Could there be a trade sending De’Von Achane to the Denver Broncos?

It’s unlikely, but the orange and blue have been mentioned lately when it comes to the star running back.

Achane is a star and would certainly put Denver over the top.

De’Von Achane to the Denver Broncos? Dolphins aren’t close to extension with the back

Could the Broncos pull off yet another blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins?

That’s the speculation Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report and Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, who says the Dolphins and Achane aren’t close to a new deal, and Miami GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said the team needs to get “cheaper.”

“Whenever you are sitting in this seat you always bite your lip when good players walk out the door, for whatever reason they leave,” general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said when explaining the Waddle deal at the NFL Owner’s Meetings. “We’re in a position with our roster where we need to get younger and cheaper.”

Kelly’s piece for the Miami Herald continues,

“Tailback De’Von Achane [and others] are entering the final season of their contract, and therefore seek extensions.” Kelly wrote. “But no deals are close, sources say.”

“Nobody is untouchable in this business,” Kelly continued, quoting Sullivan when discussing trades. “I don’t believe in that because you never know who is on the other side of the phone, and what they are going to offer.”

Denver GM George Paton and Sullivan certainly know one another well. Only three weeks ago the two pulled of the Jaylen Waddle-to-Denver blockbuster.

Could they put together an equally explosive trade again?

Achane is expected to command around $11M per year, and the Broncos could just about make that work with the cap space ($18M) they currently have, even with $7.5M needed to go to the upcoming draft class.

But, what would it take in terms of trade value? Next year’s first-round pick plus more? It seems likely.

Denver was happy to trade away this year’s first-rounder because it was No. 30. The Broncos expect to be in the playoffs and therefore have another late first-rounder next year, so it is possible, though unlikely, they’d be willing to give up a second straight first-round pick.

Would Achane fit in Denver’s offense?

Yes, Achane would be a fit in the Broncos offense because he’s an explosive, playmaking back.

However, Denver already has a pass-catching, speedy back in RJ Harvey. Obviously, while Harvey was great last year and led the Broncos in touchdowns (13), he’s nowhere near Achane’s level.

But Denver knew they needed to get a big back to lead the team while allowing Harvey to serve that backup role where he thrived before J.K. Dobbins’ injury cut his year short.

Speaking of Dobbins, Denver seems more likely to try to find a between-the-tackles back to keep the backfield chugging along just in case Dobbins goes down with an injury as he has every year of his career to this point.

That being said, while he’s not the same style of back as Dobbins, Achane has clearly shown he can lead a backfield despite his 5’9″ 191-pound frame.

He’s been the starter the last two years for the Dolphins and ran for a career-high 1,350 yards and 8 touchdowns last year, while his 5.7 yards per carry led the entire NFL. Simply, the dude has the skills to pay the bills.

Waddle already elevated Denver’s offense some. We don’t know exactly how much yet, but not only will his playmaking be immediately apparent, opponents’ focus on him will open up other receiving threats like Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram.

Also adding Achane would push the Broncos into top-5 offensive discussions. While their defense is clearly still in the top-5, too.