The Denver Broncos made one of the most shocking trades at the 2022 NFL trade deadline when they sent Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins. It was a huge move that signaled that Denver knows it has more work to do and plans to do a soft rebuild. However, general manager George Paton doesn't see it that way.

According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Paton said that the Chubb trade had nothing to do with the Broncos' 3-5 record.

“We would have made this trade regardless,” Paton said, via NFL.com, when asked if he would have made the deal if the Broncos had a winning record. “We just felt the value was too good, we believe in our young depth, and we believe in our defense. Moving forward, we have other holes to fill on the offensive side of the ball. We would have made this trade regardless.”

The Broncos received a pretty good haul for Chubb, including a first-round pick and running back Chase Edmonds. Still, it's very hard to envision Denver trading its best pass rusher when they're in the playoff picture. They acquired Jacob Martin from the New York Jets to take Chubb's place, which shows they still do want to compete this season.

If the season ended today, the Broncos would land the 20th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, as the pick Miami sent them belongs to the San Francisco 49ers. After the Russell Wilson trade left them without a first-rounder and the cap space to make a Chubb extension easier, Denver will need to make the most out of that selection.