Giants, Others Called Broncos On Jerry Jeudy; Team Wanted Round 2 Pick?
This year’s wide receiver trade market included Jerry Jeudy, but the Broncos backed away from trading him. They instead unloaded Bradley Chubb for first- and fourth-round picks, along with Chase Edmonds. But teams showed interest in Jeudy, a former first-rounder.
Denver is believed to have wanted a second-rounder for Jeudy, Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Broncos GM George Paton said several calls came in for Jeudy and the team’s other wide receivers, but the team — which has each of its top three wideouts under contract beyond 2022 — stood down. The Chubb market picked up considerably ahead of the deadline, but the Broncos had been leaning toward keeping Jeudy for a few days before NFL trading ceased.
“We received a number of calls on our receivers, some other positions,” Paton said. “We wanted to keep our young, talented receivers. We started to get some rhythm in the last game vs. Jacksonville. We just feel good with where we’re going. We’re trending in the right direction with Jerry and [KJ] Hamler and Courtland [Sutton]. We didn’t want to break that up. I think we have a good thing going. We’re in it to win it moving forward, and so we kept all of our receivers.”
Rumored to be interested, the Giants indeed called the Broncos on Jeudy, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports adds. Addressing his team’s need at receiver, Giants GM Joe Schoen said “the price point just didn’t work out,” citing a desire to protect future draft picks. The Giants were interested in Jeudy and Brandin Cooks, though the latter’s big 2023 salary ($18MM) interrupted every team’s talks with the Texans, but were viewed as unlikely to part with more than a Day 3 pick for a wideout. Chase Claypool ended up being the only receiver — at least, among those eligible to play in 2022 — moved at the deadline, going from Pittsburgh to Chicago for a Round 2 choice.
The Broncos’ previous regime drafted Jeudy 15th overall. The Alabama alum (30 catches, 449 yards, three touchdowns in 2022) is on pace for a career-high receiving total, but he has also enjoyed an inconsistent career and has struggled with drops. Jeudy, 23, has four this season; Sutton has five. Coupled with Russell Wilson‘s struggles assimilating in Nathaniel Hackett‘s offense, the Broncos have run into rampant issues on that side of the ball.
Still, Denver moving forward with Jeudy makes sense. He is tied to his rookie contract through 2023, with a to-be-determined fifth-year option allowing the deal to be extended through 2024. While the Broncos have not lived up to offseason expectations, a true fire sale did not make much sense — especially at receiver. The team could finetune this group next year, but as of now, Wilson’s top four wideouts — Sutton, Jeudy, Hamler and Tim Patrick — are all under contract in 2023.
The Giants have a far less certain receiving corps — both this year and next. They traded Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs and have lost Sterling Shepard for the season. Kenny Golladay has missed much of this year with an MCL sprain, while Darius Slayton only recently re-emerged from Brian Daboll‘s doghouse. Shepard and Slayton are on expiring contracts, with Golladay a certain 2023 cap casualty. With Wan’Dale Robinson about the lone guaranteed receiving cog to be part of next year’s Giants, this will be a major offseason need.
Poll: Who Fared Best At Trade Deadline?
The NFL trade deadline has trended upward in recent years, and Tuesday resembled — to some degree, at least — the frenzy the NBA or MLB deadlines bring. In the days leading up to Tuesday’s record-setting deadline sequence — a 10-trade day — other teams improved their situations as well.
Although the Broncos received the only first-round pick exchanged during this year’s in-season trade cycle, the 49ers came away with the splashiest addition. San Francisco showed off its Christian McCaffrey move against their rivals and second-place CMC finishers Sunday, with the versatile back joining Walter Payton and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only backs to complete the rush-catch-throw touchdown triple.
On the other end of that deal, the Panthers collected four draft picks for McCaffrey and two from the Cardinals for Robbie Anderson. Carolina now has two additional Day 2 choices from the McCaffrey swap, though the retooling team is believed to have passed on a Rams offer of two first-round picks for edge rusher Brian Burns. Was that the right call? Because the Rams could not acquire McCaffrey or Burns, they ended up as odd bystanders during an action-packed deadline.
The Dolphins sent the 49ers a fifth-rounder for Jeff Wilson, reuniting him with ex-San Francisco OC Mike McDaniel, but Bradley Chubb was Miami’s deadline prize. Seven months after they sent a first-rounder and change to the Chiefs for Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins became the first team since the 2019 Chiefs (Frank Clark) to send over a Round 1 pick for an edge defender. Chubb (5.5 sacks) will step in to take over as Miami’s pass-rushing anchor, while the Broncos obtained more than they did for Von Miller‘s one-time sidekick than they did for the future Hall of Famer. Denver, which collected first- and fourth-rounders and Chase Edmonds in this blockbuster, now has a 2023 first-round choice after previously being without first- or second-rounders next year due to the Russell Wilson trade.
The Bears vacillated between buyers and sellers over the past several days, unloading Ryan Pace-era defensive investments Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith but adding Chase Claypool. Chicago picked up second- and fifth-round picks from Baltimore for Smith but sent its own second to Pittsburgh for Claypool, beating out Green Bay’s offer of a Round 2 choice for the 238-pound wideout. The Bears, who still have a 2023 sixth-rounder left over from the Khalil Mack trade, will have three additional draft choices because of their activity this week.
Pittsburgh did well to obtain a second for Claypool, who turned out to carry considerable value on the market. Known aficionados of Day 2 wideouts, the Steelers can replenish their receiver cadre — or add in other areas — with two second-rounders next year.
Although the Browns nabbed Deion Jones in October for a low cost, the Ravens’ Smith addition headlined the AFC North’s moves. The Ravens had attempted to keep C.J. Mosley in 2019 and made Bobby Wagner a big offer this year. GM Eric DeCosta has his acclaimed linebacker now. Though, the Ravens could be faced with an interesting offseason predicament. They have now acquired a contract-year standout ahead of a franchise tag window in which Lamar Jackson will be expected to receive the tag.
Chicago’s Claypool addition was not the most interesting NFC North move. Due to the scarcity of intra-division trades, the Lions’ decision to send T.J. Hockenson‘s through-2023 contract to the Vikings may linger for a while. While most teams prefer to send key players out of the conference, or at least out of their division, Detroit — which partnered with Minnesota on April’s Jameson Williams trade-up — collected second- and third-round picks for Hockenson and multiple Day 3 choices. The Vikings will return to Detroit with Hockenson Dec. 11 and should be expected to discuss an extension with the Pro Bowl pass catcher, who will team with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen on the 6-1 squad.
The Bills made two pre-deadline moves, acquiring Nyheim Hines and reuniting with safety Dean Marlowe, while the Falcons added a player (cornerback Rashad Fenton) and dealt away two (Marlowe, Calvin Ridley). Jacksonville’s move qualifies as one of the most unique in recent NFL history, with Ridley suspended for gambling but also now part of a trade that could send a second-rounder to Atlanta if the once-promising receiver re-signs with the Jaguars. Ridley, who totaled 1,374 receiving yards in 2020, could be an interesting piece in the Jags’ Christian Kirk-led receiving corps. But he will apply for reinstatement next year having not played since midway through the 2021 season.
How much will the Chiefs pickup of injury-prone but electric wideout Kadarius Toney move the needle? Will the Jets’ James Robinson get do enough to fill the Breece Hall void? What team improved its situation the most during this year’s leadup to the deadline? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Which team fared the best at this year's trade deadline?
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San Francisco 49ers 23% (922)
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Miami Dolphins 22% (880)
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Minnesota Vikings 12% (478)
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Chicago Bears 11% (431)
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Pittsburgh Steelers 7% (278)
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Baltimore Ravens 7% (275)
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Buffalo Bills 4% (175)
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Denver Broncos 4% (142)
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Philadelphia Eagles 3% (127)
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Detroit Lions 2% (91)
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Carolina Panthers 2% (82)
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Jacksonville Jaguars 1% (57)
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Atlanta Falcons 1% (55)
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Another team (make your case in the comments) 1% (50)
Total votes: 4,043
Injury Updates: Whitehair, Barnes, Molden, Poyer, Cushenberry
The Bears designated starting left guard Cody Whitehair for return from injured reserve today, opening the 21-day practice window for him to be activated. Whitehair has been on IR since suffering a knee injury in a Week 4 loss to the Giants.
Getting Whitehair back in the lineup should be really beneficial for the Bears and developing quarterback Justin Fields. Whitehair has been a full-time starter on the Bears’ offensive line since he was drafted in the second round of the 2016 draft. The former Pro Bowler brings back a key veteran presence in Chicago and could help them push to get back in the race for the NFC North.
Once they feel he’s ready, Whitehair should replace Michael Schofield at left guard. If the Bears don’t feel they can activate him within the 21-day practice window, Whitehair will return to IR for the rest of the season.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:
- The Packers have designated linebacker Krys Barnes for return from IR, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Barnes suffered an ankle injury in the team’s season opener this year and has been on IR ever since. The third-year linebacker out of UCLA had started 23 games through the first two years of his NFL career but was expected to compete with first-round rookie Quay Walker for starting time this season. Bringing Barnes back should help add some quality depth to the Packers’ linebacking corps.
- The Titans have designated cornerback Elijah Molden for return from IR, according to Titans senior writer Jim Wyatt. Molden had been missing several practices in the preseason due to a groin injury and was placed on IR just before the start of the regular season. Molden had made a significant impact as a rookie last year, starting seven games and showing up all over the defense. Aside from finishing fifth on the team for tackles with 60, Molden had an interception returned for a touchdown, four passes defensed, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, 3.0 tackles for loss, and six quarterback pressures. The Titans have gotten a pleasant surprise from a talented, young group of corners so far this season. Molden will add depth behind third-year starter Kristian Fulton, rookie starter Roger McCreary, rookie Tre Avery, second-year corner Caleb Farley, and the lone veteran, Terrance Mitchell.
- Bills safety Jordan Poyer, who has already missed two games so far this year, didn’t participate in practice today as he deals with an elbow injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The veteran “is considered week-to-week” and could miss some more time. Buffalo already has Damar Hamlin filling in for Micah Hyde, who remains on IR. Special teams ace Jaquan Johnson will fill in for any time Poyer has to miss. He has three such starts over the past two seasons.
- Broncos third-year starting center Lloyd Cushenberry left last week’s London win over the Jaguars late in the first half with a groin strain. The injury appears to be of some concern as he is expected to “miss some time,” according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Veteran Graham Glasgow subbed in for Cushenberry last week in London and is expected to start until he can return. Glasgow has plenty of experience as this is his first year in a backup capacity after six years of starting for the Lions and Broncos before.
Broncos Hope To Extend DL Dre’Mont Jones
At the past two trade deadlines, the Broncos have bailed on a second Von Miller extension and an initial Bradley Chubb re-up, trading Miller in 2021 and dealing Chubb to the Dolphins on Tuesday. But the team has an eye on extending one of its inside pass rushers.
Dre’Mont Jones joined Chubb in a contract year, and with Chubb out of the picture, the Broncos appear set to focus their attention on retaining the former third-round pick. With Chubb gone, the fourth-year defensive lineman leads the team with 5.5 sacks. Broncos GM George Paton called Jones one of the team’s core players and indicated (via Denver7’s Troy Renck) the team wants to have him in Denver for “a long time.”
Although the Broncos’ edge rush has garnered more attention this season — one that has produced a top-two defense despite the team losing key players to injury — Jones has three sacks over the past two games and is now one shy of his single-season high (established in 2020). After not topping the 65% play barrier in 2020 or ’21, Jones is playing 79% of the Broncos’ defensive snaps and is working as a full-time starter for the first time. The most recent AFC Defensive Player of the Week will be an interesting extension candidate, with the price tag likely rising this season.
Denver selected Jones out of Ohio State during John Elway‘s penultimate draft in the GM chair. The Broncos have moved on from their top two picks in the 2019 draft, including both Noah Fant and Drew Lock in the Russell Wilson trade. But Jones, 25, and second-round pick Dalton Risner are in contract years. Paton’s comments following the Chubb trade would seem to point to Jones as the higher priority.
Paton’s regime kept both Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick off the 2022 market, signing each to extensions midway through last season. Sutton’s $15MM-per-year deal now looks team-friendly, given where the receiver market went this year, so it will be interesting to see if the Broncos enter serious talks with Jones before the season concludes. One of Paton’s first acts as Broncos GM was to give D-lineman Shelby Harris a three-year, $27MM deal in 2021. With Harris also part of the Wilson trade, the Broncos signed D.J. Jones this year. But the team has relied on both its D-tackle Joneses this season.
It is a bit early to speculate on what Dre’Mont Jones could fetch on a long-term deal, but the upper echelon for inside rushers starts with Cameron Heyward‘s $16MM-per-year contract. Seven players reside between there and the Aaron Donald-only tier ($31.6MM AAV). The franchise tag might be a bit steep at this point, as it cost $17.4MM to tag a D-tackle this year. That would, however, be the surefire way for the Broncos to keep Jones off the market. While the Broncos are now a team with a franchise-quarterback salary on their books, Wilson’s cap numbers do not rise too high until 2024. That would make a tag more palatable for the Broncos, though it is still early to determine if Jones’ contract year will make him a worthy tag recipient.
Dolphins GM: Team Anticipates Near-Future Bradley Chubb Extension
After taking another big trade swing for a veteran Tuesday, the Dolphins do not have a first-round pick in 2023. But they hope to follow their Tyreek Hill extension with a Bradley Chubb deal soon.
Chris Grier said he believes a long-term Chubb accord will come to pass soon. Chubb is in the final year of his Broncos rookie contract, playing out a fifth-year option worth $12.716MM. Illustrating Chubb’s market value, the Dolphins are picking up the remainder of the edge rusher’s option salary, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. That undoubtedly led to the Dolphins including Chase Edmonds‘ two-year, $12MM contract in Tuesday’s deal. Miami held barely $6MM in cap space before the trade; Chubb is on the Dolphins’ payroll at just more than $7MM.
“When you do a deal like that for a player, you always would like to — from our perspective, when we do business — we would like to have something done,” Grier said, via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons. “And we anticipate having something finished up here shortly.”
Miami traded first- and fourth-round picks to the Broncos for Chubb, including Edmonds in the swap. The team filled Edmonds’ role by reuniting Mike McDaniel with Jeff Wilson. Grier said he and Broncos GM George Paton — once coworkers with the Dolphins during the 2000s — began discussing Chubb weeks ago but noted conversations became serious after the Broncos returned from London.
Grier and Paton, both 52, worked together from 2001-06 with the Dolphins, prior to Paton leaving for Minnesota. Grier said (via Local10.com’s David Lang) he did extensive homework on Chubb’s injury history. The former No. 5 overall pick has missed 24 career games — due mostly to a 2019 ACL tear and two 2021 ankle surgeries. Chubb has not missed any time this season, registering 5.5 sacks in eight Broncos games.
The Broncos discussed Chubb with more than 10 teams, driving his price up. That eclipses the suitor volume of last year’s Von Miller sweepstakes. The Broncos needed to pick up most of Miller’s contract-year salary to land second- and third-round picks from the Rams, but the future Hall of Famer was in his age-32 season in 2021. Chubb is 26. Paton said (via Klis, on Twitter) a first-round pick needed to be included for him to sign off on unloading Denver’s latest contract-year edge standout.
Chubb has not accomplished anything close to what Miller has, but his Dolphins contract will eclipse the future Hall of Famer’s Bills free agency deal for AAV. Six edge defenders now earn at least $20MM on average. Miller is in that club, though the nonguaranteed years of his Buffalo deal moved the AAV to $20MM. Chubb can probably push to top Maxx Crosby‘s $23.5MM-per-year price, considering what the Dolphins paid in the trade and the salary cap set to spike again after its 2021 dip.
The Broncos are the first team to collect a first-round pick for an edge rusher since the Seahawks obtained one in a 2019 deal that sent Frank Clark to the Chiefs. The Dolphins are the first team to surrender a first-rounder for a defender in-season since the Rams dealt two for Jalen Ramsey later in 2019. Miami also collected a first-rounder for a defender during the ’19 season, having dealt Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers that September.
Like they did with Hill, the Dolphins are betting big on a veteran. Miami entered training camp with two 2023 first-round picks. Both are now gone, with the other (the Dolphins’ original 2023 first-rounder) stripped because of the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal. The pick sent to Denver for Chubb is the one obtained in last year’s Trey Lance swap with San Francisco.
It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins move forward with a Chubb deal before he takes the field with his new team. They greenlit Hill’s receiver-record $30MM-per-year pact the day they acquired him from the Chiefs. Chubb signing now would also protect him against another injury affecting his value. But any scenario in which the Dolphins do not sign Chubb before free agency would likely lead to a franchise tag.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/1/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: OL Sage Doxtater, OL Danny Isidora
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DE Amani Bledsoe
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Daryl Worley
Buffalo Bills
- Relased: CB Jordan Miller
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe, RB Nate McCrary
- Released: CB Gavin Heslop, RB John Lovett
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Zach McCloud
- Released: LB Kana’i Mauga
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Brady Breeze
Green Bay Packers
- Released: LB Kobe Jones
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Buddy Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Released: QB Reid Sinnett
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Hayden Howerton, P Michael Palardy
- Released: DL Ron’Dell Carter, K Tristan Vizcaino
New Orleans Saints
- Released: DB Jordan Brown, QB Jake Luton
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Willie Snead
- Released: WR Malik Turner
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Laquon Treadwell
- Released: WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OT Justin Skule
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/22
A handful of minor moves on a busy deadline day:
Buffalo Bills
- Released: DT Brandin Bryant, WR Isaiah Hodgins
Chicago Bears
- Waived: WR Isaiah Coulter
Denver Broncos
- Waived: RB Devine Ozigbo
Green Bay Packers
- Released: RB Patrick Taylor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from IR: CB Trent McDuffie
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: TE Irv Smith Jr.
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: DT Akeem Spence
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: OL Fred Johnson
Free Agency
- Suspended: DT Israel Antwine (six weeks)
Jets To Send Jacob Martin To Broncos
Barely a half-hour after agreeing to send Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins, the Broncos are acquiring another edge player. They will land Jacob Martin from the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
This is a pick-swap agreement, with Rapoport adding the Broncos will send a 2024 fourth-rounder to the Jets in exchange for Martin and a 2024 fifth. This is Martin’s second time being traded; he was part of the Seahawks and Texans’ 2019 Jadeveon Clowney deal.
Martin, 26, is a Denver-area native under contract through 2024. The Jets signed the former Seahawks and Texans edge defender to a three-year, $13.5MM deal this offseason. In eight Jets games as a backup, Martin registered 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits. Martin’s departure figures to free up more playing time for first-round pick Jermaine Johnson.
A former Seahawks sixth-round pick in 2018, Martin has been a decent backup rusher. He has 15 career sacks and seven forced fumbles. In his lone starter season (2021 in Houston), the Temple alum registered a career-high four sacks and forced four fumbles. Martin will be asked to contribute to a pass rush that has seen injuries and today’s Chubb trade deplete it.
Denver has Randy Gregory on IR with a knee injury and Baron Browning on the mend due to a hip ailment. With Chubb gone, the AFC West team that possessed a training camp edge surplus needed bodies. Nik Bonitto and 2021 seventh-round pick Jonathon Cooper stand as Denver’s top available rushers. Martin, who is owed less than $700K the rest of the way this year, stands to contribute going forward. Martin is tied to $4.25MM and $3.5MM base salaries in 2023 and ’24, respectively.
The Jets feature a deep pass-rushing contingent, with Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers operating as the team’s starting D-ends. Chosen 26th overall after the Jets traded back into Round 1, Johnson has yet to play more than 34% of the team’s defensive snaps in a game. Johnson (1.5 sacks) and Vinny Curry reside as Gang Green’s backup edges.
Broncos Trade Bradley Chubb To Dolphins
Barely 90 minutes before the trade deadline, the Broncos have decided to accept a Bradley Chubb trade offer. They are sending the fifth-year pass rusher to the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Denver will receive the 2023 first-round pick Miami obtained from San Francisco, along with a 2024 fourth-rounder and running back Chase Edmonds. The Dolphins will receive Chubb and a 2025 fifth, Schefter tweets. The Broncos needed to make a decision: accept an offer including a first-round pick or attempt to extend Chubb in 2023. Second-year GM George Paton took the first-rounder-fronted package. The teams have announced the deal.
This marks the second time in two years the Broncos have traded a cornerstone edge rusher at the deadline. Chubb, 26, will join 2021 trade chip Von Miller in the AFC East. Miami has made some moves to fortify its pass rush this year, re-signing Emmanuel Ogbah and adding Melvin Ingram and Trey Flowers in free agency. Despite these moves, the Dolphins have tallied only 15 sacks this season. No player has more than three. Chubb will head to Miami after registering 5.5 sacks in his final Broncos season.
Denver’s latest seller trade wraps a swiftly developing saga. At this point last week, Chubb was expected to bring in a Miller-like haul (second- and third-round picks). But the Broncos discussed Chubb with more than 10 teams; a first-rounder was reported to be on the table since Sunday morning. The Jets and Dolphins were linked as being willing to send the Broncos a first-rounder, but while New York was believed to have backed off, Miami will pay up for the contract-year pass rusher. It is unclear if another team offered a first, but it is unsurprising the Broncos parted with Chubb for such compensation.
The Dolphins are now expected to work out a long-term deal with Chubb, Schefter tweets. Such a contract will cost north of $20MM per year. But the Dolphins are in a better position to pay Chubb his market value compared to the Broncos, who now have an expensive quarterback on their payroll.
Ogbah is signed to a $16.35MM-per-year deal, while first-rounder Jaelan Phillips (team-high three sacks) is attached to a rookie contract through 2024. The Dolphins ponied up record-setting receiver dough for Tyreek Hill, and they are set to pay Chubb as well. These accords will complement Tua Tagovailoa‘s rookie contract. With Tua not an open-and-shut 2023 extension candidate like Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert yet, the Dolphins can slow-play it with the 2020 No. 5 overall pick. Tagovailoa can be kept on his rookie deal through 2024, via the fifth-year option.
Sitting in a tie for second place in the AFC East with the Jets, the Dolphins (5-3) will be armed with a former Pro Bowl pass rusher. The Broncos chose Chubb fifth overall in 2018, and while the Nos. 6 and 7 picks from that draft became top-tier players (Quenton Nelson, Josh Allen), the North Carolina State-produced pass rusher still developed into an upper-echelon edge defender in Denver. Chubb registered 12 sacks as a rookie and bounced back from a 2019 ACL tear with a 2020 Pro Bowl berth. Chubb underwent two ankle surgeries in 2021, leading to a zero-sack season, but has rebounded again to help the Broncos form a top-five defense despite Vic Fangio‘s exit.
The pre-deadline deal closes the Broncos’ book on a decent what-if chapter in their modern history. The team’s John Elway-led regime drafted Chubb to pair with Miller, but after 2018, the two rarely ended up playing together. Chubb went down early in 2019; Miller missed all of the 2020 season. Chubb was lost early in the 2021 campaign; by the time he returned, the Broncos had traded Miller to the Rams. Denver has retooled on the edge in 2022, and each of its current cogs are Paton-era investments.
Denver signed Randy Gregory to a five-year, $70MM deal, moved Baron Browning from inside linebacker to the edge and drafted Nik Bonitto in Round 2 this year. All three have shown flashes, but both Gregory and Browning are out with injuries presently. While Tuesday’s trade depletes Denver’s 2022 edge corps, the team is 3-5 and pounced on a rare opportunity to land a first-round pick for a somewhat injury-prone player.
After losing its first- and second-round 2023 picks in the Russell Wilson trade, Denver has replenished its draft cupboard to some degree. The Dolphins have also been active with first-round selections under GM Chris Grier. They collected this 2023 draft choice from the 49ers in 2021’s Trey Lance deal, moved up to draft Jaylen Waddle that year and sent the Chiefs a 2022 first-rounder for Hill. While the Chubb move gives the Broncos a first-round pick next year, the Dolphins are now without one. The NFL stripped Miami of its original 2023 first-round pick, in the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal, and the last of the selections obtained for Lance is now sacrificed for Chubb. The Dolphins are betting big Hill and Chubb can lead them to their first playoff win in 22 years.
Edmonds signed a two-year, $12.1MM deal this offseason but has seen ex-Mike McDaniel 49ers charge Raheem Mostert overtake him in Miami’s backfield. This season, Edmonds has 216 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He has not surpassed 10 carries in a game since Week 1. Edmonds, 26, showed more while playing alongside Kenyan Drake and James Conner, respectively, in Arizona. A fourth-round pick out of Fordham, Edmonds topped 800 scrimmage yards in 2020 and ’21. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season, but the Cardinals turned to Conner as their primary back and re-signed him this offseason.
The fifth-year back is tied to a $2MM 2022 base salary and a nonguaranteed $5.7MM 2023 salary. The Broncos could look to pair Edmonds with Javonte Williams next year, with current backfield cogs Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray unlikely to be with the team in 2023. For now, Edmonds will join the veterans who have been sharing the backfield since Williams’ ACL tear.
Trade Rumors: Broncos, Cooks, Akers, Hunt, Cowboys, Lions, 49ers
Brandin Cooks is available, and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the Texans are in discussions involving the ninth-year receiver. But Cooks’ $18MM guaranteed 2023 salary — which came to pass after Houston re-signed him on a two-year, $39MM pact in April — has proven to be an impediment here. Teams are not moving on Cooks unless the Texans pick up a chunk of that salary. Cooks, 29, was linked to giving up some guaranteed money to facilitate a trade back to the Rams. But it is unlikely he will give up too much cash to be moved. The Giants and Vikings have also been connected to the thrice-traded Cooks. For what it’s worth, Cooks was not at Texans practice Tuesday. Personal reasons — not an imminent trade — are believed to be behind Cooks’ absence, NFL.com’s Garafolo tweets.
With the deadline in less than three hours, here is the latest from the trade front:
- The Broncos have told teams they are not conducting a fire sale, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. A Bradley Chubb trade still could commence, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo hears (video link) the team is holding out for a better offer. Denver has been linked to not only wanting a first-round pick for Chubb but two firsts. With the latter price range unlikely to take shape, the Broncos figure to be put to a major decision today. Jerry Jeudy remains unlikely to be moved, per Garafolo.
- No Cam Akers trade is imminent, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. The Rams have been looking for a trade partner to unload their 2020 second-round pick. This situation may not be as icy as previously believed, however. Akers was once rumored to be done with the Rams, but he is now prepared to return to the team if no trade occurs this afternoon.
- Prior to acquiring James Robinson from the Jaguars, the Jets looked into Kareem Hunt, Breer notes. The Browns have dangled Hunt for the price of a fourth-round pick, but the former rushing champion may now be set to stay in Cleveland for at least this season’s remainder. Hunt, 27, should be expected to hit free agency if no trade goes down today.
- The Lions may not be done dealing. After sending T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings, the rebuilding NFC North squad has informed teams it remains open for business. Defensive back is one of the areas in which Detroit is willing to deal, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets. Contract-year cornerback Amani Oruwariye would appear to be one name available. While Jeff Okudah arrived before the Brad Holmes regime took over, it would still be surprising if Detroit moved on from the former No. 3 overall pick.
- In addition to making defensive end Tarell Basham available, the Cowboys are open to moving defensive tackle Trysten Hill, Breer adds. Dallas has not seen the former second-round pick develop into a starter but has used him as a part-time player throughout this season. The team just added Johnathan Hankins via trade and has rookie-contract performers Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna ahead of Hill. Basham has only played in one game this season (Week 1) and remains on IR. The Cowboys designated the former third-round edge rusher for return late last month, however.
- The 49ers have already made their big trade splash, sending four picks to the Panthers for Christian McCaffrey. Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area) the phone lines are always open, but the team does not expect to make another move.