The Denver Broncos have shown interest in several free-agent wide receivers over the course of the last two weeks. While that is important to make note of, it doesn’t mean they’re looking to pivot away from their current group of receivers.

Denver Broncos interest in WRs a sign Sean Payton could go all in?

It’s no secret the Denver Broncos have had an interest in several free-agent wide receivers during NFL Free Agency. While there have been trade rumors involving top receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, the Broncos could very well be looking to stack the deck at the position versus offsetting players.

No trade of either Sutton or Jeudy has materialized after rampant rumors last week, but Denver’s continued interest in free agents at the position could be noteworthy for new head coach Sean Payton.

Some big name options the Broncos could look at
Quite arguably the biggest available free agent left amongst all positions is Odell Beckham Jr. The former Super Bowl champion wideout is looking to land with his next team after going through an intensive recovery process after having ACL surgery.

Beckham Jr. was crucial for the Rams in the Super Bowl two years ago, hauling in two catches for 56 yards including a touchdown as Los Angeles held on for a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately for OBJ, he tore his ACL in the first half of action in the Super Bowl.

He had interest from various NFL teams last season but decided to hold firm and give himself more time to recover — setting himself up for opportunity in free agency.

Some reports indicated he was looking for nearly $20M per season, but he took to Twitter to shoot that down.

With expressed interest in the past from Russell Wilson (who was with the Seattle Seahawks at the time) and new head coach Sean Payton who praised him while in his role at FOX, OBJ makes for an intriguing option for the Broncos.

Keep in mind, Denver doesn’t necessarily have to get rid of any of their top players at the receiver position in order to bring in a player like him or other experienced veterans.

Other players who could have an impact if signed
Lost in the conversation currently dominating Broncos Country regarding the wide receiver position, Denver doesn’t have to get rid of Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy to add somebody.

Payton could very well stack his cards with that room as the team continues to protect and deeper invest in Russell Wilson. In each of the last three seasons, Denver has lost one of their top four wide receivers to a major injury. Sutton in 2020, KJ Hamler in 2021, Tim Patrick in 2022 with Jeudy missing a brief stint in 2021 and 2022 with a high ankle sprain.

Adding another wideout, particularly a veteran provides the Broncos with greater insurance in the event an injury happens. Last season, Denver was forced to rely on Kendall Hinton, Jalen Virgil, Brandon Johnson, and Freddie Swain when injuries mounted at the position.

Jarvis Landry, Mecole Hardman, and DJ Chark are three options that provide a lot of intrigue for Denver offensively.

Landry spent 2022 with the Sean Payton-less New Orleans Saints and struggled with injuries. With an off-season under his belt, and a clean bill of health, the current free agent could be a low risk high reward option.

The Broncos don’t need to bring in a player who needs to go off for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, but if they added a talented player like Landry, or some of the other names listed, they can maximize their investment toward revamping the offense.

If any of these players were able to plug themselves into the offense, move the chains on third down, or perform efficiently inside of the red zone it’s a win for Denver.

Building all of this around Jerry Jeudy is crucial. As many saw last season in the final two games, Jeudy was the most dangerous man on the field for opposing defenses.

Jeudy’s presence forced defenses to play it safe any time he went in motion or came across the field. Safeties cheated up on Jeudy, allowing Albert Okwuegbunam to catch a wide-open touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Against the Los Angeles Chargers in the season finale, Jeudy came across the field at intermediate depth, forcing the Chargers safety to bite up — leading to a wide-open touchdown for Courtland Sutton in the Broncos 31-28 win.

Having a proven offensive coach like Payton will maximize areas the Broncos struggled to be efficient in last season.

In terms of DJ Chark, the Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton was an integral part of the Detroit Lions offensive success last season from a coaching standpoint. He has familiarity with Chark who gambled on himself last offseason, which ultimately paid off for him.

It’s important for Broncos Country to consider that Denver can do something they’ve previously never been known for — stacking talent at a position that will maximize their ultimate investment in the quarterback position and supported by their additions on the offensive line.