With the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline set for November 10, the next few weeks should tell us a lot about which teams are gearing up to buy and which ones are bracing to sell. The Broncos may not look like an obvious buyer at first glance, but that’s exactly why the conversation is interesting. Even with a shaky start, Denver could still be in position to add help, and the roster clearly has a few spots that need attention.
That’s where the phones come in. The Broncos have issues at a couple of key positions, and the front office has a real chance to chase upgrades before the deadline passes. Four names stand out as possible fits, and while only one has been tied to an official report so far, all four carry enough logic to make sense for Denver.
Mack Wilson is one of them. The Cardinals linebacker is in the final year of his deal, and Arizona’s situation makes him a strong candidate to move.
Wilson turns 29 in February, which doesn’t line up with a team that may be leaning into a longer rebuild and looking for younger pieces. He’s spent the last three seasons in Arizona and has 28 tackles through four games this year.
In his last healthy season, 2024, he posted one interception, five passes defended, three sacks, 75 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hits. Pro Football Reference also lists him as having allowed an 89.1 passer rating in coverage, with that number dropping as low as 80.8 only last year.
Cody Barton is another linebacker who makes sense as a target. He’s on a Titans team that can’t seem to get traction, and there’s also the matter of fit.
Robert Saleh’s defenses tend to favor more athletic linebackers, and Barton doesn’t really match that mold, even if he remains a solid player. He has 20 tackles through four games and finished his 2024 season with the Broncos with two interceptions, five defended passes, and 106 total tackles.
Barton also allowed a 67.1 passer rating in coverage back in 2025. Given Denver’s need at linebacker and the familiarity factor, he could slide in without much fuss.
Tony Pollard is the running back in the group, and he’s already been mentioned in Adam Schefter’s recent report of players who could be dealt. Pollard has now topped 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons and has missed only two games over that span.
He’s been a steady producer for six years and has never finished a season averaging fewer than four yards per carry. Over the last four seasons, he’s also had at least 1,288 scrimmage yards each year.
That kind of consistency would matter for a Broncos offense that hasn’t gotten it from the ground game. J.K.
Dobbins has looked like a shell of his former self, and Denver’s rushing attack is among the worst in football right now. Pollard would bring a level of production the Broncos simply haven’t had.
Demario Davis rounds out the list, and this one comes with a few layers. Davis played for Sean Payton on the Saints from 2018-2021, and he signed a two-year deal with the Jets this offseason to return to the team that drafted him.
Even so, the contract is still tradeable financially. The Jets are again trending toward a lost season under Aaron Glenn, and an in-season coaching change could happen.
There’s also a Darren Mougey connection, since the Jets general manager spent time with the Broncos. Add in the Payton tie and Davis’ continued production, and the fit starts to make sense.
Through four games, he already has two sacks, 32 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. He was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro as recently as 2023, and last year he finished with 143 total tackles and six tackles for loss.
He’s not the same player he once was, but he’d still be an upgrade over what Denver has in that room.
In Other News...
Broncos Finally Get A Chance To Fix Whats Holding This Offense Back
The Broncos have spent the early part of the season fighting for answers on offense, and now they get a chance to make some progress against a Chargers team dealing with plenty of its own problems. Los Angeles is still looking for its first win, and the issues around Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels system have made that side of the matchup far from clean. For Denver, it is the kind of opponent that can either provide a reset or expose how much work still remains.
After a stretch against stronger competition, the Broncos should see this as an opportunity to finally settle some of the things that have held the offense back. But a winless team can be a dangerous one if it is treated like a soft landing spot, especially in the AFC West where little margin exists for careless football. Denver does not just need the result, it needs proof that the offense can take advantage when the matchup is there. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Mims' Costly Mistake Has Broncos Fans Asking About Accountability
Marvin Mims spent the aftermath of a rough outing doing what players are supposed to do after a mistake, even if the admission was uncomfortable. The Broncos wide receiver said he did not go back and review the film on the play where he fumbled, and he went so far as to call it possibly his worst NFL game. For a Denver offense still trying to find cleaner execution, the moment landed as another reminder of how thin the margin can be when a key touch turns into a turnover.
The larger conversation around accountability did not stop with Mims, either. Former Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw took aim at Sean Payton after the game, and Payton did not push back in his postgame availability, instead responding positively to Greenlaws comments. Meanwhile, across the division, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak was already talking about changing the approach around Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington, a sign that coaches on both sidelines are feeling the pressure to fix problems before they harden. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos May Need One Eagles Move Before The Trade Market Shifts
Philadelphias roster has already started to look different in the wake of the Cam Jurgens trade, and that kind of movement can reshape the market before the rest of the league catches up. The Eagles are dealing with a changing front as well, with Lane Johnson retired and the club sitting at 2-2, which makes any evaluation of their veteran talent more interesting for teams watching for an opening.
From Denvers side, the name worth tracking is Zack Baun, the inside linebacker who has recently earned both Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro recognition. His contract is considered movable, and if the Eagles decide to keep adjusting their roster, the Broncos could make sense as a team ready to act before trade talks around the league shift into a more crowded market. [Read more 🡒]