Happy Friday, Broncos fans! The clock continues to tick down on the team's negotiating window for a long-term deal with All-Pro tackle Ryan Clady, the deadline for which is 4pm ET on Monday.
We've consistently noted that if the two sides are unable to reach agreement, then Clady figures to sign his one-year, $9.828M tender, and potentially play out this same scenario a year from now.
However, as former player agent Joel Corry reminds us, it's not quite that cut and dried, as Clady does hold one other card in this negotiation, and it's not an insigificant one.
According to Corry, Clady can demand as a condition of his signing the one-year tender a prohibition on the team tagging him in 2014.
Capologist Jason Fitzgerald has often stressed that Denver is particularly tough when negotiating contracts, but the organization has allowed such a stipulation in the past.
Granted, this was not under the watch of John Elway's front office team, but the Broncos did give Jason Elam a so-called prohibition clause when he signed his franchise tender in 2002.
Just because Clady holds this bit of leverage, doesn't mean the team would bend on the issue, but it may be a factor in Denver's apparent aggressiveness toward a long-term contract.
Barring injury, having Clady play out the one-year tender at $9.828M, only to watch him walk next spring, would be a worst-case scenario for Denver, and one they absolutely must avoid.
On Tuesday evening, Vic Lombardi reported that the Broncos had included $33M in guarantees in their latest offer to Clady; more recently, Cecil Lammey hears the sides are "closing in on" an agreement.
Broncos
Team president Joe Ellis acknowledges that apologies only go so far in the fallout from Tom Heckert's and Matt Russell's DUI arrests.
Eric Decker doesn't see those legal troubles distracting the players, and why would it? Decker spoke yesterday at the football camp he ran along with Demaryius Thomas, and says he's excited for the start of camp in two weeks.
Obviously, playing for a team run by John Elway and led by Peyton Manning is a fine learning opportunity for rookie passers Zac Dysert and Ryan Katz.
Andrew Mason goes over the defensive linemen on Denver's roster heading into camp.
Marc Sessler thinks Chris Harris and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie could team with Champ Bailey to field the NFL's best trio of cornerbacks in 2013.
Dan Mohrmann correctly states that the Broncos look to have a lot of big contracts coming due in the next year or two, but he omits the key point that Denver has Von Miller under control beyond 2014.
Pat Kirwan says Adam Gase's main responsibility this year will be helping Peyton Manning prepare for games and adjust protection schemes during them.
DirecTV's next Sunday Ticket commercial will apparently feature Peyton and Eli Manning dressed up as boy band members.
ESPN will air a documentary on Archie and his children, titled "The Book of Manning" and narrated by John Goodman on September 24.
Considering that it's part of his Twitter handle, how dumb would someone have to be to misspell Gray Caldwell's name?
News
Players will be mandated to wear knee and thigh pads this season, or face removal from the field.
A fresh lawsuit against Browns owner Jimmy Haslam's Pilot Flying J company accuses Haslam of devising and "blessing" the fraudulent scheme that has brought him so much negative attention of late.
Welfare queen Dean Spanos is only willing to contribute $100M toward a new stadium in San Diego and is seeking $200M from the league and a $700M taxpayer-funded handout to bridge the 90% gap.
Former Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes says he's currently in talks to join one of four unnamed teams; Dallas waived DT Rob Callaway from injured reserve; a league decision on drunk-driving teammate killer DT Josh Brent is expected prior to the start of training camp; Seattle released WR Charly Martin and claimed LS Kyle Nelson off waivers from the Niners; Carolina has shown interest in free agent S Quintin Mikell.
6-8, 344-lb. Stony Brook lineman Michael Bamiro unintentionally dodged the NFL draft and drew scouts from 15-20 teams to a workout on Thursday; it's unclear whether the Broncos were represented at the pro day. Bamiro is free to sign as an undrafted free agent with any team.
Analysis
Despite what the average racist might tell you about the "thugs" employed in the NFL, professional football players get arrested less frequently than do your average American men.
The Shutdown Corner guys consider the Jets' on-field and caponomic outlooks; the CBS crew provides camp previews for the Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, and Jets; Neil Hornsby takes a crack at the starting lineups for the Patriots and Saints.
No current or former Broncos are mentioned in PFF's summary of the league's best running backs over the past five seasons.
Maths
The 2012 offenses of Indy, Washington, and Cleveland rank among the those to have most heavily relied upon rookies in NFL history.
Fitzgerald calls Danny Woodhead's and Robert Meachem's deals the Chargers' best and worst, respectively.
Scott Kacsmar debunks the unfair claim that Tony Romo is a choker. Not many QBs would fare better with Jerry Jones buying the groceries, as Bill Parcells would put it.
Miscellany
This deplorable treatment of Jets lineman Oday Aboushi should serve as a stark reminder that we're not in a post-racial society, not that a reminder should be necessary.
PFT Commenter celebrates the remarkable fight waged by former Giants corner Jason Sehorn against the reverse racism that permeates our society.
June's finest NFL quotes, as curated by FO's Rory Hickey.