The Denver Broncos are in no roster position to hand out a massive contract extension for Patrick Surtain II, so a trade make sense for the team. It's time to realize that the Broncos aren't in a position to hand Surtain a huge contract extension. They are in a huge cap crunch and have many more pressing needs than paying a cornerback.
Nothing against Surtain, who is excellent, but the best value he has for the team is either being used to trade up for a QB in the 2024 NFL Draft or by receiving a haul of draft picks in return. Denver seriously needs to listen to trade offers for their best player this coming offseason, as his value can help the Broncos rebuild their team.
3 trade packages Broncos should entertain for Patrick Surtain II
I think when you factor in the value of Brandon Aiyuk in a trade, this comes out to two first-round picks going back to the Broncos for Patrick Surtain II. The San Francisco 49ers are fine on offense; Kyle Shanahan is an elite offensive mind and can stomach to lose Brandon Aiyuk, in my opinion.
One of the biggest roster holes on the San Francisco 49ers is them simply needing another viable cornerback. The Niners actually checked in on the availability of Surtain this past trade deadline, per Adam Schefter:
"The San Francisco 49ers went looking for big names at the NFL trade deadline, checking on the availability of Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson and then-Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat, among others, sources told ESPN."Adam Schefter
Yes, I get that the Niners potentially trading Aiyuk would be for cap reasons, and them having to pay Surtain would involve a ton of money, but Aiyuk's cap hit in 2024 is over $14 million, and a potential extension for Surtain could be structured in a way to not have a high cap hit until years into the contract.
The Broncos also land the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which could be used to bolster the defense or even add another player on offense.
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In this trade package, it ends up being similar value. The Detroit Lions are another team constructed a lot like the 49ers, they also need some secondary help. The Lions broke out in 2023 after finishing the 2022 NFL season on a hot streak. Clinching a berth into the NFC Championship Game, Detroit is clearly in good hands with Dan Campbell and Jared Goff.
One of their few missing links is a true CB1, and pairing Patrick Surtain II with Lions DB Brian Branch, Surtain's former teammate at Alabama, makes a ton of sense. Detroit has plenty cap space to then extend Surtain, potentially making him the highest-paid DB in the history of the NFL. Detroit would part with their first-round pick this year, and one next year.
Now yes, the 2025 first-round pick of the Lions is probably going to be in the late-20s, but I think getting two first-round picks, even if they are later selections, is still a good deal for the Denver Broncos. Denver would then be equipped with four first-round picks in the 2024 and 2025 NFL Drafts, which is precisely what the franchise needs.
The team needs to continue to recoup and stack draft capital, and adding two of them in a trade with Patrick Surtain II is logical.
This is definitely the boldest of the three trade packages I have outlined in this article. The Broncos make a major move up the NFL Draft board and get the second overall pick. To do that, they include both Patrick Surtain II and the 12th overall pick. The Washington Commanders recently brought in a new era, hiring Adam Peters to be their GM and Dan Quinn to be their new head coach. With a defensive-minded head coach, I don't think it's outrageous to see the Commanders not take a QB with their first-round pick.
Or to a lesser extent, not take one with their second overall pick. Washington trades the second overall pick to the Denver Broncos and land a cornerstone piece on their defense along with the 12th overall pick, which still might be high enough to land a decent QB prospect.
I think both sides could come out of this specific trade very happy. The Broncos would be in a prime position to draft someone like Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. I personally think Sean Payton would pick Maye over Daniels. And Maye is an elite, week one starter at the position. Yes, the Broncos would then have a massive hole in the secondary, but they'd fill a much more important hole with this trade and hypothetical selection of Maye.