The Denver Broncos made another huge splash this offseason, acquiring head coach Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints in a trade. They are hoping that he can help get the team back on track after a disastrous 2022 campaign.
Nathaniel Hackett was the head coach for one season before he was fired in large part because the offense tanked. It cost a ton to acquire Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks but Hackett was unable to get him to perform at a level anywhere close to what he did with the Seahawks.
Payton, renowned for his work on the offensive side of the ball, will have quite a challenge ahead of him. But, the one positive is that the cupboard isn’t bare. Despite their struggles in 2022, the Broncos have a lot of talent on that side of the ball. In some instances, it can be argued there is too much talent.
Denver’s depth chart at wide receiver is deep, which led to plenty of rumors about potential trades being consummated. Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton were the players mentioned most prominently and have been on the block since before the November trade deadline.
However, the one player that Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the Broncos should consider trading is wide receiver, KJ Hamler. Hamler also found himself involved in some trade talks but his inability to stay healthy has tabled those discussions.
A second-round pick out of Penn State in 2020, there were some expectations for Hamler coming out of college. The Broncos thought he would be an integral part of their offense for years to come but staying on the field has been a major challenge.
In three seasons Hamler has appeared in only 23 games. He had seven receptions in seven games in 2022 before landing on injured reserve with a hamstring ailment. Now dealing with a torn pectoral, Hamler should be ready to go by Week 1, but it would behoove the Broncos to see if they can get anything in exchange for him in a trade.
Before he suffered the injury in March, it was reported that the Broncos would be willing to trade one of their receivers. Hamler is the least accomplished of the bunch and would be the easiest to acquire cost-wise as the asking price for Juedy and Sutton are much higher.
The tools are there for Hamler to succeed, as his 4.36 speed will have any franchise at least taking a peek at him. Things just haven’t worked out in the Mile High City and a change of scenery would likely do him some good.
