NFL insider suggests one particular Broncos player isn't actually available for draft trade-up

It is no secret that the Denver Broncos are in the market for a young quarterback via the 2024 NFL Draft. But what lengths will they go to in an effort to secure their next potential franchise signal-caller?

Paul Allen of KFAN 100.3, a Minnesota sports radio show, seems adamant that the Broncos are eager to move up the draft board to find their heir apparent to the failed Russell Wilson experiment and could dangle superstar cornerback Patrick Surtain II in trade talks to do so based on his recent comments.

"They are so desperate... I'm not kidding you, man," Allen said on a recent radio appearance. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was 'we want that [pick No.] 3 so badly we will give you [pick No.] 12, we will give you next year's first-rounder, and we will give you Pat Surtain II'," he added.

"I'm not kidding you. They [Broncos] are that desperate," Allen says of Denver and their readiness to give up high-end draft capital and one of the premier players in the NFL at a premium position if it means landing the quarterback of their choice, and he thinks they have their sights set on Michigan's J.J. McCarthy.

But Benjamin Allbright, who covers the Broncos for KOA Colorado, quickly shot down Denver's alleged desire to trade up for McCarthy and willingness to part ways with Surtain, a franchise cornerstone, noting that Allen is merely giving his assertion rather than reporting factual information.

NFL insider throws cold water on Broncos using Patrick Surtain II to trade up for QB

"Someone's opinion," Allbright said in response to a user on X (formerly known as Twitter) tagging him in a Minnesota Vikings fan page post that referenced the statement by Allen, adding that it "would run counter to everything we've been told. Publicly and privately."

Allbright ponders whether the Broncos could trade up, predicting that they will "make some calls" to at least explore the idea. But he emphasizes that parting ways with Surtain "makes absolutely no sense" and contradicts Denver's draft night approach based on what we've heard thus far and their actions.

Alas, time will tell. It is only a matter of time before we find out how the Broncos handle an unenviable quarterback situation.