If anything, you can’t blame Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton for not making moves to try and improve the team.

In his two seasons as the head coach and roster shaper of the team, now about to begin his third season on the sidelines, he has vastly changed the face, tempo, ability and character of the team. It wasn’t all that long ago we were all left shaking our heads by the coaching style of Nathaniel Hackett, and now we have a guy who has his eye on the prize and isn’t afraid to make changes to get there.
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So on the eve of the 2025 season – now just a couple short weeks away from the regular season opener – he’s made another move that seems to make a lot of sense.
The Broncos are trading wide receiver Devaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints for a couple of draft picks: a fourth-round pick in 2026 and a seventh-round pick in 2027.
What makes it funny, beyond the fact that this is Payton’s former team, is that the Broncos are set to play New Orleans this weekend in the preseason finale before a week off and the official kickoff of the regular season vs. Tennessee on September 7.
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While many fans have become fond of Vele since he was drafted last year, here’s the good news.
He wouldn’t have been traded if he weren’t expendable. Former Bo Nix college teammate Troy Franklin has caught fire this summer and Pat Bryant has also had an impressive preseason, signs the young Broncos are climbing the ladder into the gameplan ahead.
Denver Broncos 2025 ScheduleThe Denver Broncos 2025 season could be one of their best in recent years, as Bo Nix moves into his second season and Head Coach Sean Payton moves into his third.
Gallery Credit: Dave Jensen
Broncos Receivers With 1,000-Yard Seasons
With Denver now having what looks to be a great quarterback, again, we’ll be seeing more receivers with 1,000-yard seasons. Take a look at the WR that have gotten one or more of those seasons.
Gallery Credit: Dave Jensen