The Denver Broncos have yet to play a preseason game, but the team is in the thick of training camp and building the best possible roster for the upcoming season. One area where they could enjoy an embarrassment of riches is at the cornerback position.
The Broncos have reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II, arguably the best cornerback in the league, on the roster. The team also used its first-round pick to select last year's Jim Thorpe Award winner, Jahdae Barron. But because of the depth on this roster, someone is going to have to take a back seat this year. Will that be Riley Moss or Ja'Quan McMillian?
The conventional thought is that McMillian will become a reserve with Barron taking his spot as the slot corner. But if Barron is moved to the outside, Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus feels that Moss could be put on the trade block.
Locker recently took a look at 15 NFL trade candidates during training camp. His list contains the players who have been in the news due to looking for new contracts (Trey Hendrickson, Micah Parsons, Terry McLaurin), but it also curiously includes Moss.
"The Broncos have spent a significant portion of their offseason assets bolstering one of the NFL’s best defenses from a year ago, including drafting cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round. That could leave a player like Moss on the block.
In his first season as a starter, Moss produced a 56.0 PFF coverage grade with a 57.8 PFF overall grade. Still, the Iowa product turned heads early in the year, securing three single-game 72.0-plus PFF coverage grades in the first five contests of 2024.
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How Denver configures its secondary will be telling for Moss’ outlook. The Broncos figure to have two good inside options in Barron and Ja’Quan McMillan, but will the Texas rookie also man the outside CB2 spot next to reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II? Denver may retain the 25-year-old Moss as depth, but if his role is constricted, other teams could come calling", wrote Locker.
There is a chance that the Broncos will trade one of their cornerbacks and Moss, a former third-round pick, would likely bring a better return than McMillian, who was undrafted. Moss, entering his third year in the league, became a starter on the outside last year after easily beating out veteran Levi Wallace in training camp. Aside from the Cincinnati game, where he was targeted consistently while Surtain tended to Ja'Marr Chase, he had a great season.
Unless the Broncos are blown away by an offer for Moss, he's unlikely to be traded. McMillian has a much better chance of being moved, but that would be tough as well as he has been terrific for the team.
If you truly do have an embarrassment of riches, why not just hold onto them?
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