Mike Wallace

Denver acquired 2009 2nd round pick (64th overall, Richard Quinn) and 2009 4th round pick (132nd overall, Seth Olsen) from Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for 2009 3rd round pick (79th overall, Kraig Urbik) and 2009 3rd round pick (84th overall, Mike Wallace). This was primarily a draft-position exchange, with Denver reshaping its pick stack rather than adding an established player. The grades stay conservative because the historical value depends on how the selected players developed after the swap.

Denver moved Jay Cutler and a fifth-round pick to Chicago after the quarterback relationship deteriorated, receiving Kyle Orton and a package that included two first-round picks and a third-rounder. Denver wrung strong value from an untenable quarterback situation. Cutler gave Chicago legitimate starting-caliber play but never became the franchise-elevating answer the Bears hoped for, while Denver extracted Kyle Orton and multiple premium picks from a broken relationship. The Broncos did not perfectly convert every asset, but the trade return itself was substantial enough to favor Denver in hindsight.