Offseason - Changing of the Guard

[Gsam]

Offseason - Changing of the Guard

Figures used for contract $ from Sportrac.com

~ = Roughly (estimating roughly what the person will cost per year)

Starting 2014 Cap Room - $11,212,168

Release:

Champ ($10,000,000)
Kuper ($5,915,166)
Tamme ($3,500,000)
Driessen ($3,166,668)

Major Cuts = ~$22,000,000 in savings -$3,000,000 in dead money hits (kuper, 2 TEs)

So we are adding ~$19,000,000 on top of $11,000,000 which gives us ~$30,000,000.

I am taking ~$5,000,000 for rookies in draft leaving us $25,000,000 for FA.


#1 Sign - Greg Hardy ~ $9 million per year cap hit.
#2 Sign - TJ Ward - ~$5 million per year cap hit
#3 Sign - Shaun Phillips ~1.5 Million Cap hit
#4 Sign - DRC ~ $8 million per year cap hit.
#5 ERFA - Harris ~ $1.5 million

Spent $25 million.


Draft -

Rd #1 Eric Ebron TE - North Carolina
Rd #2 Gabe Jackson G - Miss State
Rd #3 Yawin Smallwood - ILB - Conneticut
Rd #4 Demarcus Lawrence, OLB, Boise State
Rd #5 Chris Boyd - WR Vanderbilt (steal of the draft)
Rd #6 Raijun Neal, RB, Tennessee
Rd #7 James Gayle, DE/OLB, Virginia Tech

[BroncosFan2011]

IMO hardy is gonna get 12+ a year.

[sodak_bronco]

I think both Hardy and Ward get significantly more than that but if we could get them for those prices I would be all for it.

[FlowdaBroncoFan]

Why the heck would we draft a TE (who will be long gone anyway) in the 1st? Gabe Jackson also will be long gone. I like FA, but the draft was terrible in my opinion.

[Gsam]

I think both Hardy and Ward get significantly more than that but if we could get them for those prices I would be all for it.

Its possible. Deals can be structured "creatively" so that when manning is gone, we are paying them a bigger portion of the money we sign them for. Just thinking out loud. I know last year everyone thought FA DE's were going to break the bank and they all underperformed. So did most WR's and LB's aside from Kruger / Wallace / Jennings.

[Gsam]

Why the heck would we draft a TE (who will be long gone anyway) in the 1st? Gabe Jackson also will be long gone. I like FA, but the draft was terrible in my opinion.

Most every mock draft I have looked has the first TE not off the board till roughly pick 25-26.

[jakemillar]

IMO there is almost 0% chance we draft a top 4 round TE. We have 4 capable TEs on the roster that can perform well in every aspect of the position. Along with the fact that you are implying both Dreesen and Tamme will take a pay cut, just for us to draft another TE who will do no more than either of them would do. Doesn't make sense.

The FAs you have listed who were with us this season (Harris, Phillips, DRC) I envisioned them getting similar deals myself, good analysis there.

As for the others, Hardy will be paid more than 9 million per year and you are grossly underestimating how much TJ Ward will get on the open market. He is the best true strong safety in the league not named Cam Chancellor, and after the Super Bowl everyone now sees what an impact a fast, physical strong safety has on a defense.

IMO Michael Bennett would be a better pick up VS Greg Hardy because I think he would actually be in the 8-10 million price range, and any Broncos fan knows his impact on an opposing passing game. Hardy sometimes seemed to disappear in some games VS elite tackles and never moved around, whereas Bennett played DE and DT in some pass rush situations, which is always a plus.

[Gsam]

IMO there is almost 0% chance we draft a top 4 round TE. We have 4 capable TEs on the roster that can perform well in every aspect of the position. Along with the fact that you are implying both Dreesen and Tamme will take a pay cut, just for us to draft another TE who will do no more than either of them would do. Doesn't make sense.

The FAs you have listed who were with us this season (Harris, Phillips, DRC) I envisioned them getting similar deals myself, good analysis there.

As for the others, Hardy will be paid more than 9 million per year and you are grossly underestimating how much TJ Ward will get on the open market. He is the best true strong safety in the league not named Cam Chancellor, and after the Super Bowl everyone now sees what an impact a fast, physical strong safety has on a defense.

IMO Michael Bennett would be a better pick up VS Greg Hardy because I think he would actually be in the 8-10 million price range, and any Broncos fan knows his impact on an opposing passing game. Hardy sometimes seemed to disappear in some games VS elite tackles and never moved around, whereas Bennett played DE and DT in some pass rush situations, which is always a plus.

I disagree with you on the TE's. I think this is another Gronk / Hernandez draft class at the top for TE. Both Tamme and Driessen are very run of the mill TE's. They are made to look better than they are by our QB. Driessen IMHO does nothing that Virgil can't and Tamme is overpaid (again IMHO), moreso with the emergence of J thomas.

Where we are drafting (31st) I think the BPA is going to be the TE options.

I agree with you on Bennett. I wanted us to get him last year. I went for Hardy over him because I like him a bit better. The #'s would certainly work with Bennett.

Again, these are just my opinions.

[onanygivensunda]

p* I know last year everyone thought FA DE's were going to break the bank and they all underperformed.

Bennett and Avril worked out pretty well for Seattle, fwiw.

And you're right, the market was soft for FA DEs and DTs last year.

Seattle getting Bennett at $4.8M was a steal.

[bronco30]

I don't think there is anyway we don't draft a CB in 1 of first 3 rounds n maybe a safety to...

[Gsam]

Bennett and Avril worked out pretty well for Seattle, fwiw.

And you're right, the market was soft for FA DEs and DTs last year.

Seattle getting Bennett at $4.8M was a steal.

I chose a bad word in underperformed. I mean the contracts they got were far less than was expected. The on field performance with the top guys was what was expected.

[denver11tebow]

What's the plan to replace Decker?

[Gsam]

What's the plan to replace Decker?

Chris Boyd. Research the kid. He is outstanding.

[denver11tebow]

Chris Boyd. Research the kid. He is outstanding.

I take it that you are not worried about his criminal past?

[Gsam]

I take it that you are not worried about his criminal past?

Criminal past? Thats kind of an extreme comment when you figure that he didn't do the crime, he just didn't narc on his buddy. Bad Choice? you bet. Stupid thing a young kid does. That means he's on sale too.

Giving PM an elite TE prospect is also going to help soften blow of decker leaving.