Good Afternoon, Broncos fans! Although he wasn't part of the coaching staff, another important assistant has followed John Fox to Chicago - player development director Jerry Butler.
Much of what a player development director does isn't measurable, but it might be fair to grade someone like Butler on player arrests. And since Butler came to Denver in 2011, the Broncos had fewer arrests for domestic violence and other serious issues.
They still had too many DUI incidents, and John Elway deserves some of the credit for his construction of the roster, but it at least seems like Denver has lost a solid employee in Butler.
Broncos 2015 Salary Cap Outlook
overthecap.com
Brandon Marshall should be an exclusive rights player, which means he will be back for pennies on the dollar, so he should be open to a pretty reasonable extension. This might be the time for both sides to make a deal.
I think this is a bit early for a deal with Marshall, since he'll be an RFA a year from now. There's also the matter of finding out how well he operates within Wade Phillips' defense. Denver can get another year out of him at the $585K minimum, tender him at the first- or second-round level a year from now (at roughly $3.5M or $2.5M, respectively), and either work out an extension then, or address it after the 2016 season.
“Safe bet” Demaryius Thomas will be tagged
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
While many believe Julius is destined to no longer wear orange (yeah, I said it), quarterback Peyton Manning’s willingness to restructure possibly comes with a specific request to keep both Thomases around for 2015. If that’s the directive, the smarter move could be to work out something with Demaryius Thomas before Monday, and then to use the franchise tag on Julius.
On multiple occasions, Peter King has speculated that Manning would be supremely pissed by a departure by Julius Thomas. Is this why Peyton's restructure is taking so long? FWIW, tagging Julius would cost around $8.33M on a one-year deal.
Happy Friday, Broncos fans! Teams have until 4pm ET on Monday to apply their franchise or transition tags to pending unrestricted free agents like Demaryius Thomas.
Dez Bryant, Thomas's fellow 2011 first-rounder, is also likely to be tagged, as the Cowboys have been hesitant to give their star wideout a chunk of guaranteed money. This reluctance has apparently stemmed from his off-field issues, and there's one incident that's caused quite a stir this week.
It's apparently long been rumored within NFL circles that Bryant was involved in a disturbance at a Walmart parking lot in 2011. Local police found no cause to make any arrests, but there are rumors of a video of the incident.
Continue reading "Dez Bryant appears to be getting smeared ahead of free agency"
Free agent tight end/fullback James Casey visited Dove Valley on Thursday but left without a contract, according to Mike Klis. Casey spent his first four NFL seasons with Houston under Gary Kubiak, but was released a week ago by the Eagles, who would have owed him a $4M salary.
Already scheduled to visit with Tennessee, Arizona, and Cleveland, Casey added stops in Washington, Cincy, and Jacksonville to his free agency tour.
Continue reading "Report: James Casey leaves Denver without contract"
Judge David Doty has sided with the NFLPA in its lawsuit on behalf of Adrian Peterson, and the Vikings running back may soon be reinstated. However, the NFL has placed Peterson back on the Commissioner's Exempt List and will appeal the decision. Earlier in the day, it was reported that Peterson had been reinstated, but that is not the case.
Continue reading "Judge says NFL erred with suspension of Adrian Peterson"
A trio of well known veterans hit the street on Wednesday, as Detroit cut RB Reggie Bush, Green Bay released LB A.J. Hawk, and Baltimore dumped Denver villain Jacoby Jones.
These players are all able to sign with any team and get a jump on free agency, which begins at 4pm ET on Tuesday, March 10.
Continue reading "Reggie Bush, A.J. Hawk, Jacoby Jones among cuts on busy Wednesday"
The Broncos and Peyton Manning's agent are working on a restructure of the quarterback's contract, according to Mike Klis. The two sides reportedly hope to have an agreement on a revised deal by sometime next week.
Manning is due to draw a $19M salary and count for $21.5M against the salary cap in each of the next two seasons. For reasons explained here by Joel Corry and Jason Fitzgerald, it's highly unlikely that Peyton would agree to a net pay cut, as he holds all of the leverage in this situation.
Continue reading "Klis: Broncos, Peyton Manning working on contract restructure"
Good Morning, Broncos fans! Tight end/fullback James Casey, who will visit with the Broncos on Thursday, is booking up his free agency tour.
Already scheduled to meet with Arizona, Casey will reportedly also visit Cleveland, and will meet sometime with Tennessee. Because the 30-year old was released by Philadelphia, he is free to sign at anytime, and does not have to wait for the NFL calendar to flip in a couple of weeks.
Although he was likely overpaid at $4M, this widespread interest suggests he won't necessarily need to reduce himself to a bargain basement salary.
Continue reading "James Casey expands free agency tour, doesn’t figure to be a bargain"
According to a pair of reports, the Broncos may have to deal with multidimensional threats Randall Cobb and Percy Harvin on a regular basis. Bill Williamson says the Raiders are expected to pursue Cobb if Green Bay opts not to use its franchise tag on him. Cobb, who turns 25 in August, posted new career highs with 91 catches, 1,287 yards, and 12 touchdowns in 2014.
Continue reading "Reports: Broncos might end up seeing a lot of Randall Cobb and Percy Harvin"
