The Denver Broncos have had a highly active, albeit somewhat perplexing offseason thus far. They made several moves on the opening day of NFL free agency Monday, most notably agreeing to ink OT Mike McGlinchey. At the same time, rumors surfaced that the team could trade away their top two wide receivers, Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.
That speculation has now been fueled by a new report from Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, in which he revealed that the Broncos were making an “aggressive push” to sign wideout Allen Lazard. It is plausible that the ex-Green Bay Packers and now likely New York Jets receiver was a contingency plan in the event that Sutton, Jeudy or both were dealt elsewhere.
And if so, one has to wonder what Denver's strategy would be. Russell Wilson's massive contract makes him the de facto cornerstone of the offense, but new head coach Sean Payton might be more comfortable leading with his rushing attack much like he did in New Orleans his last few years. A healthy Javonte Williams could help out on that front.
Lazard was a consistently productive target for Aaron Rodgers and had a career-high 60 receptions for 788 yards last season. His 14 touchdowns combined in the last two years probably made him an especially attractive option for the worst scoring offense in the league (16.9 points per game). He was always going to be a difficult acquisition to land, though.
Lazard is a member of the soon-to-be infamous Rodgers' Four, one of four players- Odell Beckham Jr., Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis- reportedly on a wish list the longtime Packers quarterback communicated with the Jets. A four-year, $44 million contract to add Lazard suggests that New York might be committed to this request.
The Broncos must now get their own house in order. Decisions need to be made. Jeudy and Sutton can both net good return value, but they can also be instrumental to a quick turnaround. Regardless, Denver is primed to make more waves before free agency is over.
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