The Denver Broncos are 6-2 and in sole possession of first place in the AFC West after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at Mile High on Sunday.

Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman turned in his most dynamic performance of the season, finishing with 100-plus total yards and scoring the go-ahead touchdown. Like two ships in the night, as Coleman rises, J.K. Dobbins falls, as illustrated by the rookie's 41 snaps and the veteran's 13 in Week 8.

However, Coleman's emergence hasn't dampened the trade speculation connecting the Broncos to Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. In fact, coming out of Week 8, the Broncos have the highest odds of being Taylor's team after the November 10 deadline, according to Hard Rock Bet.

• Denver Broncos: +200 
• Seattle Seahawks: +300 
• Minnesota Vikings: +325 
• Indianapolis Colts: +475 
• New York Giants: +500 
• Cincinnati Bengals: +550 
• Green Bay Packers: +1500 
• New England Patriots: +3000 
• Any Other Team: +5000

Going into Week 8, the Seahawks were the most favored in the Taylor sweepstakes, but the Broncos have edged in front of them at +200. The Seahawks and the Vikings are the Broncos' biggest competitors for Taylor's services, and the law of supply and demand could see the Colts' asking price climb.

There have been reports of the Colts receiving at least one second-round pick offer for Taylor, so that's the likely starting point if the Broncos want to land the three-time Pro Bowler. The Broncos have a full complement of draft picks next year, so they have the ammunition to acquire Taylor.

The Drawbacks

Taylor could be a game-changer for the Broncos' offense. He's a back who can create on his own as a playmaker. Among the Broncos' running backs, we've only seen that from Coleman this season, so pairing him with Taylor could form a formidable one-two punch.

However, Taylor is the same age as Dobbins (turning 28 soon), and he's nearing the dreaded 2,000-carry milestone (1,699). That's when backs often began to decline, some faster than others.

Taylor would be relatively affordable salary-wise, with salaries of $15 million and $9.65 million in 2027 and 2028, respectively. That's not the obstacle; it's the draft capital the Colts will demand to part with their only star player on offense.

The San Francisco 49ers gave up a second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-round draft pick to acquire Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers in 2022. Taylor is roughly two years older than McCaffrey was when he was traded, so that has to be factored into the calculus.

That's the precedent, though. So, the question is whether the Broncos believe that Taylor would be worth a similar haul. Maybe it wouldn't take quite so much; say, a second-rounder, a third, and a 2028 fourth-rounder.

I'm just spitballing here. But if the Broncos were to countenance such an expenditure, they'd have to really believe that Taylor would be the missing piece to help get them over the Super Bowl hump.

The Takeaway

Week 8 didn't change anything. Despite Coleman's emergence, the Broncos are still the favorites to land Taylor — for a reason. With RJ Harvey and Tyler Badie on injured reserve, the Broncos not only need reinforcements, but they need another difference-maker back there.

Whatever is going on with Dobbins's regression, there's no end in sight. We're eight games into the season, and while it's possible he could finally snap out of it, the Broncos can't count on it.

Last year, the Broncos were forced to rely on a rookie as their lead back down the stretch, and while they managed to win the division and the No. 1 playoff seed, their inability to run the ball consistently was a major Achilles heel. GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton — having weathered the storm of the Broncos' brutal first-half schedule — may be willing to pay top dollar, so to speak, to hedge against a history repeating in 2026.

Coleman is much better equipped to carry the RB1 duties as a rookie than Harvey was, but do the Broncos really want to chance that? We'll find out soon, as the NFL trade deadline is only a week away.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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