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Broncos Insider Urges Team to Pursue Pair of Pro Bowl CBs via Trade
The Denver Broncos currently hold five draft picks in the top-100. That's a lot of capital and it gives GM John Elway the ammunition he'd need to possibly make a move on the trade market ahead of the draft.
That's how 9NEWS' Mike Klis is viewing the situation, anyway. In a recent 'proposed' offseason plan of attack for the Broncos, Klis advocated for the use of one of the three third-round picks the team currently has to acquire a veteran cornerback via trade.
The potential target(s)? Detroit's Darius Slay or Jacksonville's A.J. Bouye.
Slay, 29, has one year and $10.47 million left on his contract. Considering his contract situation, the Broncos may be able to get Slay for one of their three, third-round draft picks.
Bouye has been rumored to be a likely cap casualty in Jacksonville, but perhaps Klis has heard something about the Jaguars looking to trade him before straight-up cutting bait. If I'm Elway, though, I'm waiting that particular situation out and focusing on Slay.
Because Slay would, well, slay in Denver. And we know, thanks to Klis, that the Broncos talked to the Lions about a trade last fall.
At 29 years old, Slay still has plenty of football left in the tank. He's coming off his third Pro Bowl season and is entering his eighth year in the league.
A former second-round pick of the Lions', Slay flashed potential early on in his career but really took some time to fully develop. His last three years, though, have been outstanding. He'd be a great fit in Vic Fangio's scheme and can be the type of outside corner who matches up against the opponent's No. 1 wideout and locks him down.
Slay's 2017 campaign was phenomenal. He hauled in eight interceptions while breaking up a whopping 26 passes. It earned him dual Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors.
But would a third-rounder in exchange for Slay represent good value for Denver? You bet it would. In all honesty, considering his age and production, I'd be stunned if Detroit let him go for anything less than a second-rounder.
It never hurts to ask, though. If the Broncos gave up a third-round pick for Slay, that would still leave the team with four selections in the top-100. Plenty of ammo for building the nest, as it were.
Slay's $10.47M for 2020 would be a more-than-fair price tag for a corner of his ability but the Broncos would likely sign him to an extension on the heels of any trade. Acquiring Slay would give the Broncos a lot more flexibility with regard to Chris Harris, Jr. negotiations and maneuverings in the draft.
Will a Slay-to-Denver trade happen? It's possible, and it carries a little more weight when it comes from the top Broncos insider. Keep an eye on the Slay situation in Detroit.
As for Bouye, whom I've neglected in this brief breakdown, he had a phenomenal two-year window of production in Houston and Jacksonville. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017, the year the Jaguars competed for a Super Bowl berth.
But Bouye's numbers have dwindled in recent years. A coach like Fangio could probably make Bouye quite the reclamation project but Slay would be a much bigger get for the Broncos.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
