Before the Broncos found a way, somehow, to beat the Jaguars, there was fairly intense trade chatter regarding pass rusher Bradley Chubb. Over the past day or so, the talk has subsided.
As one league source explained it to PFT earlier today, the Dolphins and Rams were linked most frequently to the Broncos last week, on the NFL grapevine. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com repeatedly has insisted that the Broncos have an offer for Chubb that includes a first-round pick. Obviously, the team with the pick and the year of the pick will be a major factor when it comes to assessing its value.
Another source shed some light on the manner in which the Broncos are assessing the situation. With Chubb in the option year of his rookie deal, the Broncos could always tag and trade Chubb in the offseason. Thus, to trade him now, they’d need to believe they’re getting more on November 1 than they’d get early next year.
Then there’s the simple fact that first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett may be firmly on the hot seat with new ownership. Trading away one of the best players wouldn’t help Hackett get a second year on the job.
Regardless, if Chubb is going to be traded this year, it’s going to happen by 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.