There is now a decent chance that the Denver Broncos will look to trade former Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday. Denver is seeking draft capital after exhausting a ton of it in trades for quarterback Russell Wilson and head coach Sean Payton.
The Broncos also aren’t going anywhere this season. With Payton acting as the team’s de facto general manager, he’s looking to blow things up. It’s in this that the Broncos are listening to offers for everyone on their roster.
As for Sutton, the veteran has performed extremely well this season and could be seen as a No. 2 option on a good offense. Teams should be willing to offer up a second-round pick or a couple of mid-round selections to pry him away from Denver. Below, we look at four ideal Courtland Sutton trade scenarios before Tuesday’s deadline.
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Detroit Lions add ahead of NFL trade deadline
The Lions could definitely use more help at wide receiver for quarterback Jared Goff. Amon-Ra St. Brown entered Sunday’s action leading the team with 51 receptions for 557 yards. The second-leading receiver is Josh Reynolds with 21 catches.
With St. Brown playing primarily out of the slot, acquiring another boundary receiver to go with Jameson Williams makes a ton of sense. Sutton would be an ideal addition for the Lions in that he plays outside more often than not. The former Pro Bowler can be that big-bodied target for Goff in that he stands at 6-foot-4 and can provide a big target in the red zone. Sending a second-round pick to Denver makes sense here.
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Houston Texans trade for Courtland Sutton
At 3-3 heading into Week 8, Houston is firmly in the AFC Playoff race. Should the team now go all in for 2023 and beyond? It’s a real question with Houston’s first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft already headed to the Arizona Cardinals.
Courtland Sutton stats (2023): 31 receptions, 351 yards, 5 TD, 72.1% catch rate
Rookie Tank Dell has joined Nico Collins and Robert Woods in being solid targets for standout rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Though, Woods is dealing with a foot injury that kept him out Week 8. Sutton could fill his role short term and take over as a starter long term for the Texans.
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Carolina Panthers give Bryce Young some hope
Carolina has been mentioned as buyers and sellers ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. General manager Scott Fitterer is also said to be looking for more wide receiver help to assist rookie quarterback Bryce Young in overcoming early-career struggles.
Sutton, 28, could actually be a long-term option for the Panthers on the outside. He’s under contract through the 2025 season, making the former Pro Bowler more than a rental for a Carolina team that needs more skill-position talent. The only real issue here is Carolina’s status as a rebuilding team and the fact that its first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is headed to the Chicago Bears. Perhaps, the Panthers look to recoup its draft capital by pulling off a seperate trade of star edge rusher Brian Burns.
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Cleveland Browns trade for Courtland Sutton
Wide receiver is a target area for Cleveland heading into Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Elijah Moore has done well out of the slot (25 receptions) while Amari Cooper continues to do his thing on the outside. But the Browns are clearly missing that No. 2 option out on the boundary with Donovan Peoples-Jones (eight receptions) struggling this season.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry has not been afraid to pull off trades as a way to keep Cleveland’s playoff window open. That includes acquiring the aforementioned Moore as well as EDGE rusher Za’Darius Smith this past offseason. With Deshaun Watson playing under a fully-guaranteed contract, hoarding draft capital doesn’t make much sense. Acquiring a solid No. 2 for a second-round pick does.