Broncos Player With Most At Stake Is A Surprising Choice

There are plenty of players with a lot at stake for the Denver Broncos this season, and the writers at The Athletic were part of pa piece in which each one chose one who has the most at stake. Nick Kosmider selected cornerback Riley Moss, which was a surprising choice indeed. 

As Kosmider noted, the easy choice would have been quarterback Bo Nix, who has a mammoth extension waiting for him if he can continue his ongoing progress. But the writer noted that Moss is the more intriguing answer, as he, too, is coming up on the end of his rookie contract after being selected in the third round by Denver Back in 2023. 

Moss’s reputation among the fan base is controversial, to say the least. The big plus is that he’s been Mr. Reliable, which is important given how often he gets targeted playing opposite Pat Surtain II. He never misses assignments, and early on Moss acquired a reputation for being in the right place at the right time. 

But being reliable isn’t the whole job description, and Moss has had some bad penalties, especially when he’s matched up against bigger, faster receivers. The Broncos have tried to scheme things up to prevent that, but there are times when it’s unavoidable. 

Moss has spent time this offseason reviewing tape the Broncos coaching staff sent him that showed both his strengths and the things he needs to work on. The cornerback claims to be fairly sanguine about all this, but if can clean up his penalties he’ll be up for a big payday of his own, as Kosmider noted. 

Luca Evans of the Denver Post added some spice to the argument by predicting a Moss trade by November, maybe even sooner. It was part of a hot takes article offered by the paper’s writers, so it should be taken with the appropriate grain of salt, but there are plenty of fans who wouldn’t mind seeing this happens. 

What this comes down to is a choice. The Broncos will have a choice between Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian, who showed out as a playmaker at corner, with former top draft pick Jahdae Barron waiting in the wings. As Evans noted, Moss will lose trade value if the Broncos decide to sit him, which is the one argument about making a trade earlier rather than later. It’s not likely to happen, but it is an intriguing part of Moss’s situation.