Broncos again connected to trade for former first-round wide receiver

The Denver Broncos have built a wide receiver room full of young, promising prospects around Courtland Sutton. After adding a true receiving threat at tight end in Evan Engram, the belief is that the offense will take off in 2025.

But there is a belief out there that the team needs to add more to the group and bring in a more talented option for quarterback Bo Nix. Charlie Baduini of Athlon Sports is among them, and he has proposed a trade in which the Broncos would acquire a former first-round pick. 

In this deal, the Broncos would send a 2026 second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for Chris Olave. The Broncos have not been shy about adding former Saints players to the roster due to the Sean Payton connection. But Olave, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 draft, never played under Payton. 

"Entering a contract year, Olave would understandably not want to undergo a rebuild to cash in on his second contract.

Enter the Broncos, who should be on the hunt for more weapons to compete in a stacked AFC West. Olave would be a perfect addition to the Denver offense and would complement Sutton's skill set well, lining up opposite him.

The Broncos would also be able to sign Olave long-term, as previously mentioned, they won't be paying Nix major quarterback money for at least another four seasons", wrote Baduini. 

Olave's talent has never been in question, but his health is becoming a big concern. Olave has sustained several major concussions dating back to his college days at Ohio State and though he is only 24 years old (25 in June), there is doubt about how long his career may continue. Would the Broncos really be well-served to send a second-round pick in that case?

It would be a bit of a gamble. The Broncos would be getting a receiver who has caught nearly 200 passes in his first three seasons, but one who played in just eight games last year. Olave is not going to be able to play through too many more blows to the head, similar to the situation we have seen with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagavailoa. 

The Broncos seem to be content with their wide receiver group, which is why they only signed a guy mostly known for special teams in free agency (Trent Sherfield) and then took a shot on a guy they liked in the draft (Pat Bryant). For the right price, trading for Olave could be a great move, but it's hard to gauge what the right price is for a player many see as damaged goods. 

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