The Denver Broncos might lose star cornerback Chris Harris Jr. to free agency this offseason, so they made a proactive move to shore up their secondary.
On Tuesday, the Broncos acquired cornerback A.J. Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2020 fourth-round draft pick. The draft pick the Broncos used to acquire Bouye was the fourth-rounder they got from the 49ers in the Emmanuel Sanders trade last season.
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After getting off to a 2-5 start, the Broncos elected to get something of value for Sanders, who was in the final season of his contract.
The 49ers were more than willing to give up a third- and fourth-round pick for Sanders, giving them a veteran with playoff experience to lead their young receiving corps. Sanders was crucial in the development of Deebo Samuel and was a Jimmy Garoppolo overthrow from being the hero of Super Bowl LIV.
In Bouye, the Broncos get a cornerback in the prime of his career who has three years and $40.5 million left on his contract.
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The acquisition of Bouye means Harris likely will leave in free agency, with a number of teams frothing at the mouth to sign him.
As for the Jaguars, every starter from the secondary that led them to the 2018 AFC Championship Game is now elsewhere. Exhibit A in how not to run a franchise.