The wide receiver picture in Denver is getting increasingly blurry.
The Broncos signed former Saints WR Marquez Callaway on Friday amid trade rumors involving WRs Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Several teams would have been interested in Jeudy.
Denver signing a 24-year-old WR who played under new HC Sean Payton from 2020 to 21 could signal he still wants to make a move.
The Broncos are in desperate need of draft capital as they traded seven picks — including three first rounders — for QB Russell Wilson and Payton.
The host corps is one of the few units with attractive choices for potential business partners. Sutton, 27, is a former Pro Bowler, while Jeudy, 23, had 67 receptions for 972 yards last season, two career highs.
After Callaway’s signing, there are fewer worries about a replacement. In 2021, he produced solid numbers under Payton, recording 46 receptions for 698 yards in 17 games. He also averaged 15.2 yards per reception, 10th in the NFL.
The Broncos may have signed Callaway to bolster depth at WR. KJ Hamler recently suffered a chest tear and will be out for four to six months. But given the circumstances and Callaway already having some experience with Payton, there could be more to this move.
Additionally, Denver’s WR room will get more crowded when Tim Patrick, who led the team in receiving TDs in 2021, returns from a torn ACL he suffered in August.
Broncos have question marks over their WR room heading into next season; seeing if they keep the group together or decide to let pieces go could be an off-season plot point.
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