Pittsburgh.
The genius of the trade for the Broncos is that they gave up a 1st round pick in a year in which they don’t really have any pressing needs in terms of a 1st round pick, as in someone they need to pick and rely on to automatically jump into the starting lineup.
Broncos May Have Swung Biggest Trade of Offseason
The Broncos may have pulled off what could be the biggest move of the NFL offseason when they traded for Waddle.
“Broncos are trading for Miami WR Jaylen Waddle, per source,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on Tuesday morning. “Denver receives: Waddle and Dolphins’ 4th-round pick (11th in round) in this year’s draft. Miami receives: Broncos’ 1st round pick (30th overall) along with their late 3rd and 4th round picks (30th in each round) in this year’s draft.”
It’s a seismic move for the Broncos, who addressed their biggest offseason concern in the move.
“I absolutely love this for Denver,” ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said the day of the trade. ” … (the Broncos) needed a true wide receiver with speed, and there’s Jaylen Waddle. Huge pickup for Denver.”
Broncos Took Head for Dragging Feet in Free Agency
Denver had been criticized for being the only team not to sign any outside free agents through the 1st week of NFL free agency.
“Splash: The Broncos are pulling off a post-free agency blockbuster by trading for Dolphins star WR Jaylen Waddle,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account. “Premium draft pick compensation is headed to Miami. The two teams started talking last year at the trade deadline and kept working. Now, a deal.”
The Broncos’ biggest moves in terms of free agency were bringing back a trio of starters for 2026 by re-signing running back J.K. Dobbins, inside linebacker Alex Singleton, and inside linebacker Justin Strnad.
Broncos’ Blockbuster Trade Looks One-Sided Headed Into NFL Draft