The Russell Wilson contract extension has not gone to plan. The Sean Payton hire, though just six games in, has not gone to plan. After a 2022 in which the Denver Broncos failed to even come close to the expectations in mind when the team dealt for Russell Wilson, 2023 could possibly pan out even worse.
The Broncos, heading into Week 7, are 1-5, bottom of their division and in need of an unspeakably massive turnaround to compete for a postseason spot. Though the Broncos could still make like last year's Detroit Lions, their involvement in trade talk indicates they're already thinking more about the future rather than competing this year.
The trade deadline is Oct. 31, and Denver is increasingly present in rumor talk around the league. Receivers, like Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, are expected to be available. Defensive players for Denver have been thought to be available for several weeks now.
But where on the roster does that line of "will listen to offers" end? With a team in dire straits, does such a line even exist?
One new report made it clear just how wide ranging the Broncos trade appetite is.
NFL rumors indicate everyone on Broncos roster has a price
Dianna Russini's latest column emptied her notebook on what the insider has heard from around the league with the trade deadline now less than 10 days away. Speaking on the Broncos, she made a few things clear, first of all the fact that the Broncos are not having what she called, "a fire sale."
Russini did say, though, that multiple sources from within the team said they will listen to offers on, "every player" (subscription required).
Truthfully, I'm not sure how "open for business on any player on the roster" doesn't equate to a fire sale. Maybe the difference here is just that the Broncos don't feel like they need to get rid of players.
But, looking at the roster, it's incredible -- though not necessarily surprising -- that Wilson, Pro Bowl quarterback with a Super Bowl victory to his name, doesn't even land himself on the "no trade" list. Everyone is on the table for the Broncos to at least listen. If that doesn't show just how far Wilson's reputation has fallen...
In totality, the Broncos don't need to label Wilson off the market because there likely is no market for Wilson even if he were a piece the Broncos wanted to move. The contract he's on (after this year, $188 million through 2028 season) is guaranteed and a vast overpay for what he's been able to produce the last season and a half.
Unless the Broncos are picking up the tab on what's left due to Wilson, no team would trade for him anyway. And if the Broncos are still paying, there's little reason at this point in the contract's life for them to not have the asset on the roster.
