Proposed Broncos Trade Lands Former Falcons 2nd-Round Pick

The Denver Broncos’ secondary remains a source of uncertainty.

All five projected members of the team’s nickel packages have starting experience. But only one player – Pro Bowl cornerback Pat Surtain II – started more than eight games in 2023.

Despite significant questions about the spot opposite Surtain – where 2023 third-round pick Riley Moss appears set to start – Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay suggests addressing the last line of defense.

Specifically, Kay lists Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant as a player the Broncos should target.

“Denver’s offense could be fun to watch in 2024, the defense has some glaring holes in the secondary that need to be addressed. The most concerning is at the safety spot, where Brandon Jones and P.J. Locke are projected to start and little of note in terms of depth behind them,” Kay wrote on August 27.

“The Broncos could make a run at Richie Grant to shore this weak point up. Grant, a second-round pick in 2021, has spent the last two seasons starting for the Atlanta Falcons but may soon be relegated to the bench following the emergence of DeMarcco Hellams. With Jessie Bates III also locked in as a surefire top safety for the Falcons, Grant could be expendable.”

The Falcons also signed former Broncos safety Justin Simmons in free agency on August 15. Kay suggests sending a late-round pick for Grant, the No. 40 overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Broncos get:

• Richie Grant

Falcons get:

• 2025 sixth-round pick

The Broncos have two sixth-round picks in the 2025 draft; their own and the Philadelphia Eagles’ from the Albert Okwuegbunam trade. They also have all of their own picks in Rounds 1 through 4.

They do not have selections in the fifth or seventh rounds, though.

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Broncos Can Bolster Backend With Trade for Richie Grant

Grant turns 26 years old in November. He logged 103 total tackles, six pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one interception, and a career-high 3.0 sacks in 2023. Grant – who is in the final year of a three-year, $8.2 million contract –started 32 games in 2022 and 2023 combined.

A free safety, Grant could displace Jones and Locke if the Broncos traded for him.

Jones signed a three-year, $20 million pact in 2024 free agency. He logged most of his snaps in 2023 at free safety, per Pro Football Focus.

However, the former Miami Dolphin, Jones, saw most of his snaps come in the box (strong safety) as recently as 2022. He also started his most games in a single season (13) while mostly lining up there in 2021.

Moving Jones over would push Locke back to a reserve role.

A former undrafted free agent who broke through with the Broncos in 2020, Locke made the first eight starts of his career in 2023.

Those starts all came over the final 10 weeks of the campaign, including six straight to close out the slate. The Broncos re-signed Locke in free agency, inking him to a two-year, $7 million contract.

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Broncos Will Have More Cap Space in 2025

The Broncos are dealing with the dead cap hit incurred by cutting Russell Wilson in Year 1 of a five-year, $245 million contract among other charges from former players.

They are on the hook for $85 million combined over the next two seasons from Wilson alone. The Broncos are paying $53 million in 2024 and will pay another $32 million in 2025.  According to Over The Cap, they have $7.6 million in cap space entering Week 1 before the cutdown deadline.

OTC projects the Broncos to have $32 million in space in 2025.

That means they can take a flier on a player like Grant, even at the cost of draft capital. They can replenish their roster in free agency thanks to the benefits of Bo Nix, a QB on a rookie contract.

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