The Denver Broncos swinging a trade up for a quarterback in the 2024 draft is “realistic,” according to Head Coach Sean Payton.
Speaking at the annual NFL owners meeting in Orlando, Payton made no secret of the organization’s interest in the 2024 class of quarterbacks and even name-dropped a potential trade partner in Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort.
Ossenfort openly declared the No. 4 overall pick for sale in a press conference on March 21.
“I think it’s realistic,” Payton told reporters on March 25. “What’s hard to predict, though, is what’s on the receiving end. I think it’s good to be Monti today at Arizona, right? So it’s hard to predict what that cost is. And yet, I certainly wouldn’t say it’s unrealistic, and we’ll pay close attention to it.”
Ossenfort similarly said that the Cardinals may not find an offer to their liking. But he was clear they have not locked in on picking in that slot.
Following the release of Russell Wilson, the Broncos were set to roll into 2024 with Jarrett Stidham as the starter – and Ben DiNucci behind him – since they stayed out of the quarterback market in free agency.
General Manager George Paton did “touch base” with Kirk Cousins’ camp before the QB signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on March 18.
Their efforts have not stopped there, with a longer-term plan in place.
