It was back in 2019 that Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton looked to be one of the better young receivers in the game. The former second-round pick from Southern Methodist eclipsed 1,100 yards in catching passes from a combination of Joe Flacco and Drew Lock.

Sutton’s ascension to stardom took a hit early in his third season when the 6-foot-4 receiver suffered a torn ACL just one game in. He has not necessarily been the same player since, failing to record as much as 900 yards in each of the past two seasons.

This has led to some speculation that Denver might look to trade Sutton at some point before the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s playing under a four-year, $60.8 million contract and did not mesh well with Russell Wilson in the quarterback’s first season with the Broncos (58.7% catch rate).

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Under new head coach Sean Payton, the Broncos might simply want to go in another direction. Dating back to his days with the New Orleans Saints, Payton has gotten a lot from underpriced wide receivers. His offense seems to play into that narrative.

If the Broncos do end up moving Courtland Sutton, there’s going to be a market for his services. Two years removed from a torn ACL and with a track record of success, he’s not going to be void of interest. Here, we look at four ideal trade scenarios.

 

Chicago Bears continue attempt to solve wide receiver issues

One on hand it makes little sense for Chicago to team up two 6-foot-4 receivers in that of Courtland Sutton and Chase Claypool. On the other hand, getting Justin Fields more pass-catching help should be the overriding goal this offseason.

Last season saw Darnell Mooney lead Bears receivers with 40 catches. After that? Equanimeous St. Brown was second with just 21. This is not going to cut it. Set to potentially trade down from the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Chicago could use one of the assets acquired in that hypothetical trade to acquire Sutton. It also must be noted that Denver’s current receiver plays outside while Claypool is more of a slot guy. The fit isn’t so odd.

 

New England Patriots add Courtland Sutton

Jakobi Meyers is set to hit free agency and doesn’t look like a realistic No. 1 receiving option. In fact, he’s going to be met with a soft market. That suggests what we already likely know. Meyers (804 yards in 2022) has vastly outplayed future projections.