The Denver Broncos should seriously consider trading Patrick Surtain II by the trade deadline in 2023. While Surtain is elite, the Broncos have a severe lack of talent on their roster and need more draft capital. It's time to sound the panic alarms in Broncos Country. This team is much less talented than I think some of us thought.
I was one of those people. There's also been some horrid coaching on one side of the ball, and it really makes you appreciate how stellar Vic Fangio and Ejiro Evero are at their jobs on defense. Vance Joseph is exposing how weak this defensive roster is. Anyway, I don't think Denver is particularly close to turning anything around this year, and they will surely be sellers at the trade deadline.
Well, I don't think anyone should be off the table here, including Patrick Surtain II, who is the best defensive back in the NFL. The Denver Broncos should consider these trade packages for Surtain if offered.
3 Patrick Surtain II trade packages the Denver Broncos should entertain
A few years ago, Jalen Ramsey was traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Los Angeles Rams for a similar package. Ramsey was also a bit older than Surtain is, so I don't think this is an unrealistic offer at all. The Detroit Lions are a team trending in the right direction and really have it figured out on offense.
They remade their secondary this year but still need some help in that unit. They also really aren't paying anyone that much on defense, so splurging on Patrick Surtain II like this would really make sense for them. Ramsey was traded for two firsts and a fourth.
The Denver Broncos would get a haul back for Surtain in this package and would really be in a good spot with their refreshed draft capital. I get that the defense is already weak, so trading Surtain would obviously make it weaker, but I think this is a very strong trade offer.
Another trade proposal that I think the Denver Broncos should entertain is this package, which includes two high draft picks and a lesser starter at the position. Derek Stingley Jr was the first cornerback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft and played in just nine games during his rookie season.
Stingley didn't have the best rookie season, but he'll be fine. He's a very good player and is a bit younger that Patrick Surtain II. He's no Patrick Surtain II obviously, but that's kind of the point; no one is. So, the Houston Texans trade away their first round pick in 2024, and this one was originally owned by the Cleveland Browns and was included in the Deshaun Watson trade.
They'll also send over a 2nd round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and include Stingley into that deal as well. If the Broncos were to trade Surtain, it would be for a rich, rich package, so I'm really just doing my best to estimate what he'd be worth.
This one could be a bit tough to pull off since Jaylon Johnson is a free agent at the end of the year, but perhaps if the Chicago Bears were serious about upgrading their secondary, I'm sure something could be worked out. This is a similar package to what I proposed the Houston Texans' offer to be. The Chicago Bears are probably going to blow it up at the end of the season, so guess is that they wouldn't really be in the business of making a big trade like this.
However, their defense might be worse than their offense, so I could also see them making a major trade to upgrade that side of the ball. Patrick Surtain II would head to the Windy City and Denver would get two high draft picks in 2024 and Jaylon Johnson, who is 24 years old and has 32 passes defended in 42 career games.
If the Denver Broncos were to trade Patrick Surtain, I'd assume they'd try to acquire a CB back in the deal. With Surtain no longer in the picture, the next two players at CB would be Damarri Mathis and Riley Moss. Yikes. Do I ultimately think Denver should make a trade like this? Honestly, probably not. However, I think everything should be on the table for Sean Payton at this point.
We still have a long way to go before the trade deadline and the end of the season, but their Week 3 loss to the Miami Dolphins shows just how far away this team is.