Report: Broncos Turned Down 3rd- and 5th-Round Picks for Jerry Jeudy
The Denver Broncos engaged in "active discussions" ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline but "never came close" to dealing away some of its top talent, including wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday.
Per Schefter, an undisclosed team offered the Broncos third- and fifth-round draft picks in exchange for Jeudy — and were promptly denied.
“I think of all the players, the one that was generating the most interest — Jerry Jeudy — got calls from a few different teams," the league insider said Wednesday in an appearance on 104.3 The Fan. "But Denver wasn’t gonna give him up unless it got back a significant return, and the Broncos never felt like what they were getting back was worth giving up Jerry. So they held onto him."
The subject of repeated media speculation, Denver supposedly had been shopping Jeudy over the last calendar year, though no suitor met its reported asking price of a first-round selection. And it seems they couldn't finagle a second-rounder, either.
Jeudy, 24, is coming off a two-catch, 50-yard effort in last week's upset of the Kansas City Chiefs during which he scored his first touchdown since December 2022.
“It’s always amazing just to be a part of this win, to just contribute," he said after the game.
Jeudy will continue running as a starting WR in head coach Sean Payton's offense, but the Broncos may face a difficult decision next offseason with his fifth-year option — a fully guaranteed $12.987 million salary — set to go into effect. There remains a chance he's playing out his final games in an orange and blue uniform.
Elsewhere on the roster, according to Schefter, the Broncos received inquiries on fellow receiver Courtland Sutton as well as safety Justin Simmons and center Lloyd Cushenberry. None successful.
Perhaps most importantly, neither were any ill-fated calls on All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
“Never came close on Surtain. Never came close," Schefter emphasized. "They think he’s the best player on the team. To trade him, it would’ve taken a Jalen Ramsey package (two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick) — and then some, which no team was gonna do. Teams called, teams checked. But no team came close to doing that.”
At 3-5, now riding a two-game winning streak, the Broncos opted against both surrendering capital and jettisoning assets. Payton insisted prior to the deadline that he was "not looking to do business" involving his players, and sticking to his word suggests a genuine belief in their 2023 prospects.
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