Aqib Talib’s Cryptic Prediction Hints at Big Broncos Addition

Who it Could Be

Again, whether it's a bold prediction or Talib sitting on privileged information, if we put our thinking caps on, from where will this "explosion player" be coming from? The options are free agency, the trade market, or the NFL draft.

Bayless tested Talib, wondering whether the Eagles have a "handshake deal" with the Broncos for A.J. Brown, which the former Broncos cornerback again shot down. But Brown is still in the rumor mill when it comes to the trade market.

Brown would certainly be an upgrade over Troy Franklin or Pat Bryant, but he also checks many of the same boxes that Courtland Sutton does. I'm not sure that Brown would be the best trade option, especially relative to the expenditure it would take to get him in Denver.

There were reports that the Eagles turned down a New England Patriots offer for Brown that included a first-rounder and a third. That implies that Eagles GM Howie Roseman will demand at least a first and a second-rounder for Brown, if not two firsts.

Pushing 30 years old, Brown isn't worth that. But the Broncos could view it differently, if they believed that Brown would be that missing "explosion player" to get them over the Super Bowl hump.

Other Trade Options

There are other rumored options on the trade market, but the most plausible is Jaylen Waddle in Miami. He would make a lot more sense for the Broncos, not only because he's only 27, but because he'd bring something to the table explosion-wise that the offense currently lacks.

Other more far-fetched trade targets at wide receiver are superstars like Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase and Minnesota's Justin Jefferson. It's highly unlikely that either team, based on where they currently stand in their competitive windows, will be willing to part with such valuable commodities.

Free Agency

To be blunt, there are no obvious, clear, tier-one "explosion" options remaining on the free-agent market. The closest thing would be at tight end with David Njoku. He can be explosive, but I don't think that's what Talib was talking about.

NFL Draft

As it relates to the draft, there could be some great options in play for the Broncos at pick 30 overall. A few receivers projected to be available late in the first round are Washington's Denzel Boston, Texas A&M's KC Concepcion, and Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr., all of whom have been commonly mocked to the Broncos in Round 1.

Bottom Line: Broncos Are Missing a Weapon

The Broncos do need at least one more receiving piece on offense to ensure Bo Nix has the weaponry to take the next step in Year 3 and get over the hump in the AFC playoffs. The likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson will be champing at the bit to lead their teams back to the postseason tournament, which they all missed last year, and in the NFL arms race, the Broncos are behind the eight-ball.

However, as Ward said on The Arena: Gridiron, the Broncos' commitment to continuity could pay some dividends in its own right.

"Man, we're bringing everybody back. You don't have to do nothing in free agency when you're cupboard is full," Ward said of Denver's outlook. "Our cupboard is full at key positions. We've got all the key ingredients in-house already. Yeah, we could use a little salt here, a little pepper there.

"But overall, we're going to be good. When you have successful seasons, you don't retain coaches. We've got our DC back, we've got our OC back, and we've got our head coach back. Well, our OC was our quarterbacks coach, but he's coming back regardless. The whole defense is coming back."

Time will tell whether Talib is right about the "explosion player" coming down the pike. All I can say is, after witnessing the most bizarre, unprecedented first week of free agency by an NFL team in my career covering the Broncos and the league, I'll believe it when I see it.

If it happens, though, I'll be the first one to give Talib his flowers.

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