Patrick Surtain II Makes Statement on Broncos Future as Deadline Nears

Even Patrick Surtain II's name has been mentioned among the swirling Denver Broncos trade rumors.

Sean Payton has laid down some smokescreens ahead of the NFL trade deadline, denying any intention to ship away players, perhaps in hopes of gaining the Denver Broncos some leverage. Make no bones about it; the 1-5 Broncos are poised to be sellers in a buyers market, so GM George Paton is poised to be fielding plenty of calls. 

Stripping roster pieces might stop short of qualifying as a fire sale, but Broncos fans would be wise to brace for anything to happen between now and October 31. There is a historical precedent of what teams gearing up for a rebuild have done, which could foreshadow what Paton and Payton might do. 

When Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones started their rebuild of the talent-starved Dallas Cowboys roster back in the late '80s, they traded away star running back Herschel Walker to Minnesota for a seismic bounty of draft picks and players. If the Broncos were of a mind to attempt the same kind of audacious move, that would entail trading perhaps the only truly elite player they have: All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II. 

For that to happen, the Broncos would also have to believe that Surtain was no longer engaged and was actively courting a trade. However, that narrative hasn't been forthcoming in any shape or form, as evidenced by Surtain tying his Orange and Blue colors to the Broncos' mast rather conclusively this week. 

The 23-year-old Surtain told DNVR on Tuesday that he wants to remain in Denver for the duration of his NFL career. 

"Yeah, definitely," Surtain said regarding his future in Denver. "I plan on being here my whole career. That's how I want it to end up. I love the organization. I love the city." 

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Surtain's insistence that his future lies in Denver should be music to the ears of Coach Payton. As Payton embarks on a particularly tricky rebuild, having a cornerback who can take away half of the field is considered one of the building blocks to a championship NFL roster. 

On the flip side, it could be argued that Surtain is a wasted luxury being on such a poor team. Still, Payton is in the business of laying a foundation upon which he can build a winner further on down the road. 

Of course, cornerstones also need to be solid, so if Surtain's declaration is as honest as Broncos fans believe it to be, then Payton has a player who is 100% buying into the coach's long term vision. 

When it comes to constructing a better and more committed and enthused roster, Payton can't throw away generational players — even in a trade that could, ostensibly, net the Broncos a king's ransom.

That's especially when Surtain is the only truly elite player Payton's got. 

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