Broncos Trade Pitch Lands Pair of Former 1st-Round Picks Before Deadline

Getty Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on before facing the New Orleans Saints.

The NFL’s trade deadline is on November 5  and the Denver Broncos are in a prime position to make a splash.

Opinions on who they should target – or if they should even make a move at all – are split.

But potential partners continue to emerge. Denver Gazette sports editor Paul Klee believes the Broncos should “buy.” Klee also suggested a potential partner in the Jacksonville Jaguars and two potential targets – tight end Evan Engram and running back Travis Etienne – for the Broncos.

Klee does not specifically suggest going after both targets. But the Broncos can get it done, and this Heavy Sports trade proposal outlines how.

Broncos get:

• Evan Engram
• Travis Etienne

Jaguars get:

• 2025 fourth-round pick
• 2026 third-round pick

Engram was the No. 23 overall pick in 2017 by the New York Giants. He signed with the Jaguars as a free agent in 2022.

The Jaguars selected Etienne No. 25 overall in 2021.

Both players would inject some additional talent into two position groups that have been identified as areas of need for the Broncos. Starting tailback Javonte Williams is averaging 3.8 yards per attempt and has failed to cross the 100-yard mark this season.

The Broncos have gotten slightly more production out of their current tight ends than Engram has along.

Broncos Urged to ‘Call Jaguars’ Before Trade Deadline

“Before the trade deadline rolls around at 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Broncos should go get Bo Nix one or two new toys for the holidays: a running back who can catch passes and turn 3 yards into 13, and/or a tight end who provides Nix with a reliable target on third down,” Klee wrote on November 1.

“Call the Jaguars, who are 2-6 and could shop tight end Evan Engram (114 catches in 2023) and running back Travis Etienne (93 catches across ’22 and ’23).”

Engram, 29, has 20 receptions for 178 yards and 1 touchdown in four games played in 2024.

Broncos tight ends have 24 grabs for 242 yards and 2 touchdowns between four players. Engram set career-high marks with 114 catches for 963 yards with the Jaguars in 2023, tallying 4 touchdown grabs as well.

Etienne, 25, has carried the ball 56 times, gaining 230 yards and 2 scores. But he is coming off back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard campaigns to begin his career.

Teammate Tank Bigsby has outproduced him this season.

But Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has maintained that Etienne is the starter. Pederson’s stance and the financial ramifications of trading either player or weakening QB Trevor Lawrence’s stable of weapons stand as potential hurdles to a trade for the Broncos or any team.

Broncos Can Make Money Work on Blockbuster Trade With Jaguars

Engram (three-year, $41.2 million) and Etienne (four years, $12.9 million) have a combined $11.1 million cap hit for 2024 that would be prorated for the remaining nine games of the season. They carry a $25 million combined hit in 2025.

The Broncos have $1.7 million in cap space, per Over The Cap.

Extending left tackle Garett Bolles would net $11.6 million in cap space for 2024, per OTC. The Broncos could free up $6.6 million more with an extension for defensive tackle D.J. Jones.

As for 2025, Engram and Etienne will both be in the final year of their respective contracts, making them extension candidates which could again free up cap dollars. As of November 1, Over The Cap projects the Broncos to have $71.9 million to spend in 2025.

The NFL is not the NBA, where packages often feature multiple valuable players in one deal.

However, the Broncos can cash in on their draft capital and upcoming cap space and maximize their window with Nix on his rookie contract. It would harken back to some of the organization’s bolder moves in years past.

“Send a message the old Broncos are back,” Klee wrote. “The old Broncos never waited ’till next year.