As the NFL trade deadline approached, the speculation around the Denver Broncos was if they were going to trade outside linebacker Bradley Chubb. Over the last two days, ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter continued to report that a team was offering the Broncos a first-round pick. Sure enough, the report was accurate.
The Miami Dolphins sent a 2023 first-round pick (from the San Francisco 49ers), a 2024 fourth-round pick and running back Chase Edmonds to the Broncos in exchange for Chubb and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Miami is also expected to work out a long-term deal with Chubb, according to Schefter. The former first-round pick is currently on the final year of his rookie deal.
“It was the city (Denver) that gave me my first opportunity to be in the NFL and live out my childhood dream,” Chubb said in a phone interview with Mike Klis of 9News in Denver. “I’m much appreciative of everything and just looking forward to a new chapter in my life.”
With speculation on if Chubb had any influence on where he would be traded, Chubb said, “I wasn’t involved, but I kind of figured out at the ending and closing part that things were happening.”
Owning a 5-3 record, the Dolphins are a team on the rise, Chubb seemed pleased with the trade overall, “I’m just happy that I’m going to a good organization that’s on the up and up and hopefully I can be a catalyst to continue to help them get going where they need to be.”
After being drafted fifth-overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, Chubb set a Broncos rookie record with 12 sacks. The following season Chubb suffered a torn ACL just four games in and recorded just one sack.
In 2021, the Denver pass rusher started in 14 games, but only totaled up 7.5 sacks. The next year, the former NC State alum failed to sack the quarterback in the seven games he played.
Chubb has 5.5 sacks this season, but hasn’t recorded a sack since October 6th against the Indianapolis Colts.
Chubb’s Teammate Not Happy
Just 20 minutes after the news was broke that Chubb had been traded to Miami, Broncos’ defensive end Dre’Mont Jones took his feelings to Twitter to express how he felt.
Jones had been a teammate of Chubb’s since 2019 after he was drafted by the Broncos in the third-round of the NFL Draft.
So far this season, Jones is having a career year. Sacking the quarterback 5.5 times already through eight games, Jones is one sack away from having a career high at 6.5.
Jones is playing in the final year of his rookie deal and the expectation is to get him signed up long-term according to general manager George Paton.
“He is one of our core players, we want Dre’Mont here for a longtime.”
Paton Speaks on the Trade
Nearly three and a half hours after the Broncos traded away their top outside linebacker, Paton spoke to the local media about the trade.
“The draft value that we received was significant. We just felt it was too good to pass up at the end of the day and it’s no secret we need picks.”
The Broncos only had five picks in the upcoming draft, but after the Chubb trade, Denver now has six.
Despite there being reports from Schefter saying that there was a first-round pick being offered to Denver, Paton explained that negotiations really started heating up this morning.
“It really heated up this morning and teams had been calling throughout the last week or so, but this morning when things heated up. I didn’t anticipate a deal getting done and this morning they (trade talks) heated up.”
Even without Chubb, Denver still has plenty of pass rushers on the roster including Randy Gregory, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper, and 2022 second-round pick Nik Bonitto. All have combined for a total of six sacks this season.
“We believe in the depth we have at outside linebacker, our young pass rushers we’ve invested a lot in that position.”
Paton was asked if the team was 5-3 instead of 3-5 if he still would’ve made that trade and he responded, “We would’ve made this trade regardless. We just felt that the value was too good.”
“We would not have done it without a first-round pick. That was obviously a key piece in the negotiation.”
The Broncos have a bye this week, but will head to Nashville to take on the Titans on November 13th.
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Broncos Starter Sounds Off After Bradley Chubb Trade