With a rookie at quarterback, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has stressed the need for the supporting cast to do their jobs properly. But the offense is missing one key element of Payton’s previous successful teams — tight end — so a trade could be in order.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin suggested targeting Austin Hooper of the New England Patriots.
“Sean Payton has prioritized tight end before, but none of his current options have emerged as steady targets for rookie Bo Nix,” Benjamin wrote on October 8. “Hooper has at least been a higher-volume pass catcher in the past.”
The following Heavy Sports trade proposal expands on Benjamin’s suggestion, sending Albert Okwuegbunam to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs’ trade to acquire Peyton Hendershot from the Dallas Cowboys as guidelines to land Hooper in Denver.
Broncos get:
- Austin Hooper
Patriots get:
- 2025 seventh-round pick
Now THAT is a good 4th down play call.
Austin Hooper scores a TD!!
The Broncos traded Okwuegbunam with a seventh-round pick to the Eagles for a sixth-round pick in August 2023.
The Chiefs traded a conditional seventh-round pick in August 2024.
Hendershot and Okwuegbunam are younger than Hooper. Hooper has more production than the Hendershot and Okweugbunam, though. Because of that and the Patriots’ situation – they are 1-4 and making a change at QB to rookie No. 3 pick Drake Maye – compensation could fluctuate.
Even a conditional sixth-round pick could be worth exploring if the Broncos determine they must get more out of the tight end spot for Nix to develop properly this season.
Broncos Could Elevate TE Room With Austin Hooper Trade
Hooper is in his ninth NFL season. He has seven receptions for 77 yards and 1 touchdown through five weeks in 2024 with the Patriots, better than any Broncos tight end.
Hooper maxed out with 75 receptions for 787 yards and 6 scores in 2020.
That was the second of his back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons. The 6-foot-4 Hooper turns 30 years old on October 29. He is on a one-year, $1.2 million contract and has earned $37.5 million in his career, per Over The Cap. That would be a manageable number for the Broncos if they traded for him.
Originally a third-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2016 draft, Hooper has also played for the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennessee Titans.
However, he has started no more than nine games (2022) in a single season since 2021.
Broncos Bench Struggling Starter
The production of the tight end group is lacking. Payton made Greg Dulcich inactive, replacing him with Lucas Krull in Week 5, but the move did not result in greater production.
Dulcich started three of his four games in 2024 before being made inactive in Week 5. He has caught five of 12 targets for 28 yards on the season. During OTAs in 2023, Payton touted Dulcich’s potential to fill the “joker” role in the offense.
However, the decision to make him inactive could speak volumes about how the Broncos coaching staff now views the situation, especially with the trade deadline approaching.
“The Broncos made an interesting decision ahead of Sunday’s game when they opted to activate Lucas Krull for his season debut ahead of Dulcich. Denver has long talked about Dulcich making an impact on offense,” The Denver Post’s Ryan McFadden wrote on October 7, noting the tight end’s lackluster stat line.
“It’s clear that the Broncos haven’t received the production they hoped for from that group. The question moving forward is, what’s next for Dulcich? Was his healthy scratch a one-time thing? Or is he being phased out?”
