Trading for A.J. Bouye might make Broncos more likely to receive a comp pick for Chris Harris in 2021

Each offseason, the NFL awards compensatory draft picks to teams who lost more than they gained in free agency the previous year.

So if the Broncos lost Chris Harris this offseason and signed a big-name free agent cornerback, they probably wouldn’t receive a comp pick for Harris in 2021 because the new CB’s big contract would cancel out the loss of Harris.

Comp picks only account for free agency, though. Trades aren’t part of the formula.

By acquiring cornerback A.J. Bouye through a trade with the Jaguars, Denver might have preserved a potential comp pick for Harris.

As Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com has pointed out on Twitter, the Broncos could get a third-round pick for Harris in 2021, depending on who the team signs during free agency.

If the arrival of AJ Bouye leads to the departure of Chris Harris, Jr., it will make it easier for the Broncos to get a 2021 compensatory pick for losing Harris.

If that pick is a 3rd or 4th rounder, the net draft capital spent could be minimal, or even a gain.

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) March 3, 2020

Denver sent a fourth-round pick to Jacksonville in exchange for Bouye so the team could end up with a younger cornerback and a higher draft pick. That would be some shrewd business from general manager John Elway.

There’s still a chance that the Broncos will bring back Harris on a contract extension, but it’s a slim chance.