Champ Bailey To Return For 2014 - considers position change

[Broncoholic JS]

http://www.milehighreport.com/2014/2/2/5372952/champ-bailey-says-he-will-return-for-2014-season

Champ Bailey says he will return for 2014 season



The Denver Broncos cornerback faces uncertainty after an injury-riddled 2013 season and a big contract number in 2014.

The sting of this Super Bowl loss won't keep Champ Bailey away from the Broncos in 2014. According to the cornerback, his love of the game of football is too strong.

"It was disappointing, you know, but I said before this game I'm an optimist. I'm not done playing football," Bailey said. "I feel like I'm going to give myself another shot next year."

Bailey entered his 14th season this year and made his first Super Bowl. His Broncos teammates rallied around the idea of winning Bailey a Super Bowl - "This one's for Champ," if you will - but it wasn't in the cards. The Seahawks dominated the Broncos across the board in a thorough 43-8 thumping of Denver.

Despite the stinging loss, Bailey isn't done.

"I'm not really worried about anything as far as my mindset because I know I can play the game," said Bailey. "I know we got a good team. I know we put together some things."

Champ also said a move to safety isn't out of the question.

"Absolutely, if it makes sense. It just has to be the right situation, the right fit. Something I want to do," said Bailey. "So that's something I'll definitely look into."

Asked about his contract status and whether he sees changes coming, Champ was less certain. Bailey will be due $10 million by the Broncos next year, and at the age of 35, following a season that saw him mostly absent due to injury, it seems a restructure is on the horizon.

"It's not in my hands," Bailey said. "I'm always fighting to make the team anyway. That's how I look at every OTA, training camp, mini camp, it doesn't matter. I'm always preparing like I'm one of the bottom guys that's trying to get on the team as a free agent or whatever it may be."

Still, given his way, Champ Bailey will return to the Broncos in 2014.

"I love the game, and I can still play. That's pretty much what it is. That's all it is."

[ERoyal248]

At a much reduced salary.

[Houshmazode]

At a much reduced salary.

It better be. If he wants a championship at this point he's going to have to get paid what he earned based off of last year.

[ERoyal248]

It better be. If he wants a championship at this point he's going to have to get paid what he earned based off of last year.

2-3 million with incentives.

Just way too many other players due bigger deals.

Business is business.

[FL BRONCO]

I would love to have him back but has been said at a reduced salary and I think he moves to safety

[BroncoFanBoy]

Champ can't cover real speedy guys anymore, but he can still cover #2 WR's pretty good. Glad he's returning, but hopefully he takes a paycut.

[MileHighInNY]

Champ was awful this season, and got burned several times on the game's biggest stage last night. As much as I love Champ Bailey, if he's not willing to move to safety, I'm not so sure I even want him back next year. He has become a real liability trying to cover speedy receivers. There's a reason cornerbacks don't play into their late 30s in the NFL, and that reasoning finally caught up to Champ this year.

[johntbronco]

2-3 million with incentives.

Just way too many other players due bigger deals.

Business is business.

THIS!!!!

Champ is not worth 10 million a year anymore. He will not make this much any where else.
I would love to have him, but we could get two or three other good players for that 10 mill amount.

[Incomplete84]

Give him vet min for depth, look for tillman in FA and draft some depth.

[sstoner]

Champ was awful this season, and got burned several times on the game's biggest stage last night. As much as I love Champ Bailey, if he's not willing to move to safety, I'm not so sure I even want him back next year. He has become a real liability trying to cover speedy receivers. There's a reason cornerbacks don't play into their late 30s in the NFL, and that reasoning finally caught up to Champ this year.

^^ This x2

I love champ....he can still play...but at some point you need to be honest and ask yourself
" Am I truly an asset?"

[BroncosFanInPA]

Move him to safety & i think he could have a big year, but yeah he is gonna need to take a paycut

[broncos SB2010]

just because he moves to safety doesn't mean he will be good at it. Very few CB conversions have been successful at his age.

[Bronco-24]

Champ Considering Safety Switch

Take it for what it's worth but..

Champ Bailey remains on a lost list of truly great players never to win a Super Bowl.

Before Sunday's loss to the Seahawks, Bailey admitted he would consider retirement. However, the Denver Broncos cornerback will try once more to grab that elusive brass ring in 2014.

"I'm not done playing football," Bailey said, per The Denver Post. "So I feel like I'm going to give myself another shot next year."

The probable future Hall of Famer played in just five games during the 2013 regular season while dealing with a litany of foot injuries. Bailey clearly has lost a step or two, and he no longer resembles the lockdown corner that quarterbacks avoided for most of his 15-year career.

Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin badly burned Bailey for a key 37-yard reception early in Super Bowl XLVIII, and then ran past him again late in the matchup for another third-down conversion.

The 12-time Pro Bowl selection played in the nickel before Chris Harris went down with a torn ACL, and a move to safety could be in Bailey's future. Bailey said before the Super Bowl that he wouldn't consider the move, but he was amenable to the transition following what he termed an "embarrassing" loss.

"If it makes sense," Bailey said. "It's something I'd definitely look into."

All-time great cornerbacks like Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson have found great success with the role change to safety. Bailey turns 36 in June, and with his high football IQ, a position switch might be the best thing to prolong his career.

What uniform he dons in 2014 is another matter. Bailey will carry a salary-cap hit of $10 million next season, likely far more than the Broncos are going to pay a player coming off a subpar season. If he's not willing to take a substantial pay cut, he might be gunning for that Super Bowl ring on a different team.

[CasualFan]

How much of Champ's issues this season have been because of the foot injury he's been nursing? My understanding is it's a mild Lisfranc that he's been trying to play through. If he comes back healthy next season, maybe he'll still be pretty good. (?)

[theMileHighGuy]

I blame JDR for trying to plug and play Champ into slot corner. That's just not what he does and it showed. He struggled in the slot when completely healthy in the past.

I still think he can hang on the outside. However, a restructured contract must happen or I don't see a place for him on the team. Safety should definitely be explored in the offseason... he can still play outside, but we need a safety with coverage ability and good instincts.