Throughout the offseason and dating back to the fall, trade rumors have swirled around Denver Broncos receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Despite the well-chronicled existing interest from multiple corners of the NFL, head coach Sean Payton told the media on Sunday that the team has no intention of dealing either wideout.
Trade interest in the pair began last season, as teams were looking to add offensive firepower for their would-be playoff runs. That interest went nowhere, though teams have continued to inquire about Denver's receiving duo since the close of the campaign.
At this year’s annual league meetings, Payton chose to address the situation quite plainly.
“I see and read like everyone else does,” he explained to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “Then occasionally, when someone really crowds the plate, I throw a fastball right at their chin, and they back up, and they’re like, ‘Alright.’ And so I haven’t thrown any fastballs lately, but we’re not trading those two players.”
Payton made sure to stress that the team "like[s] the current group [it] is working with."
While none of this guarantees that Denver will still be rostering Jeudy and Sutton come August camp, at least at this juncture, the team has laid its cards out in vocal fashion. Under new leadership and with the return of a strong third option in Tim Patrick, the Broncos seem to be hoping that their own in-house options at receiver -- coupled with a rebound year from QB Russell Wilson -- will be enough to help turn the offensive tide upcoming.
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