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.
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 is just shy of 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.
Browns Insider Gives Blunt Take on Future of Dillon Gabriel
The Cleveland Browns could soon make a quarterback change, according to one insider.
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes the team needs more from rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel has been managing the game well, but he hasn’t been taking many risks, as he has failed to throw for a touchdown in back-to-back games.
Ahead of Cleveland’s Week 8 road game against the New England Patriots, Cabot believes Gabriel needs to show something.
“But what they have going on right now. It is not working. It’s unsustainable and must change,” Cabot said on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast.
In the Browns’ 31-6 win over the Miami Dolphins, Gabriel went 13-for-18 for 116 yards. Although the weather was bad, Cabot wanted to see more from the rookie quarterback.
Cabot believes Gabriel’s play of no turnovers and trying to play it safe isn’t sustainable and isn’t a way to win games, which is why she believes it could lead to a quarterback change in the future.
Browns Coach Pleased With Gabriel’s ‘Clean’ Play
Although Cabot wasn’t thrilled with Gabriel’s play, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski did like his play.
Gabriel played well in the weather as he took care of the football, which Stefanski is pleased about. On Monday, he spoke to reporters and reflected on Gabriel’s game, and was pleased about it.
“Yeah, I think with all of our young players, we’re learning about them every day they’re in the building,” Stefanski said on Monday. “Obviously, these games are important for them and putting them in different situations.
“So obviously, Dillon’s only three games into his career, and it’s had some unique challenges, but to be able to play clean and take care of the football for this football team and obviously get his first win as a starting quarterback yesterday, I thought was, you know, good for him. Obviously, that’s something that you always remember.”
Gabriel will remain the Browns’ starting quarterback on Sunday against the Patriots. The rookie will continue to take care of the football and help manage Cleveland’s offense.
Insider Claims Shedeur Sanders Will Start Soon
The Browns selected Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Cleveland is likely to start both of them at some point.
Gabriel has started three games and will start a fourth this week. Yet, NFL insider Tony Rizzo reported this week that Cleveland plans to start Sanders in the near future.
“I need to see Shedeur when they are going to give him a chance,” Rizzo said on ESPN Cleveland. “And, by that, I mean they have to tell him he’s starting on Monday. It’s not going to happen anytime soon, I get it. But you have the Patriots and then the bye week. I was told by two different sources yesterday at the stadium, one said Shedeur will start the last four games of the season, no matter what.
“Unless the Browns win every game through the Titans week, Shedeur will play the Bears, Bills, Steelers, and Bengals; they want to see what he’s got. Another said he could be in play earlier than that.”
The Browns are off to a 2-5 start.
