The Denver Broncos have the best cornerback in the NFL on their roster in Patrick Surtain II, but for where the Broncos are currently, he's not doing the team much good being on the roster. It sounds goofy, but it makes sense. A recent bombshell report indicates that the Broncos nearly shipped Surtain to a new team at the deadline.
"Surtain, meanwhile, was nearly traded ahead of the 2023 in-season deadline, another general manager told the Post, but the Broncos reportedly reversed course when they won a few games, opting to retain the star cover man. ESPN previously reported the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers attempted to acquire the former first-round pick last fall."CBS Sports
The idea of trading a team's best player is pretty damning, right? If Patrick Surtain II was the right pick to begin with, these conversations would not be happening, right? The team passed up drafting QBs Justin Fields and Mac Jones to take Surtain, which was the right choice. However, they also passed up drafting guys like Micah Parsons and Jaelan Phillips to draft Surtain, which was not the right move.
In the NFL, successful teams are built from the inside out, and an elite CB does not have nearly the same impact on the defense as an elite pass rusher does. If the Broncos had drafted Parsons, the Cowboys had taken Surtain, and the respective players had the same exact careers up to this point, Denver's defense would be in significantly better shape.
And there'd be absolutely zero conversations about trading Parsons to move up for a QB. Getting to the QB is more important than an elite secondary. This report from CBS Sports and the fact that people are simply talking about including Surtain in a trade-up package in the 2024 NFL Draft just prove that he was not the right selection to begin with.
Denver has an elite CB, yet the defense is average at best. If Denver had an elite pass rusher like Parsons and an average secondary, the defense would be better. It's not rocket science, in my opinion. With the team perhaps embracing a desperate mindset, trading Surtain to move up in the 2024 NFL Draft easily proves that the stud CB was the wrong selection.
And I am not bashing the player. He's the best player on the roster by far and is quite obviously the best CB in the NFL. However, no one on the Denver Broncos roster is untouchable at this point. And if you think about it, Denver should have a few untouchable players. Untouchable players simply means a player who a team simply would never trade.
Their so good and valuable to their team that it's not even a question for them to get moved under any circumstances. Elite QBs like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow are untouchable players. Elite pass rushers like Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett are untouchable players.
Elite CBs, especially ones on the Denver Broncos roster, are not untouchable.