The NFL's trade deadline approaches. The Denver Broncos have until November 5 — which also happens to be Election Day in the U.S. — to make any trade moves.
Sitting at 3-3, the Broncos are still very much in the hunt. Despite an 0-2 start, Sean Payton has his team in the midst of AFC relevance, despite coming off a disappointing divisional loss.
Whether the Broncos should be buyers or sellers at the NFL trade deadline is contingent on how their October shakes out. If this team is at .500 or better, it would be a signal to buy.
If things don't go as planned, and the Broncos are sub-.500, selling off personnel assets might make sense. For now, though, Pro Football Focus' Khaled Elsayed is urging the Broncos to buy, and specifically pointed to a Cleveland Browns tight end as a possible target.
"Denver doesn't have the most exciting tight end room, but the trade options aren’t great on that front. Maybe a low-cost move for Jordan Akins, who has caught 12 of his 13 targets this season, would suit all parties," Sayed wrote.
The 32-year-old Akins has appeared in all five games for the Browns, totaling 12 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. The Broncos have sorely lacked impactful receiving play from their tight end corps, with Greg Dulcich's failure to launch still haunting the offense.
Akins, a 2018 third-round pick of the Houston Texans, wouldn't exactly be a game-changer, but he could offer Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix a reliable security blanket in the passing game, beyond just the checkdown/flat variety that Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull have been thus far. Considering Akins' relative age and production, it wouldn't cost Denver an arm and a leg to acquire him.
More than anything, though, PFF's recommendation does cast into light the Broncos' need at the pass-catching positions. Beyond Courtland Sutton, Nix's supporting cast has been inconsistent.
Josh Reynolds is on injured reserve, which has led Payton to pound the table for his rookie duo — Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin — to get more involved and contribute. Time will tell whether these rookies answer the bell.
For now, though, we'll continue to keep an eye on the trade rumor mill as the deadline inches closer. How the Broncos fare on a short-week turnaround on Thursday night vs. the New Orleans Saints could be a harbinger of how October will ultimately shake out.
