Denver Broncos: 2 Receivers Request Trades Same Week Tim Tebow Named Starter

The Denver Broncos may be on a bye week, but the news hasn't stopped filing out from Mile High. First, Tim Tebow was named the starter earlier in the week. Then, with the trade deadline looming, Brandon Lloyd and Eddie Royal, two of Denver's best receivers, have requested trades.

The two receivers have combined for 23 receptions and 334 yards this season. The production of these two is far down from the expectations set under Josh McDaniels, one of the most pass-happy quarterbacks in the league and the one who drafted Tebow.

At 1-4, it's fairly clear that the Broncos are in the midst of a rebuilding season. That theory was made a hardened fact with the announcement of Tebow as the starter.

Make no mistake that Tebow earned the job by giving the Broncos a spark that they hadn't had under Kyle Orton. The Broncos scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and both of them came as a result of Tebow. The fact that the Broncos had a chance to win the game on the final play is also a result of Tebow's resiliency.

Still, the fact that the two receivers asked for a trade literally within days of the Tebow announcement immediately stands out, and is worth consideration.

Perhaps the receivers don't want to be in a rebuilding environment. Perhaps they don't want to play for a team where the fanbase can impact a player's status on the roster. Perhaps they just don't want to catch passes from Tebow.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that both receivers are in the final year of their contracts. Now seems like the time to move on, since both were products of past regimes. 

Or, it could be just a coincidence. If you believe in that sort of thing.

One thing is for certain: The Broncos are a team in transition at multiple spots. Where this transition leads them will be a result of the direction they go with these decisions.

Before the Broncos go ahead and grant the trade requests of their best receivers, it may pay for them to remember the advice of Bill Parcells: "Before you can drive a Ford, you have to be able to drive a Cadillac."

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter   @erikfrenz.