Broncos 'aggressively' pursuing receiver help for Bo Nix at trade deadline
The Denver Broncos are sitting atop the AFC West and look to have a real chance to solidify a division title with a strong second half of the year.
With an elite defense, the offense needs to keep pace to secure a winning record down the stretch and stave off the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in the division.
Bolstering that offense is something the Brocnos are reportedly looking to do at the trade deadline. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Broncos are one of three AFC contenders that are aggressively pursuing wide receiver help at the deadline.
Broncos aggressively pursuing wide receiver help at trade deadline
"The three teams that appear to be most aggressively pursuing a wide receiver before the deadline are the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, and Denver Broncos, according to sources," Schefter reports.
The reasoning for the Browns adding wide receiver help is clear. While Courtland Sutton is a good number one option for Bo Nix, with Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims still developing, having a stronger number two option would be a huge boost.
Pat Bryant is a rookie who is still developing and likely won't be a major factor right away. Adding a veteran receiver, like Rashid Shaheed, could help round out the Broncos' offensive attack.
Denver is also being linked to tight end help at the deadline, signaling that the Broncos are looking to bolster their offense at the upcoming trade deadline.
More: Broncos predicted to trade with Saints to reunite Sean Payton with his favorite joker
Their defense is one of, if not the best, units in the NFL. But, offensively, the Broncos could use some help to better flesh out their room.
Regardless of the style of receiver the Broncos are looking for, any help on offense would be an ideal pickup for Denver at the deadline.
According to Schefter, the Broncos are eying wide receiver help, and are among the three most aggressive teams in pursuing such help. With such a strong defense, adding another receiver for Nix could elevate the Broncos to be among the league's top Super Bowl contenders.
Has Stefanski learned his lesson, or will he abandon the run once again?
Browns fans appreciated some joy last week as the Browns broke their three-game losing streak, beating the Miami Dolphins 31-6. The Browns checked a lot of boxes on all 3 phases: turnovers on defense, a turnover and perfect kicking on special teams, and the offense finally scoring over 17 points for the first time in 11 games.
While this moment was amazing for many, it's back to reality this week as the Browns travel to New England to face the leader in the AFC East. The Patriots boast a great run defense as they are top five in the NFL in rush yards allowed, yards per carry, and rushing touchdowns. The question is did Kevin Stefanski learned his lesson, or will he abandon the run game once again?
Browns need to stick with run game to win Week 8 versus Patriots
Abandoning the run has always been a fault of Stefanski throughout his coaching career in Cleveland. Even in bad weather, he’s gone pass heavy. Against New Orleans in 2022, the Browns' pass attempts nearly doubled the Saints in a 17-10 loss, in a game that was six degrees and had 35 miles per hour winds.
More recently, against the Dolphins last year, Stefanski elected to pass 46 times with a third-string quarterback in the pouring rain. So when he decided to make Quinshon Judkins the focal point of the offense on Sunday, it came as a bit of a surprise. Judkins ended the day with a hat trick, scoring three touchdowns, including a 46-yarder where he found daylight.
Quinshon Judkins 46-yard TD!
— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
MIAvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/tEkT7aMNZx
Now, establishing the run isn’t just about attempts; it's about the timing of the attempts as well. In five of the seven games this year, the Browns' offense has opened up with a pass. This makes no sense as one, they have a banged-up offensive line that is constantly rotating guys in and out. This Sunday will be the first time Cleveland will play back-to-back games with the same starting offensive line.
Secondly, they have what some call the worst wide receiving corps in the NFL. Per Football Focus, their leading receiver, Jerry Jeudy, leads the NFL with seven drops. Also, if you fail on first down, you’re now playing behind the sticks and making second and third down more predictable.
Browns RT Jack Conklin is also set to return from his one-game absence because of a concussion.
The Browns have used 7 different OL combinations in 7 games, but that looks like it will change Sunday.
Cleveland used the Robinson-Bitonio-Pocic-Teller-Conklin lineup in Week 6. — Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) October 24, 2025
It's very clear, even though every opposing defense tries to fully scheme against him, Judkins is the best player the Browns have on offense. In two of the three best-scoring games the Browns have had this season, Judkins has touched the ball over 20 times. His 467 rushing yards are hard-earned as well, as per PFF, 89.9% of those yards have come after contact. Defenses are consistently hitting him in the backfield, but he’s still producing at a high level.
Stefanski needs to be realistic about his quarterback situation as well. While he hasn’t turned the ball over, Dillon Gabriel has averaged 175 passing yards in his three starts and has gone three weeks without throwing a touchdown. He hasn’t proven he can stretch the field either, as he’s only attempted four passes of 20 yards or more and completed only one of them. We all saw what happened when he was asked to carry this offense in Pittsburgh; the Browns had their lowest scoring output of the season as they only put up three field goals.
Stefanski will be tempted to go back to his old ways this week. The Patriots, while boasting an excellent run defense, have struggled defending pass attacks. This year, they have allowed six players to record 90 or more receiving yards in a game, and three of their starting defensive backs have allowed two passing touchdowns apiece. None of this matters, though, because the Browns are bottom five in the league in passing yards, passer rating, and average yards per pass attempt. That isn’t changing overnight, so why play the matchup instead of going with what works?
📞"I don't know the dink and dunk offense we watched the last 3 weeks is gonna get it done. At some point Dillon Gabriel is gonna have to show you he's capable of doing more than just checking it down."
@RuiterWrongFAN on Dillon Gabriel ahead of his 4th start on Sunday🏈 pic.twitter.com/wNISIdGg2A — 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 24, 2025
Now this isn’t to say if you hand it off so many times, you’re guaranteed a victory, but staying patient in the run game is their only chance to win Sunday and contend with legitimate teams in the future. Of course, there will be times where there are small gains, but like in every game this season, Judkins will eventually break one. Look at the splits: his yards, yards per carry, and first downs are the highest in the 4th quarter because he wears defenses down. Enough of the silliness, it's time the Browns fully leaned into becoming a true run-first team.
