Broncos' GM George Paton Admits to Receiving Calls on Cornerback Depth
The Denver Broncos suffered from a worn-down secondary to end last season, losing cornerbacks A.J. Bouye, Bryce Callahan, and Essang Bassey to injuries and suspension. All three of them were starters at some point during the season, so losing them hurt, and the Broncos cornerback room was embarrassed.
After signing two proven veterans in free agency and drafting Patrick Surtain II in the first round, the Broncos now have an embarrassment of riches at corner. There is plenty of depth, and GM George Paton had an interesting comment on it when asked about Surtain and the depth at corner.
"I think it’s great. You can’t have enough of those guys," Paton said on Thursday. "Corners, a lot of them go down, so we’re really happy with our depth. We have a lot of teams calling us on our depth. But we like our corners, that’s for sure.”
Last year, Denver ended up with rookie Michael Ojemudia, De’Vante Bausby, Parnell Motley, Nate Hairston, and even Will Parks playing at corner during the final few games. Hairston had the highest coverage grade of the group, according to Pro Football Focus, at 64.2, but he only played four coverage snaps. None of the rest received a grade higher than 54 in coverage, with Parks' the highest at 53.5.
It was a mess, and it was clear that the Broncos needed to add to the room. That's precisely what the team did by not only getting Callahan and Bassey back, but Paton went out and signed Ronald Darby, Kyle Fuller, and drafted Surtain and Kary Vincent, Jr. That alone would round out a pretty loaded corner room, though Bassey isn’t fully back from his ACL tear.
On top of those six corners, the Broncos still have Ojemudia, Motley, Hairston, Mac McCain III, Saivion Smith, and Rojesterman Farris. Not all of them have had the best of training camps, but McCain was standing out before an injury sidelined him recently, and Farris was quick to impress with multiple interceptions in his first three practices with the team. There's also Duke Dawson, who currently is on the PUP alongside Bassey.
Potential Trade Pieces
There are multiple aspects to Paton's revelation that ring true with what the Broncos went through last season. Denver had so many corners go down and didn’t have enough help because the team had to sign players off the street in order to field a defense on gamedays. It was a bad place to be in.
However, it's interesting to hear that the Broncos have multiple teams calling about the cornerback depth. What makes it so interesting is trying to figure out who exactly teams would be calling about. There are only three that could be considered safe, while the rest are fair game.
Fuller, Darby, and Surtain are essentially safe because the cost to move them would be too high. There was a significant investment in the triumvirate, so that wouldn't work for the Broncos. Any others would make sense for Denver to part ways with.
Ojemudia was a third-round pick last year, but he was a John Elway selection. While Fangio says he wants to keep working with Ojemudia, it could be a situation where Paton, who rose to GM status through the scouting ranks, doesn’t see the same upside in the player. If that's the case, it would be feasible to see him get traded, though it would result in a negative return on the Broncos' investment.
While he has never played an entire season, Callahan played at an All-Pro level last year before he got hurt. Entering the final year of his deal and having so many other corners impressing the coaches, it could push Callahan out the door. Losing him might sting but it would net the Broncos something in return for him instead of seeing him depart as a free agent potentially after this season.
Hairston, Smith, and Motley have not impressed so far in camp, so it's unlikely they're the ones making Paton's phone ring. However, if these guys show up in the preseason games, that could change things. The timing isn’t there right now for them, which is much the same with the injured McCain.
That leaves Farris and Vincent, but neither of them really would make a lot of sense in terms of being in demand. While Farris was impressed in camp, he was a new addition brought in as a free agent. Vincent has hardly practiced, but it could be that a team liked him late in the draft and Denver sniped with the selection.
There are only two that make sense for Denver to trade possibly: Ojemudia and Callahan. The teams calling Denver likely have those two in mind, or Denver is pushing them when the phone rings. Unfortunately, they both have a lot going against them when it comes to remaining with the Broncos.
Callahan is in a contract year, is getting older, and has dealt with injuries, which could be why Denver would want to trade him. However, that could also make other teams hesitant to make a move for him as well — his play when healthy last year was undeniable.
As for Ojemudia, when he was selected, it was reported that a team between the 77th and 83rd selection (both Broncos picks) was going to pick Ojemudia. While he had a rough 2020 campaign, he was a rookie and could still have a coach or two out there wanting to give him a shot. Being a pick of the former GM regime doesn’t tie him in Paton necessarily, outside of Fangio liking him.
Who knows whether any trade will materialize involving a Broncos corner. It was noteworthy that Paton threw that out there in a comment when he easily could have sat on it.
The timing of it, and the implications, suggest Paton offered up the information strategically, telegraphing that the Broncos are willing to listen when the phone rings, but those calling teams need to increase their offers.
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