The Denver Broncos are definitely one of the most-scrutinized teams in the NFL as the trade deadline approaches, especially since they have a seemingly huge need at left guard with Ben Powers and Matt Peart out.
But the Broncos seem to be going in a different direction, especially given that they just signed 41-year old tight end Marcedes Lewis, who was basically a street free agent this season after playing for the Chicago Bears last year.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Broncos are still monitoring the trade deadline market. This makes sense given Lewis’s age and the fact that he hasn’t played this year, and this looks to be one of those instances where unconventional Denver coach Sean Payton has identified a need and is bound and determined to fill it.
So who might the Broncos still be looking at? That’s anybody’s guess, given that quarterback Bo Nix was the last guy anyone expected to pick in the first round when Payton made that call.
The most likely candidate would be Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo, who’s caught 27 passes this year for 271 yards. Obviously he’s not much of a downfield threat with those numbers, but Okonkwo is also considered a superior blocker who could help open running lanes for running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, plus he could help protect Nix on his rollouts while providing a safety-valve target when the Denver quarterback gets in trouble.
As for Russini’s thoughts on the matter, she basically didn't have any, at least not about available tight ends. She ran through a list of about 20 teams and what they might be looking for, and there wasn’t a single tight end among them.
That doesn’t necessarily mean anything when it comes to Payton and the Broncos, however. Russini is very plugged in when it comes to trade chatter and viable sources, but the simple fact is that Payton may have already targeted a tight end that no one else has considered yet.
It’s part of the way Payton operates, but it won’t mean a thing tomorrow. The Broncos will go into tomorrow’s game against the Houston Texans with tight end Evan Engram as their primary options at the position, and Engram has been playing well lately.
After the game, though, the intrigue starts. That’s when the rumor mill will crank up into overdrive for Tuesday’s trade deadline, and it will be fascinating to see if Payton has a surprise target in mind at tight end.