I firmly believe Denver won this trade, assuming Wilson stays healthy. I look at it from a big picture perspective. They were picking #9 this year, let’s say for giggles it would be the same next year, the only 1st round QB in the last 4 years that has been anything but a bust that has fallen that low is Jackson. They avoided trying to draft the likes of Daniel Jones and Dwayne Haskins or having to package just as much as they did to get to the number 1 pick to land a good PROSPECT. Their own throw away QB was a 2nd rounder. So let’s not pretend the draft picks are sure things. They are getting a top 5 qb in what should be his prime years at a cap hit of 24M and 27M, an insane bargain. That’s a great deal for them. They gave up one really good player in Harris, one below average TE in Fant and a back up QB. Those guys all had reasonable contracts, so that’s a down side.
The thing is, in this league, you are going as far as your QB takes you, Drew Lock or any of the Backups on the market aren’t taking you past the Chiefs. This draft class of QBs doesn’t have a first round prospect in it ( I’m not saying they won’t be drafted in the first round), it’s very reminiscent of the EJ Manuel, GeNo Smith draft, where nobody should have been taken, but got over drafted because teams are desperate. There’s a back up from Pitt that’s polished and limited and a couple of athletes that throw the ball, not saying they can’t make it, but they aren’t real 1st round talent. The Broncos are loaded on O with weapons and need a QB to take them over the top, they got it. They gave up a lot of “potential”, but to quote Bill Parcells, “potential means you haven’t done shit yet”.
Just last year we saw the Rams make a similar gamble for a less accomplished QB and nobody is questioning them now. It worked. They are in all sorts of trouble when it comes to the salary cap, but that’s from kicking the can down the road for years. Still, who cares? They got the ring. Winning cures everything.