Broncos again urged to move key defensive starter in trade before season kicks off originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Denver Broncos have assembled one of the NFL’s best secondaries. Riley Moss is a starting cornerback in that secondary and figures to be a big part of the defense in 2026.
Moss is scheduled to become a free agent after the season and has been the subject of plenty of trade rumors drummed up by members of the media. Until a decision is made on his contract, those ideas will likely persist.
But Moe Moton of Bleacher Report feels that the team should consider trading him before the season starts.
“This seems like a questionable move, but Denver selected Jahdae Barron in the first round of the 2025 draft. If the Broncos don’t intend to sign Moss to an extension in a contract year, they should trade him at peak value and elevate Barron on the depth chart before Week 1.
In 2025, Moss started in all 17 games, tying Carolina Panthers cornerback Michael Jackson for a league-leading 19 pass breakups. On the trade block, he could draw interest from multiple suitors in need of a starter on the boundary”, wrote Moton.
That is sound reasoning from Moton, who readily admits that it would be a “questionable move”. The Broncos do have Barron, a first-round pick last season, and his status certainly clouds any decision on a contract extension for Moss. It’s likely that Denver will see how each of those players performs this season before making any decisions on Moss’ future.
Moss led the NFL in defensive pass interference calls last season, leading many Broncos fans to feel that he is a liability on the defense. But keeping things in context, Moss draws far more looks from opposing quarterbacks due to the man on the other side of the field… Pat Surtain II.
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It still seems that the best move for the team would be to keep all of the players in the secondary, regardless of Barron being on the team. The Broncos do have a big strength at the cornerback position, but it doesn’t make much sense to dismantle that just to get Barron more playing time.
This is very similar to the situation the team faced with Ja’Quan McMillian last season after using a first-round pick on Barron.
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With that said, if the Broncos could get a day two pick for Moss in a loaded 2027 draft, which would mean a pick in round two, three, or four, as Moton suggests, that would have to be considered. The Broncos selected Moss in the third round in 2023.
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