With a New CBA, Denver Broncos Could be Primed to Acquire Multitude of Picks
As many of you readers might know, before coming to NFL Mocks I have been writing about the Denver Broncos with Mile High Report, and I still maintain a very strong interest in what’s going on around Dove Valley. As you also may have read, there is a lot of uncertainty right now as to what the Broncos are going to be doing this offseason, whether it’s regarding Champ Bailey, Kyle Orton, or the second overall draft pick.
One thing is for certain–the Denver Broncos have a multitude of needs, and are going to need a multitude of picks in the up-coming draft, something they currently do not have. Obviously right now they do not have a lot of picks, though they do have more high ones than most teams. With four picks in the top 67, the Broncos are armed to make some fine additions to their team, but do not be surprised if they look to add plenty more this year–and next.
The first thing to watch out for is for cornerback Champ Bailey to possibly be franchise tagged. It’s a risky move for the Broncos who would be slapping Bailey with a huge contract number for 2011, but it might be a necessary risk. The thought of the Broncos without Bailey sickens me, but it might be a necessary move. The team simply cannot afford a player of his age right now at the price tag he will demand. If they can work it out, then more power to them, but right now, the right thing to do seems to be to hit Bailey with the franchise or transition tag and trade him to the highest bidder, and you can bet there are some teams who would be willing to pay up for his services, particularly a squad like New England or maybe Detroit.
Another move to watch for is the trading of Kyle Orton. The Broncos have said they want a second round pick in return for the services of Orton, and having watched him the last two years I think that is a fair asking price and one they will stick to throughout the process. Orton isn’t a flashy starter, but he could go to a team like Tennessee, San Francisco, or Minnesota and drastically improve their odds at a division title in 2011.
The final move to watch for is a trade of the second overall pick entirely. The Broncos have a ton of needs, and are going to need a couple of drafts to do it. If there is a new CBA, the second overall pick will hold great value especially for a player of the caliber of Patrick Peterson or A.J. Green. Look for a team like Dallas to offer the kitchen sink in order for the draft rights to a player like Patrick Peterson. The Broncos could still improve the defensive side of the ball while picking up potentially a massive haul from the Cowboys, who have made outlandish trades before.
With the value of the second overall pick, you could be looking at a trade haul like this:
- 2012 1st round pick
- 2011 1st round pick
- 2011 2nd round pick
- 2011 3r round pick
Potentially more than that, even, especially with a rookie wage scale. A package like that would almost undoubtedly entice a team like Denver, and possibly could work against them as well if the Carolina Panthers feel a trade down is a better course of action than selecting Nick Fairley, in which case the Broncos would be in somewhat of a win-win situation.
Either way, look for the Broncos to try and acquire more picks as the offseason progresses.