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The Denver Broncos made a huge wave on Tuesday when they agreed to trade for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. After the initial shockwave wore off across the NFL world, the expert opinions began to roll in about the blockbuster move.
Here is a roundup of grades for the trade that sends the star wide receiver to the Mile High City.
"I'm always hesitant about premier draft capital for veterans, but given the contract, the position and the limited contention window for Denver, I can see why they did this," said ESPN's Seth Walder.
"Free agency left Broncos fans with little reason for excitement, as their team was the only one to not sign a player from outside the building," said CBS Sports' Carter Bahn. "How quickly the narrative can change. Denver made one of the most aggressive trades of the offseason with a move that should give those in the Mile High City hope that their offense will take a leap forward in 2026."
"For the Broncos, Waddle arrives as a much-needed speedy complement to Courtland Sutton and a target capable of opening things up in Sean Payton's offense," said Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz.
"Although Denver was well positioned for some good WR talent at No. 30 overall in the first round, the team felt more comfortable with much more experienced Waddle in their offense," said Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer. "With Davis Webb taking play-calling duties from Sean Payton and Bo Nix coming off an ankle injury, Webb now has a key short-area target to draw coverage attention and complement the field-stretching outside."
Interestingly, Charles Curtis is one of two to give Denver a lower grade than Miami (A-) in the trade. Read more of his analysis here.
FanSided's Cody Williams also gave Miami (A-) the higher grade for the trade. It will be great if Waddle outperforms expectations. More here.
"Now the compensation given up for Waddle is steep, but part of putting a grade on a move like this is the process," said Mark Schofield. "The beauty of this time of year is that we truly learn how an organization feels about where they are... Instead, they’ve paid that price for Waddle who, given his skillset, could be a perfect fit for both Bo Nix as well as the Sean Payton/Davis Webb offense. Use him on vertical shot plays, get him going on shallows in some of Denver’s quick game concepts as well as in-breaking routes off of play-action or RPO designs, and he might be Nix’s best friend next season."
What grade would you give the Broncos for this trade? Let us know on Twitter/X
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Experts grade Broncos' blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle
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Here is a roundup of grades for the trade that sends the star wide receiver to the Mile High City.
ESPN: B-
"I'm always hesitant about premier draft capital for veterans, but given the contract, the position and the limited contention window for Denver, I can see why they did this," said ESPN's Seth Walder.
CBS Sports: A-
"Free agency left Broncos fans with little reason for excitement, as their team was the only one to not sign a player from outside the building," said CBS Sports' Carter Bahn. "How quickly the narrative can change. Denver made one of the most aggressive trades of the offseason with a move that should give those in the Mile High City hope that their offense will take a leap forward in 2026."
USA TODAY: B+
"For the Broncos, Waddle arrives as a much-needed speedy complement to Courtland Sutton and a target capable of opening things up in Sean Payton's offense," said Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz.
Sporting News: A
"Although Denver was well positioned for some good WR talent at No. 30 overall in the first round, the team felt more comfortable with much more experienced Waddle in their offense," said Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer. "With Davis Webb taking play-calling duties from Sean Payton and Bo Nix coming off an ankle injury, Webb now has a key short-area target to draw coverage attention and complement the field-stretching outside."
For The Win: B
Interestingly, Charles Curtis is one of two to give Denver a lower grade than Miami (A-) in the trade. Read more of his analysis here.
FanSided: B+
FanSided's Cody Williams also gave Miami (A-) the higher grade for the trade. It will be great if Waddle outperforms expectations. More here.
SB Nation: A
"Now the compensation given up for Waddle is steep, but part of putting a grade on a move like this is the process," said Mark Schofield. "The beauty of this time of year is that we truly learn how an organization feels about where they are... Instead, they’ve paid that price for Waddle who, given his skillset, could be a perfect fit for both Bo Nix as well as the Sean Payton/Davis Webb offense. Use him on vertical shot plays, get him going on shallows in some of Denver’s quick game concepts as well as in-breaking routes off of play-action or RPO designs, and he might be Nix’s best friend next season."
NFL on CBS: A
What grade would you give the Broncos for this trade? Let us know on Twitter/X
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Experts grade Broncos' blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle
Continue reading...
