Schefter: Broncos offered two picks for Jeudy, “never close” on PS2
Nov 2, 2023, 1:10 PM | Updated: 4:30 pm
The Denver Broncos didn’t make any moves at the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, which was a surprise to some folks.
At 3-5 and currently 15th out of 16 teams in the AFC, many thought they’d be sellers. But coming off two wins in a row, including a 24-9 triumph over the Chiefs, head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton decided to stand pat.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter joined “Schlereth and Evans” on 104.3 The Fan on Thursday morning, and provided some insight on how the talks progressed.
“Were there discussions? Yes. Were there active discussions? Yes, there were. Did anybody come close? No. I think of all the players, the one that was probably generating the most interest, Jerry Jeudy got calls from a few different teams,” Schefter said.
Jeudy had been the source of several trade rumors leading up to the Halloween deadline, including beefing with former players both on and off the field. But he caught his first touchdown of the year against Kansas City, and ultimately Denver’s front office held on to the talented but frustrating ex-Alabama star.
“Denver wasn’t going to 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, and so they held onto him” Schefter said.
Schefter told Mark Schlereth and Mat Smith (in for Mike Evans) that the offer for Jeudy was a third-round and a fifth-round pick. Apparently, that wasn’t enough for Payton and Paton to pull the trigger.
Meanwhile, another hot name had been star cornerback Pat Surtain II. Schefter said the Broncos engaged in talks, but a deal never was going to happen.
“They never came close on Surtain. Never came close. And they weren’t. They think he’s the best player on the team, so to trade him, it would’ve taken a Jalen Ramsey package. Jacksonville got two ones and a four back in the day,” Schefter said.
Schefter of course means when the Jaguars traded Ramsey to the Rams, they got two first-round picks and a fourth-round selection in return. The Broncos wanted a package like that and more for “PS2,” something no team took the bait on.
Schefter added the Broncos received calls about center Lloyd Cushenberry, wide receiver Courtland Sutton and safety Justin Simmons, but “nothing came close.”
The 3-5 Broncos are on their bye this week before a trip to Buffalo for Monday Night Football in 10 days. To listen to the full interview with Schefter, click here.
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