The trade deadline came and went without a trade from the Denver Broncos. A balanced team, the only obvious upgrade on the Broncos was their wide receivers. Because Marvin Mims Jr. is out with a concussion, and Pat Bryant is a rookie.
So, the Broncos could’ve added a third receiver for 11 personnel, but chose not to. Head coach Sean Payton endorsed the receivers’ room after the deadline, shooting down the theory that the Broncos were in the market for a WR.
Sean Payton Endorses Wide Receiver Group After Trade Deadline
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold caught up with Payton after practice on Tuesday.
“The Broncos finished practice Tuesday roughly 45 minutes after the league’s trade deadline had passed, and the team that walked out of the Broncos’ indoor facility is the one that will face the Raiders Thursday night in Empower Field at Mile High. Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked if any deals were close and he simply said: ‘No.,'” Legwold wrote.
Legwold’s report is a double down that the Broncos were not looking to upgrade their WRs room, on the heels of KOA Colorado’s Benjaim Allbright saying the Broncos made calls about depth receivers over the last week. Bryant may have stayed the No. 3 WR even with a depth receiver addition.
Legwold continued, “Asked if they tried to add a wide receiver to the roster, he said: ‘We’ve invested (in the wide receiver position), we like this group and where we’re going.'”
The Broncos are 7-2 after investing a second-round pick in Mims Jr., a fourth-round pick in Troy Franklin, and a third-round pick in Bryant. Veteran No. 1 WR Courtland Sutton was drafted in the second round in 2018.
All told, Bryant will continue to get progressive snaps during the second half of the season and presumably into the playoffs. It’ll be huge in slowing the game down for him heading into Year 2 in 2026. At that point, Mims Jr. will be on his last year of his rookie contract and may cede his starting slot to Bryant. Franklin, meanwhile, is locked into the slot WR role.
Mims Jr. could return this week, as the Broncos play the Las Vegas Raiders on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 10, but expect Bryant to mix in on three-WR sets the rest of the season. Check out the keys to the game here. In PFSN’s WR impact rating for Week 7, Mims had a score of 80, earning him a B- grade.