Broncos Trade Pitch Lands ‘Ideal’ $92 Million All-Pro With Franchise Ties
The Denver Broncos got a solid performance from former undrafted free agent and fill-in starter Alex Palczewski in Week 7, but a trade could still be in order before the deadline.
A target like Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns profiles among the pricier potential options, but he is also one of the best. Most importantly, the Browns’ current trajectory could make him available before the deadline passes.
Bitonio also has ties to the Broncos’ current roster.
Heavy Sports Trade Proposal Sends Joel Bitonio to Broncos
The Broncos are looking to bide time until starting left guard Ben Powers returns from a torn biceps, they hope, in December. 9News’ Mike Klis listed Bitonio among other potential options for the Broncos before the trade deadline in an article published on October 21.
This Heavy Sports trade proposal copies the fourth-round draft capital the Chicago Bears sent to the Kansas City Chiefs for four-time Super Bowl champ Joe Thuney this past spring.
Broncos get:
- Joel Bitonio
Browns get:
- 2026 fourth-round pick (via DEN or NO)
Bitonio is a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro.
He has also been durable, logging full regular-season slates in eight of his previous 11 seasons in the NFL.
Bitonio is on an expiring three-year, $48 million contract, and he has earned $92.1 million in his career. Klis noted his “steep” salary ($11.9 million cap hit in 2025) could need reworking. The Broncos have $4.7 million in space, per Over The Cap.
Browns OG Joel Bitonio Called Potential Fit for Broncos
Of the five guards with at least 488 snaps like Bitonio has logged so far this season, he earned the best pass protection, run blocking, and offensive grades from Pro Football Focus.
“He’s 34, a 12-year starter, all with Browns,” Klis wrote. “He’d be an ideal one-year rental player. He’s good friends with Broncos’ left tackle Garett Bolles, a relationship built through having the same agency representatives. A player of Bitonio’s stature may well have a say in a possible trade but a chance to play for a likely playoff team could be enticing for a player near the end of his career.”
New Orleans Saints guard Trevor Penning is among the other options, along with John Simpson of the New York Jets, Jon Runyan Jr. of the New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals veteran Evan Brown, and former Broncos starter Dalton Risner, now of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Risner is considered a long shot for consideration from, let alone a deal with, the Broncos.
Broncos Have Options Before Deadline
Klis also named Nick Allegretti of the Washington Commanders and Andrew Vorhees of the Baltimore Ravens.
All of the options have starting experience. Some are starters for their current teams, which could make them more reluctant to trade. That is where the remaining games before the trade deadline are critical for every team, including the Broncos.
Palcewski, meanwhile, played well in his debut as the Broncos’ starting left guard in Week 7.
How Palczewski performs in his encore against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8 figures to heavily influence how the Broncos approach the trade deadline, which is on November 4.
1 Quiet Reason the Raiders' Offense Has Struggled This Season
The Las Vegas Raiders' offense has struggled this season for various reasons, mainly subpar play along the offensive line and at quarterback. However, the lack of playmakers at skill positions, for various reasons, have held the Raiders' offense back.
Raiders Rookies Must Improve
The Raiders invested a second-round pick into drafting Jack Bech, proving how much they believed in him before he ever put a Raiders jersey on. However, Bech must do his part and work through the growing pains only the Raiders' coaching staff knows about.
Bech and Dont'e Thornton were brought in to be two of those playmakers but have yet to make much of an impact. Bech's lack of playing time on an offense in desperate need of help at wide receiver speaks volumes about where Las Vegas' coaching staff believes he is developmentally.
“The more plays that we can log with the new guys, Jack [Bech] and Dont'e [Thornton Jr.], we can show them the things that they need to improve on and the things that they're not quite as sharp on. It helps them. And there's some pain in that too. There's some pain in there that we have to undergo. But it's how you do it,” Carroll said.
“By the time you get to the middle of the season, these guys should have things really cleaned up, and they should be ready to go and we can count on them and they can come through and not be error repeaters, you know? And that's what we're working hard at."
During the Bye Week, Raiders' Wide Receivers Coach Chris Beatty gave an update on the development of both of Las Vegas' wide receivers. If the Raiders can get Bech and Thornton up to speed quickly, it could alleviate some of the issues they are having on offense.
"Some ups and downs. We have got to be more consistent. Both of those guys are learning a lot. Theres good and bad in everything. First couple of games, Dont'e had an explosive play in every game," Beatty said.
"He has kind of fell back a little bit and some of the fundamentals, we have got to continue to build on. Same thing with Jack. They have done okay but there is a lot more out there. So, we will keep pushing them and getting the most out of them."
