The Broncos sit at 5-2, but that hasn’t taken the trade deadline off the table in Denver. With November 10 closing in, the next two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and then the Carolina Panthers could shape whether the Broncos act like buyers, sellers, or a little of both.
That’s the strange spot Denver is in right now. The team is winning, yet it also carries the oldest roster in the NFL when weighted by snaps and an expensive one at that.
With core players heading toward free agency, the Broncos won’t be able to keep everybody. So while adding help is on the table, moving on from a few veterans is too.
One name to watch is running back J.K. Dobbins.
He’s on just a one-year commitment, with the second year of the deal carrying a $12 million cap charge and no guaranteed salary. The bigger issue is that his production hasn’t come close to matching the contract, and Denver isn’t getting enough back from him on the field.
Dobbins is second-to-last in RYOE, or rush yards over expected, at minus-77. In plain terms, he’s producing 77 fewer rushing yards than the model says he should.
But this isn’t only about the numbers. His sideline demeanor and locker room attitude have also become part of the conversation, especially after games.
He’s had complaints about touches before, and while Sean Payton taking over the play-calling in Week 5 may have changed the dynamics, Dobbins’ efficiency has only gotten worse. Even with Payton giving him a touchdown in three straight games, the frustration has still seemed to show up.
The lack of visible celebration has stood out, too. Dobbins hasn’t been joining in on big moments the way teammates have, whether it was RJ Harvey’s 52-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals or even Dobbins’ own score at State Farm Stadium.
Against the Cardinals, Jonah Coleman moved into the closer role while Dobbins remained on the sideline looking frustrated whenever the cameras caught him. With Coleman trending toward the lead role, Dobbins losing the RB1 job feels close to inevitable.
If Denver finds a team willing to take him, there’s no real reason to stand in the way.
Mims presents a trickier case. The explosive plays against the Cardinals reminded everyone why the Broncos value him, and Payton has already said he wants to get him more involved.
Still, effort has been the problem. Outside that game, his intensity has been questioned on plays where he isn’t the intended target.
Even on designed deep shots, there have been snaps where he looked like he didn’t expect the ball to come his way.
Then there’s his work as a returner. Mims has been an All-Pro twice in his first three seasons and has generally been excellent in that role, but this year has been less stable, especially on punt returns. The ball security has slipped, highlighted by a costly fumble against the San Francisco 49ers, and his choices when fielding punts have been even rougher.
His contract situation also matters. Mims is in the final year of his rookie deal, and Denver hasn’t looked eager to extend him.
The Broncos do like to handle extensions during the bye, which arrives in Week 10, but there was little movement from them over the offseason or preseason. With wide receiver Pat Bryant set to come off injured reserve soon, a trade could open a roster spot.
The obstacle is depth. Troy Franklin is the obvious offensive replacement, but he’s had his own ups and downs this season.
On special teams, Kolbe Katsis would be the immediate answer as a returner, but he’s currently on the practice squad. It’s hard to justify keeping a returner-only player on both the 53-man roster and the 48-man game-day group.
If Denver doesn’t intend to re-sign Mims, moving him would make plenty of sense. The catch is that he was Sean Payton’s first draft pick as Broncos head coach, and that kind of symbolism can slow things down. That part of the decision may take a little more time.
The final name is cornerback Riley Moss, though this one is more about exploration than a clear push to trade him. Kris Abrams-Draine and Jahdae Barron have played well enough that Denver can at least think about dealing Moss or Ja’Quan McMillian. Moss makes more sense because of how the depth chart has lined up.
Unlike Dobbins and Mims, the idea here isn’t to force a move. It’s more about seeing what the market would bring back. If the right offer lands, Denver could absolutely bite.
Moss and McMillian are both set to become free agents after this season, and the Broncos are unlikely to keep both. At some point, they’ll probably have to choose. Moss, as a boundary corner, is likely to cost more than McMillian on his next deal, with projections putting him around $20 million per year and some even floating $25 million annually given how far the cornerback market has climbed.
The Broncos also have reason to feel comfortable with Abrams-Draine and Barron if one of those veterans moves on. Patrick Surtain II is coming back from injury, and neither Abrams-Draine nor Barron has really done much in the slot, which makes Moss the more logical trade candidate. He’d probably also bring back more in a deal than McMillian would.
That matters because cornerback help is always in demand, and a Moss trade could give Denver more flexibility with its draft picks if it decides to pursue help elsewhere before the deadline.
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