The Denver Broncos‘ defense has been one of the league’s most disappointing units through the first quarter of the season. They’ve given up the fifth-most yards (375 per game) and fourth-most rushing yards (142.8 per game).
Their performance can be viewed in stark contrast to last season, when they finished no worse than sixth in any major defensive category. To Denver’s credit, they’ve played some fierce offenses over the past month. They were expected to have an equally fierce defense, though.
Some think they could look to the trade market to fix what ails them. CBS Sports writer Jordan Dajani listed Denver as a prime landing spot for Titans linebacker Cedric Gray, whom he listed as a name to watch ahead of the trade deadline.
“In his first full season as a starter last year, Cedric Gray racked up 164 tackles. That ranked fourth in the NFL and was the most tackles recorded by a Titan in a single season,” Dajani wrote. “It looked like Tennessee found a legitimate starter at linebacker, but after he missed the season opener due to a concussion, Gray has played less than 50% of defensive snaps in each of the last three games. It would appear rookie Anthony Hill Jr. and Cody Barton are Robert Saleh’s top linebackers, making Gray available should there be an interested team.”
Cedric Gray Would Immediately Shore Up Broncos’ Rush Defense
Gray might be phased out of Tennessee’s defense right now, but he emerged as one of the Titans’ most promising defensive players last season. At only 23 years old, he looked like a rising star. His 92.7 Pro Football Focus run-defense grade ranked second among all ‘backers.
Unfortunately, the 2024 fourth-round selection has failed to build on the promising campaign in the early stages of this season. However, the talent is definitely still there. Players don’t fall off in their third season after finishing with the fourth-most tackles in their sophomore campaign.
While he still has work to do in the coverage department (which might be a factor in why he hasn’t played as much this season), he’d immediately improve Denver’s run defense. He rarely misses tackles and has more than enough speed to meet opposing running backs at the line of scrimmage.
Gray Would Also Give Them Contract Stability
One of the most intriguing aspects of acquiring Gray is that he’ll still be under his rookie contract through the 2027 campaign. Sure, they still have Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad locked in through 2027 and 2028, respectively, but it’s not like Gray would hit free agency in the offseason.
He’s a young and ascending player whose best football should theoretically be ahead of him (assuming his 2025 season wasn’t a one-hit wonder). Both Strnad and Singleton are now on the wrong side of 30, and Gray would give them a developmental option for the future.
The fact that he’s seemingly being phased out also means that he probably wouldn’t cost more than a fifth-round pick. That would be well worth the price of admission for Denver.
Denver Broncos Urged To Trade For Rising Star To Shore Up LB Corps