Sunday morning of the Week 10 schedule featured an interesting nugget about All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who the San Francisco 49ers reportedly tried to trade for ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline. But the 49ers weren’t alone in their pursuit.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Philadelphia Eagles also called the then-failing Denver Broncos about the availability of their best player. According to Florio, both the Eagles and 49ers, two NFC playoff contenders, were concerned about the other team adding Surtain to their already strong rosters, knowing they may have to face each other in the future.
Howie Roseman, the typically aggressive general manager of the Eagles, wasn’t able to strike a deal. While the 49ers then also reportedly tried to pivot to a trade for Chicago’s Jaylon Johnson, who’s on an expiring contract yet playing at a very high level, they weren’t able to execute that deal either. However, the 49ers were able to add Chase Young, further bolstering their pass rush, which should effectively improve their pass defense too.
There’s no word on whether Surtain was ever actually available or if the Broncos just set a very high asking price in any potential trade for the 23-year-old cornerback, who many regard as one of the best in the NFL, if not the very best at his position.
While the Eagles already boast a Pro Bowl tandem at cornerback with Darius Slay and James Bradberry, the former is 32, and the latter is 30. Plus, Roseman always likes to be one step ahead in his roster-building, addressing potential weaknesses before they become a glaring hole.
Related: 2023 NFL defense rankings: Browns and Steelers climb, reviewing all 32 defenses after Week 10