The Broncos plans for Courtland Sutton were revealed on draft night
Aug 18, 2020, 7:15 AM
The Broncos have told us how feel about Courtland Sutton. If the Broncos felt he was a part of their future plans, they would not have drafted Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler in back-to-back rounds in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In a salary cap league, there are only so many pass catchers a team can pay. If the Broncos planned to pay Sutton after his contract is up, it would not make sense to draft two wide receivers where they did.
Sutton has had a lot of success in Denver given the context, but it hasn’t always been easy. The Broncos traded Demaryius Thomas during his rookie year, making him a starter. They then traded Emmanuel Sanders during season two, throwing him into the No. 1 receiver spot.
Sutton’s second year was a massive improvement, with 1,112 yards and six touchdowns with three different QBs throwing him the ball. Sutton has not had the easiest road to success in his Broncos career, and has more than met expectations heading into year three.
Sutton has been a bright spot in an otherwise bottom of the league offense the last two seasons. So why would the Broncos not see him as a part of their young core moving forward?
The Broncos drafted Jerry Jeudy 15th overall. Teams do not draft their “second wide receiver” that high in the draft. So does that relegate Sutton to the No. 2 receiver?
Why would they take Hamler in round two? There will be too many players to pay, and with Jerry Jeudy and Noah Fant as first-round picks, the Broncos have more invested in them.
Three wide receiver sets are more common in today’s NFL, but there are simply too many weapons to pay, especially if Drew Lock pans out. If Courtland Sutton re-signs in Denver, it will be because either Jerry Jeudy or K.J. Hamler did not work out as planned.
