Report: Broncos Discussed Relinquishing a First-Round Pick for Matthew Stafford Before Bowing Out

The Denver Broncos lost out in the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes as the Detroit Lions dealt the veteran QB to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Goff, a pair of first-round draft picks, and a third-rounder.

Although Broncos GM George Paton went in on Stafford, and did engage in negotiations to land the veteran QB, he pumped the brakes as Detroit's ask became a bridge too far. Still, technically, it was a swing and a miss for Paton who is already proving that when he said the Broncos will be a "part of every deal", he meant it.

We learned from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer what Paton was willing to offer and what the Lions asked for that caused the Broncos GM to bail on the deal.

The Broncos discussed a pick swap with the Lions that would have equated to a late first-round pick, but it wound up becoming clear to Denver that they weren’t playing in the neighborhood where this was going.

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9NEWS' Mike Klis reported Saturday evening that there were multiple proposals on the table between the Broncos and Lions. KOARadio's Benjamin Allbright reported on Sunday that Detroit wanted "multiple picks, Drew Lock, Jerry Jeudy, and another player."

Paton was willing to give up a first-round pick and maybe more but quickly realized that his motivation to land Stafford paled in comparison to the sheer desperation of other suitors, later to be exposed as the Rams. When Paton sensed the price skyrocketing, he got out and the Rams swooped in.

The rest is history.

As many as seven teams were in talks with the Lions for Stafford. Paton kicked those tires but fans should be relieved that he pumped the brakes when the ask began to border on "recklessness."

Paton told fans that he plans to be "aggressive, but not reckless." His first dip into the pool of major NFL negotiations bore that philosophy out in reality.

None of it portends well for Lock, if we're being honest. Paton might end up devolving back to Lock as the penciled-in starter for 2021 but between now and the draft, the Broncos GM has made it clear that if he zeroes in on a QB who could upgrade the team's starting spot, he'll swing.

Just because Paton missed this time doesn't mean he failed, per se. Frankly, Paton's frugality meant that the Broncos dodged a bullet because Stafford will not justify that haul the Rams gave up.

All eyes are now on the Deshaun Watson situation in Houston. But something tells me that if Paton was reluctant to pony up the farm in negotiations with Detroit, he's not going go gangbusters on Houston if Watson is indeed made available.

The most realistic outcome for the Broncos, I still see, is Paton signing a competent veteran with legit starting experience — like an Andy Dalton or Ryan Fitzpatrick — to come in and on one hand push Lock while on the other, serve as a competent backup/fail-safe in the event Lock fails or gets hurt again.

The Broncos hold the No. 9 overall pick in the draft right now and while we can't rule out a quarterback being taken, it doesn't feel like that's what Paton is prioritizing. The Broncos already have a talented, unproven, and raw option on the roster. His name is Drew Lock.

If Paton actually moves off Lock, it's because he found a plug-and-play veteran to step in and replace him day one. The Minnesota Vikings operated that way, trading to acquire Sam Bradford back in 2017 and paying through the nose to land Kirk Cousins in free agency in 2018.

Neither option paid dividends for Minnesota, though, and surely Paton recognizes the cautionary takeaways of both QB acquisitions. The Broncos are not done tinkering with the QB position, that's what we can say for sure.

The cost-benefit analysis has already been done. One way or another, Paton is going to churn the QB depth chart. It's just a matter of degrees and, frankly, cost.

Giving up a first-rounder is not a bridge too far for Paton, if it means acquiring a bona-fide starting QB. But on the flip-side, using a first-round pick to draft a QB doesn't necessarily make the Broncos any more of a day-one contender than they are now with Lock because that first-round QB would still have to be developed.

Meanwhile, Lock is two years down the developmental curve in the NFL. As a fall-back option, it's not a bad position to be in for Paton. He can continue to kick the NFL bushes to see if a proven QB will fall out at some point and if not, the Broncos can run it back with Lock in 2021.

If Lock were to fail in 2021, it likely would mean that Vic Fangio failed as head coach, and Paton could find himself starting over completely in 2022. Only this time, he'd have carte blanche.

Lock's ego might get bruised in the interim but that's obviously a price/risk Paton is willing to accept if it means truly having a chance to solve the QB position for his team.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.