GOOD NEWS: Bengals finally sign Patrick Surtain for $85 Million’s today… See More…
AFC Contender Denver Broncos may trade Pro Bowler cornerback Patrick Surtain II amid contract change that keeps him through 2025. According to Over The Cap, the fifth-year option will pay him an estimated $19.802 million for the entire 2025 campaign. Simmons has become one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in the league, helping the team afloat after a miserable season. This was an expected transaction since the Broncos were planning to keep him around for an extra year after uncertainty regarding his status.
Broncos General Manager George Paton kept his promise after confirming they would take the route with Surtain in February. It would be a risk to let go of this type of asset on the team’s defense since it would represent such as glaring hole at the cornerback position. However, they may take this risk in this year’s NFL draft despite trading for Zach Wilson. It’s been a busy week for Denver’s front office so they may still be searching for their franchise starter.
The Broncos still hold the No. 12 pick in the first round so this means they’ll be looking to move up. They may as well trade their best corner to continue to rebuild the Broncos’ offense. However, if no team other is interested in trading down then they could explore getting more draft capital. There have been rumors that the Patriots may be one of the few teams that is open to trading down but for a reasonable deal.
Surtain has become one of the Broncos’ biggest priorities in their organization. This may be the case but his future looks uncertain since Denver still has to figure out how to pay him. It probably won’t happen without having to take some risks to release some of their key players. However, there has been speculation now that they may bring back All-Pro Justin Simmons.
The Broncos cut him originally to save $14 million salary cap, so his return may come on a cheaper deal. However, the team could decide to move on to start over in the safety position in this year’s draft. Nothing is off the cards and it’s not impossible to bring him back after his shocking release. It’s difficult to justify why they wouldn’t want to bring Simmons back.
He could return on defense for a year and return to the market next offseason. However, they could be prioritizing Surtain for a long-term extension that would give the Broncos secondary with nothing to worry about. The Broncos were hesitant to deal Surtain to move up in this year’s draft. This may be the route they may have to take to get the quarterback they want.
