Broncos Rumored To Be Interested In Lions Star Tight End

The Denver Broncos need a tight end, and they’re rumored to be interested in Sam LaPorta, who has reached a negotiating impasse with the Detroit Lions, per a report from Nikhil Mehta of ProFootballRumors.com. 

LaPort went public with comments about his frustrations pertaining to the negotiations, per Mehta, especially since the 2023 second-round draft pick is having a career year, with per-game marks of 5.4 receptions and 63.2 yards per game. Those rank seventh and fifth at his position, respectively, and Mehta noted that they’d be an upgrade for any team that needs a tight end. 

That definitely describes Denver. The Broncos offense has been stuck in the mud so far this season, and it was inconsistent for much of last year. The Broncos traded for receiver Jaylen Waddle, but he hasn’t done what he was acquired to do, which was open up the field to free up other receivers and make some big plays of his own. 

LaPorta does just that, and Broncos coach Sean Payton has long coveted a move tight end who can play the joker role in his offense. That was supposed to be Evan Engram, but he currently has just 12 catching for 134 yards and a touchdown. 

Adding LaPorta would solve that problem, and it might also help fix quarterback Bo Nix, who’s been borderline inept lately. The Broncos have been working with Nix to get him headed back in the right direction for weeks now, but so far nothing is working. 

Denver’s competition for LaPorta would primarily be the Carolina Panthers, according to Mehta. The Panthers have been relying on an uninspiring pair of late-round draft picks, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans, to anchor the tight end position, and they’ve reportedly been looking around to upgrade the supporting cast for quarterback Bryce Young. 

Two obstacles stand in the way of the Broncos acquiring LaPorta. The first is that the Lions are currently 3-2, which puts them last in the NFC North but still in playoff contention. The other is Denver’s lack of draft capital to make a deal for the Lions tight end, as the Broncos gave up most of that to get Waddle. 

There are also questions about LaPorta’s injury history, but at the very least they indicate Payton’s willingness to make a big move. He’s not usually patient when he gets the urge to do this, and the Broncos currently sit at 4-2 in what was expected to be a season in which Denver would make another championship run.