NFL Rumors: Chargers may have to deal with Jonathan Taylor in AFC West after all

Months after Austin Ekeler initially requested a trade from the LA Chargers and couldn't find a deal, star running back Jonathan Taylor was requested a trade from the Indianapolis Colts. While they are both running backs, Taylor has a much higher chance of being dealt.

Taylor's initial contract cost is lower and he is much younger than Ekeler, making it more likely that a team would be willing to trade for him and sign him to a new deal. Paying running backs may not be advised in 2023 but there are always desperate teams that are looking to make a difference.

When the Taylor trade request was first reported, we here at Bolt Beat broke down the possibility of the Kansas City Chiefs trading for him. Thankfully, the Chiefs have not been one of the reported teams that are interested. Anything could still happen, and the Chiefs have the means to get a deal done, but it does not appear right now that Taylor will head to Kansas City.

However, Taylor could still be heading to the AFC West. Denver Sports analyst Cecil Lammey was told by their sources that there are two teams that are the "most interested" in Taylor — the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos.

NFL Rumors: Chargers may have to deal with Jonathan Taylor on the Broncos

It is actually painful how well the stars align for the Broncos to trade for Taylor. Nothing is guaranteed in this league and Taylor may end up staying in Indianapolis but if there was ever going to be a team to trade for Taylor, the Broncos make the most sense.

First of all, this is a Denver team that has shown it is not afraid to make a splash. The team went big for Russell Wilson and went big for Sean Payton. That new owner smell is still very fresh in the Broncos' building and as we see across all sports, new owners always try and make splashy moves.

Payton's offense is also geared perfectly to add Taylor to the mix. Denver already has a great running back in Javonte Williams, who returned from his ACL injury in the preseason. Running back is not a pressing need for the Broncos but having both Williams and Taylor would give the team a dynamic rushing attack that would then rely less on Wilson.

When else did Payton have two very good running backs in the backfield alongside a short quarterback who was past his prime? Oh yeah, the 2017 and 2018 Saints when he had Drew Brees next to Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. New Orleans had the fourth-highest-scoring offense in 2017 and the third-highest-scoring offense in 2018.

The biggest issue would be paying Taylor and the future cap space situation for the Broncos. But as Payton's old team also showed us, there is a way to continually restructure deals to go all-in on a perceived title window. The Broncos could do the same.