The Denver Broncos offense needs a spark as the trade deadline approaches. They went scoreless for the first 45 minutes of game time in their 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6.
Players lamented the slow start, a theme of the early going, but noted the team’s played hard. Broncos head coach Sean Payton downplayed the late rally, citing the impact of their deficit.
Additionally, rookie QB Bo Nix was let down by his playmakers several times in the loss.
With three weeks until the NFL trade deadline (November 5), and several teams in deeper holes than the Broncos, Denver could still be poised to be a buyer. Even at full strength, the offense struggled to score consistently.
This Heavy Sports trade proposal aims to fix that with Tennessee Titans star Calvin Ridley.
Broncos get:
Calvin Ridley
Titans get:
2025 fourth-round pick (conditional, becomes third with playoff berth)
Ridley has nine receptions for 141 yards and 1 touchdown through six weeks. He is on track for the fewest receptions and the second-fewest receiving yards of his career. But he is coming off the second most productive season of his career.
Ridley posted a 76-1,016-8 line with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023.
That was after the No. 18 overall pick of the 2018 draft missed the entire 2022 season due to a suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy.
Ridley signed a four-year, $92 million contract with the Titans in free agency during the 2024 offseason and turns 30 years old in December. But he has at least 63 receptions, 821 yards, and 7 touchdown grabs in four of his five previous active seasons.
He also has no guaranteed money on his deal after the 2025 season.
That would give the Broncos up to 28 games to try Ridley out alongside Nix and current No. 1 option Courtland Sutton (and current WR2 Josh Reynolds when he returns from injury).
Fitting his $4.4 million salary in 2024 under the cap is no issue. The Broncos have $4.8 million in space as of October 14, per Over The Cap.
They can generate more room with extensions, restructures, or trades.
OTC projects the Broncos to have $70.8 million in space in 2025 when Ridley’s base salary spikes to $22.5 million. At that point, the Broncos can explore extending him (which could upset Sutton, who wants a new deal) or play out the string and look to part ways during the 2026 offseason.
Whether or not the Titans would be willing to incur the $46.9 million dead cap charge for cutting him is a potentially significant hurdle. But Ridley may be ready for a change already.
Broncos Trade Could Be Welcomed Change for Calvin Ridley
GettyCalvin Ridley #0 of the Tennessee Titans.
Ridley has not demanded a trade. However, he finished the Titans’ Week 6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts having failed to come down with any of the eight targets thrown his way. He spoke out after the contest, lamenting his lack of involvement early on.
“S***, I need something in the beginning of the f****** game too,” Ridley told reporters on October 13. “S***’s getting f****** crazy for me. So I just – it is what it is. I sucked today, and I gotta be better. But I gotta get the ball a little earlier in the game so I could be in the game and here with the team, so I can play well also.
“Last couple weeks been frustrating. But gotta get better.”
Ridley’s lack of opportunities is partly a function of the Titans’ offense, which ranks 26th in passing attempts and 31st in passing yards.
The Titans star has also dealt with inconsistent play from 2023 second-rounder Will Levis and backup QB Mason Rudolph. Levis is tied with Los Angeles Rams star Matthew Stafford for the fewest big-time throws among QBs with at least 125 attempts, per Pro Football Focus.
He is in a 10-way tie for the fifth-most turnover-worthy plays.
Bo Nix is Doing His Job in Broncos’ Offense
GettyBo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos have leaned on Nix. Nix ranks 14th in passing attempts per game with Monday Night Football still to come from the Week 6 slate, per Pro Football Reference.
That is the second among rookie QBs behind No. 1 pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Nix earned his highest offensive grade of the season from PFF in Week 6 with a 78.7 overall mark. He also earned his second-highest passing grade notching his third straight game without a turnover-worthy play.
His passing splits show a dropoff from the short and intermediate passing game to a more vertical attack. The rookie has faced criticism for the Broncos’ lack of a downfield passing game.
But Broncos pass catchers had a pair of drops and their second-highest drop rate of the season in Week 6.
It was their third game of the season with multiple dropped passes and fifth with at least one.
Acquiring a proven playmaker like Ridley is one way the Broncos can take advantage of having Nix on a cost-controlled contract. It would be much like the Bears have around Williams or the Houston Texans with C.J. Stroud.
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This article was originally published on Heavy.com
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