Broncos Eye Trade for 2-Time Pro Bowler to Fill Void of $56 Million OLB Headed to NFC North
With several teams struggling and the trade deadline approaching in two weeks, there’s growing momentum for the Broncos to make a move.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggests they should consider acquiring Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram.
“The Broncos’ offense clicked against the Saints, but much of that success came from Bo Nix’s rushing ability, as he tallied 75 rushing yards. The leading receiver for the Broncos was Troy Franklin, who had five catches for 50 yards,” Ballentine noted on October 21.
“The team is getting minimal production from Adam Trautman as a receiver, and Lucas Krull was only effective this past week. Bringing in a proven pass-catching tight end could elevate Nix’s performance. Given the Jaguars’ rocky start to the season, they might be open to trading Engram. While there could be financial challenges, the Broncos’ success might persuade them to make a bold move.”
Trautman, a strong blocker, has started six of the seven games but has only managed two receptions for 28 yards on six targets. Krull has outperformed him, and backups Greg Dulcich (five catches for 28 yards on 12 targets) and Nate Adkins (4 catches for 19 yards on five targets) are not far behind.
Overall, Broncos tight ends have caught 12 of 32 targets for 136 yards and no touchdowns over the first seven games of 2024.
In Week 7, Engram had five catches for 35 yards on five targets against the New England Patriots. However, he had a standout performance in Week 6 with 10 receptions for 102 yards on 10 targets against the Chicago Bears, marking his second game back after a hamstring injury in Week 1. Last season, Engram caught 114 passes on 143 targets for 963 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Broncos Trade Pitch Lands Evan Engram From Jaguars
Engram, a Pro Bowler in both 2020 and 2023, has a base salary of $1.2 million remaining over the next 10 games, which is the prorated amount of his $2 million salary for 2024. He is in the second year of a three-year, $41.2 million contract.
His salary is set to increase to $14.7 million in 2025, but the Broncos can manage his cap hit for both years. However, if the Jaguars don’t renegotiate his contract before it expires at the end of the 2025 season, Engram will count $9.5 million against their salary cap in 2026.
According to a proposal from Heavy Sports, the Broncos are looking to acquire Engram from the Jaguars, who recently secured their second win of the 2024 season in Week 7.
Broncos Receive: Evan Engram
Jaguars Receive: Jonathon Cooper
Instead of potentially trading draft picks for Engram, the Broncos choose to trade one of their many pass rushers. Cooper, who is second on the team with 5.0 sacks, is also in the final year of his four-year, $3.6 million contract.
Broncos, Jaguars Can Help Each Other
Fellow edge defender Baron Browning is also nearing the end of a four-year, $4.7 million contract. He could be included in the trade package instead of Cooper, but a foot injury that caused him to miss four games this season may have significantly lowered his trade value. Meanwhile, Nik Bonitto starts opposite Cooper, and the Broncos have rookie Jonah Elliss ready to step in for whoever they decide to trade.
If the Jaguars were to trade Engram during the season, they would face a $17.5 million dead cap hit.
However, Ballentine identified edge rusher as one of the top five needs for both the Jaguars and the Broncos. Acquiring Cooper in a trade could help address two issues, especially with Engram’s future uncertain amid the team’s overall struggles. Notably, Engram’s return coincided with Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence having two of his best games of the season in terms of completion percentage.
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