Broncos Urged to Deal Patrick Surtain II to Eagles for Pro Bowl OLB

Let’s face it: The Denver Broncos could use help at just about any position on the roster.

Besides the quarterback position, the other position group that could use a facelift is outside linebacker. The Broncos have yet to find an elite, game-changing pass rusher since the departure of Von Miller in 2021.

The current group is characterized by the sum of its parts. Let's take a look at the statistics for the Broncos' three key starters at outside linebacker:

• Jonathon Cooper: 72 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumbles recovered
• Baron Browning: 25 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles
• Nik Bonitto: 30 total tackles, Eight sacks, one forced fumble

Although these numbers are solid, the Broncos can use more power and speed, but at the cost of dealing the team's best player? Bleacher Report Scouting Department pounded the table for the Broncos to trade Patrick Surtain II to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Pro Bowl pass rusher Josh Sweat. Below are the hypothetical trade details:

Broncos receive:

• Sweat
• 2024 first-round pick (No. 22 overall)
• 2024 fifth-round pick (No. 143 overall)

Eagles receive:

• Surtain

Sweat recorded 7.5 sacks in 2021, a career-high of 11.0 sacks in 2022, and 6.5 sacks in 2023. He's in the last of a three-year, $40 million contract. 

Although Sweat would help the Broncos, I'm reluctant to approve this trade for a few reasons. First, outside of the outlier 2022 season, the sack totals are on par with what the Broncos' current edge group is producing, so any impact Sweat would make is unlikely to be significant. 

Second, moving Surtain for the aforementioned haul would be unwise. It's not guaranteed that Denver will draft players with the level of sure talent that Surtain possesses.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, another Eagles pass rusher has recently been granted permission to seek a trade — Haason Reddick. He's also entering the last of a three-year, $45 million contract and is owed $14.25 million in 2024.