The Denver Broncos sit at 4-2 and are now enjoying a mini-bye after beating the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.
The Broncos' offense did just enough in that game — establishing a two-score lead in the first half against Seattle's smothering defense — to allow Vance Joseph's unit to pin its ears back and bring home the win.
People are still understandably worried about Bo Nix and Sean Payton's offense, but the Broncos' wounded defense is absolutely rolling right now. And it's possible that game against the Seahawks could have altered the Broncos' outlook ahead of the November 10 NFL trade deadline.
I'll explain why here shortly, but before I do, keep in mind that Denver is unlikely to be a seller at the deadline. The Broncos weathered a brutal first six games and now get to benefit from the NFL's fourth-easiest remaining schedule; they're going to be in the conversation for the AFC West crown and likely the No. 1 conference seed, and such teams rarely go selling off roster pieces.
That being said, Thursday night's 17-14 overtime win over the Seahawks gave me two thoughts realitve to the Broncos and the trade deadline.
Riley Moss Expendable?
First off, I am not advocating for the Broncos to trade Moss; I've been pounding the table since the summer for the front office to get him extended. But while he's missed time and was limited on Thursday night with a rib injury (20 snaps out of 85), Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine have stepped into the spotlight.
Against a desperate Seahawks passing offense that featured Sam Darnold as the trigger man and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp as the receiving targets, Barron and 'K.A.D.' were targeted a combined 26 times (!). The Broncos' duo gave up plenty of completions, but they had their work cut out for them and did enough to limit Darnold and win the game.
KAD had a crucial interception late in the fourth quarter, too, while Barron played 100% of the Broncos' defensive snaps, which amounted to a whopping 85 plays. Neither young cornerback was perfect, but with two-plus games now as starters, the Broncos are realizing just how deep they are at the position.
With Moss in a contract year, it makes me wonder how secure his spot is. I don't think Denver would go looking to actively trade him, but if the phone rang, we know GM George Paton is always down to listen.
Beyond the emergence of Barron and Abrams-Draine, what further complicates the Moss issue is Ja'Quan McMillian's contract year status. As the Broncos' nickel, McMillian is a takeaway machine and one of the NFL's best, most clutch-time defensive backs.
And you can't pay everyone. So if the phone rings at Broncos HQ and the caller is interested in Moss, Paton is likely to listen. But one thing to keep in mind: in each of the past two seasons, the Broncos' cornerback depth has been tested by the injury bug, and without the quality personnel going five-deep, it would make it much harder to weather the storm, if something, say, were to befall the group later this season.
Keeping Moss around through the 2026 season would maintain that five-deep buffer at cornerback.
Marvin Mims Jr. Not Looking Right
We've talked a lot about Nix not looking like himself this season, but the same is true of Mims. The fourth-year wideout/returner has dealt with two injuries since training camp started, which could be part of the explanation, but Mims doesn't look like he's giving the same full effort he always has.
Mims's low effort was apparent against the Seahawks. He failed to come down with a deep shot that would have put the Broncos on the goal line (thankfully, they still got there on that drive and scored), and there were several routes on tape where Mims wasn't even looking for the ball.
Now, it's possible some of that not-looking-for-the-ball thing was by design, but I doubt it. Mims's greatest value to the Broncos has always been his returner impact, and even that has been sub-par this season.
Mims's return yardage hasn't been there, even though we know teams try to punt away from him, and he lost a fumble on a return in Week 4 that led directly to the Broncos' second loss of the season. Whether his attitude is being affected by his expiring contract, the injuries, or the arrival of Jaylen Waddle, Mims hasn't looked like the same player of the past.
Given that Denver was very focused on bringing in returners this summer, and has Kolbe Katsis and Cameron Ross on the practice squad, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Mims was traded before the deadline. If there's a market for his services, that is. But he is a two-time All-Pro/Pro Bowl returner, and he's only 24.
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