Jerry Jeudy Trade Must Be Explored by Broncos Amid Latest NFL Deadline Rumors

The Denver Broncos picked up their second win of the season with a 19-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers. It always feels good to get in the win column, but Sunday's win shouldn't have Denver overly eager to keep everyone together at the October 31 trade deadline.

The Broncos aren't one of the better teams in the AFC, and the playoffs are an extreme long shot. The Broncos, who have already traded Randy Gregory to the San Francisco 49ers, should be willing to sell off pieces and focus on the future.

Denver has issues that aren't going to simply disappear this season. Though Russell Wilson had a mostly good game against Green Bay—he finished 20-of-29 for 194 yards and a touchdown—he's been inconsistent and has struggled to push the ball down the field.

The defense played better against the Packers, but it's been one of the worst in the league over the course of the year. Head coach Sean Payton does not have the team playing a better brand of ball than it did under Nathaniel Hackett, and the Broncos may want to consider hitting the reset button in the offseason.

This is particularly true if Denver earns a top draft pick and has a shot at a QB prospect like Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. Additional draft capital could go a long way toward successfully reloading in 2024.

Yet, the Broncos reportedly aren't eager to move players at the deadline.

"The Broncos aren't planning a fire sale, and absent a deal they couldn't turn down, a mass of trades is considered unlikely," NFL Media's Ian Rapoport wrote on Sunday. "Coach Sean Payton doesn't appear inclined to trade talented players away, especially if they could have future contributions beyond 2023."

Rapoport did peg wideout Jerry Jeudy as a potential trade candidate, however.

"Jeudy was the subject of trade discussions this offseason, with teams calling before the season and over the last few weeks," he wrote.

Jeudy is absolutely a player that Denver should consider moving, and now. While he could be considered the sort of "future contributor" that Payton would prefer to keep, the reality is that the 24-year-old has yet to live up to his draft status.

The 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Jeudy was expected to become the Broncos' next No. 1 receiver. However, he's been more of a high-end No. 2 at his best and a virtual non-factor at his worst.

Jeudy had five catches for 64 yards on Sunday, and he's failed to reach 70 receiving yards in five of his six outings this season. When targeted, he's provided a passer rating of just 77.1.

The Alabama product is still searching for his first 1,000-yard season and is set to see a substantial pay raise in 2024, earning just under $13 million on his fifth-year option.

At that price, Jeudy might be more valuable to the Broncos in a trade than on the field. And Jeudy's trade value should be much higher now than it would be in the offseason.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, several teams are expected to be in the receiver market at the deadline.

"Wide receiver is a buzz-worthy position entering the deadline. People I've talked to believe the Colts, Packers, Panthers and Chiefs have at least monitored the receiver market in recent weeks," Fowler wrote on Friday.

As Fowler noted, the Chiefs may be out of the receiver market after acquiring Mecole Hardman from the New York Jets. However, there are likely to be a handful of teams seeking receiver help over the next week-plus.

This should help drive up any return the Broncos are able to get for Jeudy. The timing could also be a factor. Trading for just the final year of Jeudy's contract isn't as appealing as getting that and a half-season of his current base salary of $2.7 million.

Plus, in the spring, the Broncos would have to compete with a free-agent market that includes the likes of Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., Tyler Boyd, D.J. Chark Jr., Curtis Samuel and Mike Evans. Jeudy's market could be further limited by what appears to be another strong rookie receiver class.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department recently ranked six wide receivers among its top 2024 draft prospects.

A strong return for Jeudy in the spring is unlikely unless the majority of the top impending free agents don't reach the open market.

If the Broncos are indeed getting calls on Jeudy now, as Rapoport reported, they must be willing to flip the switch on any reasonable offer. They're not winning anything of note this season, they shouldn't be willing to invest in Jeudy long-term, and their best chance to recoup some of their initial investment in him will come in the next few days.