The Denver Broncos traded their 10th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first round of the NFL draft last Thursday. The Steelers used that selection to land Michigan inside linebacker Devin Bush. If the Broncos had not been able to find a trade partner, they would have taken Bush at No. 10, according to a report from Peter King of NBC Sports. Instead, Denver moved down 10 spots and landed Iowa tight end Noah Fant with the 20th overall pick. Broncos coach Vic Fangio said he did not know if the team would have drafted Bush during a press conference on Thursday evening. “He definitely was one of the better players in the draft,” Fangio said. “He kind of went where we thought he would. I don’t know if we would have taken him if we didn’t trade. He was certainly one of the guys we talked about, but we just felt the trade value trumped the guy we would get there.” In addition to reporting that the team would have landed Bush if not for the trade, King also reported that Denver heard trade offers from the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons before agreeing to a trade with the Steelers. Broncos general manager John Elway apparently wanted a 2020 first-round pick from Pittsburgh but the Steelers wouldn’t budge. So Denver ended up with a 2019 first-round pick (No. 20), a 2019 second-round pick (No. 52) and a 2020 third-round pick. The Broncos used that extra second-round pick to trade up for Missouri quarterback Drew Lock on Day 2 of the draft. It’s probably safe to say Elway is happy with how his wheeling and dealing worked out for the team last weekend.<doc-sep>A night later than some expected, the Broncos drafted quarterback Drew Lock. One selection after taking Kansas State offensive lineman Dalton Risner, the Broncos traded up to No. 42 to take Lock. The Broncos gave up Nos. 52, 125 and 182 to Cincinnati to move up for Lock. On Twitter, general manager John Elway said Lock is “going to learn from Joe (Flacco) and compete for the backup role.” Last month, the Broncos acquired Joe Flacco from the Baltimore Ravens, but Elway quickly erased any notion of a competition for the starting job when training camp opens in mid-July. It is only the second time in Broncos history that they have taken a quarterback in the second round (Brock Osweiler, No. 57 in 2012). The Broncos passed on Lock during Thursday’s first round but pounced when he was still on the board Friday night. “Joe’s a great quarterback,” Lock said. “Just to be (working) under him and see what he’s all about and learn from a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, I couldn’t be more excited. “It’s kind of a prime spot to be in.” Lock grew up in the Kansas City area as a Chiefs fan, but those days are over. “I couldn’t be more excited to go back to Kansas City (with the Broncos) and get a couple of wins with the bad guys,” he said. Lock made a pre-draft visit to the Broncos and general manager John Elway watched him in person last November against Arkansas. Lock, 22, started 46 games for the Tigers and threw 99 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. At a listed 6-foot-4 and 228 pounds, he checks the size box that Elway prefers. Drew Lock Size: 6-foot-4, 228 pounds. College: Missouri. Age: 22. 5 things to know 1. Was recruited by several colleges that would have allowed him to play baseball and football. Chose Missouri but was committed to playing only football. 2. Started the final eight games of his true freshman year (four touchdowns, eight interceptions). 3. As a sophomore, led the SEC with 3,399 passing yards to go with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. 4. His 44 touchdown passes in 2017 were a single-season SEC record. 5. Father, Andy, was an offensive lineman at Missouri from 1986-89 and his position coach was current Kansas City coach Andy Reid. Scouting Report: Completion percentage improved from 57.8 in 2017 to 62.9 last year. … Big arm who has shown some mobility to rush for yards or extend plays.<doc-sep>After John Elway told the media he wouldn’t be working on a deal for Chris Harris Jr. until after the draft this weekend, Harris gave Elway and the Broncos an ultimatum. Broncos’ Pro-Bowl slot CB Chris Harris has requested a new contract or a trade, per league source. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2019 While the fan in me hopes terms can be reached between the two, the fanalyst thinks that is highly unlikely. Christopher Hart and I joined Adam Malnati and Ian St. Clair on the MHR Radio Podcast (iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher) to digest the Harris news and try to unearth what it all means. So where could the Broncos trade Harris? Ideally it isn’t an AFC team. Given Strap is over 30, it will probably have to be a team that is looking to contend in 2019, or a GM who is hoping to stay off the firing line. My short list: The Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals currently have Patrick Peterson locking down one spot in their secondary (for how long is anyone’s guess) but just went out to grab Robert Alford this offseason. That’s not great. Then when you stop to consider that Vance Joseph runs the kind of man-heavy scheme that would make the most of Harris’ skillset and has familiarity with him, it makes a lot of sense. What complicates things is the rest of the roster. Unless Kyler Murray proves he’s a phenom like Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck were in their first years at the helm, they’re not close to contending. On the surface it doesn’t seem like General Manager Steve Keim would be interested in trading for an older corner. At least until you consider the fact that Arizona has signed Terrell Suggs (37 in October), Alford (31 in November), and traded for Marcus Gilbert (31) in 2019. Peterson is no spring chicken, and Larry Fitzgerald has one foot in retirement. Combine that with Steve Keim’s shaky job security, and a trade starts to make sense. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers There’s some serious cap math that would need to smooth out before this deal could come together. Since signing Donovan Smith to a hefty extension, the Bucs are sitting at less than $2 million under the cap right now. One way things could sort themselves out in a hurry is if Jason Licht moves on from defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, which would free $13 million in space. If that were to happen, a Harris would give Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles a lockdown corner for the new defense sorely in need of one. Harris’ age wouldn’t be as big a problem on a team that is hoping to contend right now, future be damned. The Chicago Bears Another contender that wants to win now and lacks the draft capital to drastically improve the roster is the Chicago Bears. With Fangio coming to Denver, Matt Nagy brought in Chuck Pagano to run the defense. That change will bring more man-to-man responsibilities and blitzing. For Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara it won’t be a drastic change as a lot of the coverage shells Fangio uses essentially places the boundary corners in man, but it will be a shift for the new nickel corner trying to replace Bryce Callahan. If Elway and the Broncos are willing to take a 2020 pick they could find a willing trade partner. The Detroit Lions As I’ve mentioned before, Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia are facing a really hot seat. If the Lions disappoint out the gate it wouldn’t surprise me to see both on the firing line before 2019 ends. Harris could push Jalen Tabor out of the starting lineup and become a standout running mate to Darius Slay. One thing that could cool this possibility is Detroit’s new corner Justin Coleman. He’s locked in as the nickel and has a bit of an overlapping skillset with Strap. The Green Bay Packers This is another team that could surprise you. Throughout the Ted Thompson era Titletown was more conservative than your great uncle Leonard. Then you look at their recent splash in free agency under General Manager Brian Gutekunst. It makes sense: they have a Super Bowl window that slams shut when Aaron Rodgers (35) hangs’em up. New coach Matt LaFleur kept former defensive boss Mike Pettine, who runs the kind of scheme that could maximize Harris’ talents. Green Bay seemingly has all the corners it could need with their recent draft investment in Joe Jackson, Jaire Alexander, and Kevin King. But Jackson was just “OK” last year, and Harris is a Pro Bowl talent.<doc-sep>
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 05: Chris Harris Jr. #25 of the Denver Broncos in action during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Broncos 51-23. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. has been the subject of trade speculation for the better part of the last two months. Is a deal close? Two months ago it was reported that Pro Bowl corner Chris Harris could be on the move from the Denver Broncos, after demanding a trade in lieu of an impasse in contract negotiations. With the second round of the NFL Draft kicking off on Friday, it seems like a deal is closer than ever. NFL Network reporter James Palmer indicated that the Broncos were fielding offers from multiple teams for their star defender. Palmer reports that the general feeling is that a deal could definitely get done over the course of the NFL draft. One would think that a 29-year-old top-tier cornerback hitting the trade market during the draft would create significant interest and buzz. It has. However, a trade will almost certainly require the new team to negotiate a new contract with Harris before the deal is completed. This complicates matters quite a bit, and also makes it tough to see a deal getting done on an expedited timeframe. For Denver, this is simply a matter of deciding that Harris is not worth the $15 million per year investment that he seeks. After trading back with Pittsburg in the first round Thursday, Denver now has two picks in the top 20 tonight. One would expect Denver to use one of their second round picks tonight on the position, regardless of whether a trade is completed, in the event that 2019 is his last season in the Mile High City. With only one cornerback off the board so far, Denver should have a chance at a solid contributor with their selection. Teams to keep an eye on may include the Lions, the Eagles and the Panthers.