The Denver Broncos have won their last three games, even as their offense continues to adjust with rookie quarterback Bo Nix. The team ranks 22nd in scoring offense, while the defense has surprisingly performed well, sitting at second in scoring. To enhance their chances for a playoff run, the Broncos need their offensive unit to improve.
A major concern has been the minimal production from the tight ends, who have combined for just 77 yards on 11 catches among four players, including h-back Nate Adkins. To remedy this, Heavy Sports has suggested a trade to acquire David Njoku from the Cleveland Browns.
The trade proposal would see Njoku move to the Broncos in exchange for quarterback Zach Wilson and a third-round draft pick in 2025. Njoku, 28, was the 29th overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Browns. He has recorded 5 receptions for 58 yards in two games this season but missed weeks 2 through 4 due to an ankle injury. He is expected to return to the starting lineup in Week 6. In 2023, he set career highs with 81 receptions for 882 yards and 6 touchdowns, despite working with multiple quarterbacks.
The Browns are currently 1-4, and their starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson, has faced difficulties. While acquiring Njoku could bolster the Broncos, the Browns also need to consider the implications of keeping the 2023 Pro Bowler, who has one year left on his four-year, $54.7 million contract, which is typically a critical period for extensions or trades.
However, a significant challenge for the Broncos or any interested teams is that trading Njoku before the 2025 offseason would lead to a dead cap hit exceeding $16 million for the Browns. Still, a deal involving a bridge quarterback and draft picks could present an appealing offer.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that the Broncos have a surplus of quarterbacks, which allows them to maintain a strong backup regardless of whether they choose to trade one. He indicated that Denver could explore discussions with several quarterback-needy teams and potentially trade one of Bo Nix’s backups based on those conversations.
Jarrett Stidham stands out as a financially viable option, as he is in the last year of a two-year, $10 million deal. The Broncos have $4.7 million in cap space, and trading Stidham could yield $6 million in savings, which would help offset Njoku’s remaining base salary of $2.4 million.
Fowler labeled Zach Wilson as a “logical” candidate for a trade, given that he is currently third on the depth chart. Wilson’s salary of $1.055 million is significantly less than Stidham’s $4.49 million. In the final year of his four-year, $35.1 million rookie contract, Wilson was the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Although Broncos head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton have praised Wilson’s talent, the team opted not to exercise his $22 million fifth-year option, setting him up for free agency in 2025. At 25, he is younger than Stidham (28), Watson (29), and Browns QB2 Jameis Winston (30), and just slightly older than Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Cleveland’s fifth-round pick in 2023.
