The Denver Broncos can focus on their lesser offence at the trade deadline, since their defence is among the best in the league about halfway through the 2024 season.
A trade for a Pro Bowler or Super Bowl champion may appear too expensive given the costs of conducting business with such players in most cases. However, the Los Angeles Rams and wide receiver Cooper Kupp could be in for a trade.
If they do, the Broncos could be worth watching.
In an October 23 post on X, Ian Hartitz of Fantasy Life listed the Broncos as a destination “[I] don’t hate” for Kupp. This Heavy Sports trade suggestion would land Kupp at the rumoured price.
The Broncos get:
Cooper Kupp
The Rams get:
Jarrett Stidham
Kupp, a 2025 second-round pick, has only played two games in 2024 and once in a whole season. That occurred in 2021, when he was a Pro Bowler. Kupp caught 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns that season, leading the league.
The Rams won the Super Bowl after the regular season.
However, in the 2022 and 2023 seasons (21 games), he grabbed 134 of 193 targets for 1,549 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kupp had an 18-147-1 record in his two games in 2024.
Rams offer to pay a portion of Cooper Kupp’s remaining salary.
“The Los Angeles Rams have spoken with teams about a potential trade involving star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, league sources said,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Michael Silver, and Jourdan Rodrigue wrote on October 23.
“According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the Rams expressed an interest in taking on some of Kupp’s remaining money in 2024. Kupp’s base salary going into the season was $15 million, with a cap of $29 million. According to Over the Cap, he is also scheduled to receive a $7.5 million roster bonus in March, with $5 million guaranteed. According to those people, the Rams told them they were looking for a second-round draft pick.
Kupp is in year one of a three-year, $80.1 million contract.
It’s unknown how much of his remaining pay the Rams would acquire in a trade. However, at least one team, the Broncos’ division rival Kansas City Chiefs, moved in a different way.
“The Rams and the Chiefs discussed Cooper Kupp, but the Super Bowl champs needed to trade with a team that was willing to take on a large chunk of the salary and didn’t want to give up high picks,” Russini wrote in an article for X on October 23. “Tennessee is the team willing to play ball.”
When asked how much of Kupp’s salary the Rams will pay, Russini answered, “Some not a large amount.”
Instead, the Chiefs traded a conditional fifth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for DeAndre Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowl player. This trade will not elevate the Broncos to the level of champions; there may not be a single move that can accomplish so.
Broncos Can Use Backup QB In Trade To Fuel Playoff Push
Adding Kupp might give the Broncos a big boost in the race for a Wild Card position. A win in Week 8 would boost the Broncos’ odds of making the playoffs to 52%, according to NFL.com’s Playoff Picture on October 23.
According to Over The Cap, the Broncos have $4 million in space and are projected to have $71.8 million by 2025.
Including Stidham in the trade would free up an additional $6 million in cap space for the Broncos.
That would be sufficient for Kupp, even if the Rams refused to pay some of his remaining wages. On October 23, ESPN’s Jeff Legwold stated that the Broncos “need draft money – which would nix a deal for Kupp – and would listen to “any and all” offers for their backup quarterbacks.
Both of Bo Nix’s backups are in the final years of their contracts. Zach Wilson’s trade value could be higher. However, relocating Stidham would free up more room, thus he is the preferred choice.
Leave a Reply