Broncos Trade Pitch Lands $72 Million All-Pro ‘Wonder’ Before Deadline
The Denver Broncos could be open to exploring trade options at the deadline, according to head coach Sean Payton. And while Payton said that he did not have that on his mind after Week 6, a deal for Demario Davis would not take much planning.
Davis is a two-time Pro Bowler, was a First Team All-Pro in 2019, and has four Second Team selections to his credit.
He also played under Payton on the New Orleans Saints from 2018 through 2021.
Heavy Sports Trade Proposal Sends Demario Davis From Saints to Broncos
Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker listed the Broncos among the “possible fits” for seven players as the trade deadline approaches. Of those, three were linebackers, with Davis joining Jordyn Brooks and Jamal Adams.
This Heavy Sports trade proposal aims to reunite Davis and Payton in Denver, helping to solve a key issue for the Broncos.
Broncos get:
- Demario Davis
Saints get:
- 2026 fourth-round draft pick (via NOR)
Davis could be a fit with the Broncos for many reasons, including being the best value at LB.
Adams is a converted safety and, more importantly, a member of the Broncos’ AFC West rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, making him an unlikely target. Brooks is younger than Davis, but also more expensive and could appeal to a wider range of suitors (i.e, a bidding war) than Davis.
Davis’ familiarity with Payton could also help the Broncos and the Saints reach an agreement before the deadline, with New Orleans 1-5 on the season.
Broncos Named Fitting Trade Deadline Destination for Demario Davis
Locker’s other potential fits for the Broncos before the trade deadline include Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, tight ends Chig Okonkwo of the Tennessee Titans, David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns, and Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens.
However, linebacker is an underlying need for the NFL’s No. 2-ranked defense in Denver.
Davis is on an expiring two-year, $17.5 million contract, and he has earned $71.8 million in his 13-plus-season career. He has a $6.9 million cap hit this season.
“Davis has remained one of the league’s ageless wonders in 2025. Even at age 36, his 81.2 overall PFF grade ranks eighth among qualified linebackers. Although keeping up in coverage has proven a bit more of a liability, Davis is still a tremendous run defender, evidenced by his 90.5 PFF run-defense grade and 19 stops,” Locker wrote on October 13.
“Even though the Saints have gone 22-35 over the last four years, they haven’t shown a willingness to part with veterans like Davis. Perhaps that will finally change with Davis in the last season of a two-year extension.”
Davis is on the Saints’ books for $14.3 million in 2026 due to a void year, complicating matters.
The trade deadline is on November 4 this year, giving the Broncos three games to decide if they want to pursue a target such as Davis or another position before the offseason.
Broncos’ LB Under Scrutiny Amid Dre Greenlaw’s Absence
According to Locker in his excerpt about Brooks, “look for the Broncos — who are 24th in PFF coverage grade at linebacker this year — to potentially add a player up the middle, especially with Dre Greenlaw yet to play.”
Greenlaw signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Broncos in free agency as part of a vaunted haul.
He is on injured reserve without a clear timetable for his return.
“Greenlaw, a stalwart the past six seasons with San Francisco, has yet to play this season due to a quad injury,” The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson wrote on October 13. “He is now eligible to come off injured reserve, but it remains uncertain when he will return.”
Without Greenlaw, Alex Singleton has been exposed in coverage, ranking 20th among all linebackers with at least 190 coverage snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Greenlaw’s fill-in, Justin Strnad, has been better than Singleton but still well below average.
Davis ranks eighth among that group. Greenlaw’s return should solve a lot of what ails the Broncos’ linebackers in coverage. But he has a history of injuries. Davis, who has missed two games in his career, could prove a wise trade investment for the Broncos regardless.
Insider Reveals Browns Surprising Original Plan at Quarterback
The Cleveland Browns entered the offseason with plenty of intrigue on who would be the starting quarterback.
The Browns had Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders competing for the starting job. Flacco ended up winning the job with Gabriel as the backup and Sanders as the third-stringer, while Pickett was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com went on 92.3 The Fan and revealed that Cleveland’s original plan was for Pickett to be the starting quarterback.
“I really do believe, and I believe the team believed this as well, if they could get good, clean quarterback play, they could hang around this season,” Cabot said. “None of that happened. It went off the rails. It started with Kenny Pickett suffering a serious hamstring injury in training camp. That really just derailed all the plans. He was supposed to start the season as the starter.
“That is what was supposed to happen. Joe Flacco wasn’t supposed to be the starter of this football team; he was almost an afterthought when they signed him. They were designing the offense of what Kenny could do well.”
It’s a stunning twist in the latest saga that is the Browns’ starting quarterback. Had Pickett stayed healthy, he likely would still be starting for Cleveland, while Cabot believes Gabriel would have gotten a couple of starts at the end of the season.
But the injury to Pickett derailed all the Browns’ plans, and he eventually was traded so Flacco could start, as the team didn’t want Gabriel starting Week 1.
Pickett Was Frustrated By His Injury
Cleveland acquired Pickett early in the offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles, but after the Browns drafted two quarterbacks, the Browns quickly moved on from Pickett.
The Browns traded Pickett to the Raiders for a fifth-round pick, the exact cost they paid to acquire him. The trade happened after Pickett’s injury, which he was frustrated by.
“I try to give myself 24 hours to be as angry as I could be and then just turn the page. Every day doing as much as I can,” Pickett said of the injury on Aug. 14. “It truly is a 24/7 grind to try to get back 100%. So, I’m doing absolutely everything I can. Hopefully I can push it to get out there. I want to be smart, but at the same time I want to be out there competing. So, you’re kind of like walking that fine line.”
Pickett had a chance to be the Browns’ starter. But according to Cabot, the injury ended all hopes of the former first-round pick earning the starting job.
Browns Looking to be More Explosive on Offense
Cleveland failed to score a touchdown in Week 6 with a 23-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After another lackluster offensive game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski admitted the team has to find ways to be more explosive.
“We have to find ways to be explosive on offense, and that can come via the run or the pass,” Stefanski said. “Explosive passes can happen in a variety of different ways. But it really comes down to our ability as an offense to put those guys in position, protect the quarterback. And then when those opportunities come, we got to let it rip. But I think that can come in a variety of ways.”
Stefanski will remain the offensive playcaller in Week 7 when Cleveland takes on the Miami Dolphins.
