So what do we do with all this salary-cap space now?

[Freyaka]

What's wrong with Andy Davis?

Nothing aside from the fact that he's not an NFL QB? Unless you mean Austin Davis, in which case, he's currently a FA and not a member of the team. We'd have to resign him and I doubt that's happening at this point.

[Rich_C]

I keep hearing all of this Joe Thomas talk, and imo it's nonsense. Why in the world would Cleveland trade Joe after they just dropped so much money on Zeitler and the offensive line?

Well it depends on how they feel about their backup. If they feel he can manage and with Joe's leadership can now move in then why not?

There are two angles to this. One is that Joe has trained his replacement or that the rest of the line has improved enough now to not need Joe and a backup would or could do 'just fine'.

The other is what you're saying. We have a top tier LT and enough picks to potentially even draft his replacement TO be taught by Joe.

I happen to agree with the latter but I can also see how the former could be true.

[ELWAY421]

I keep hearing all of this Joe Thomas talk, and imo it's nonsense. Why in the world would Cleveland trade Joe after they just dropped so much money on Zeitler and the offensive line?

[Sam_Z]

The team may have to sign a free agent QB. Currently, Lynch is the only healthy QB on the roster. With OTAs coming up, it's hard to fathom he will get all of the reps, although, he could probably use them.

What's wrong with Andy Davis?

[qbronco]

The team may have to sign a free agent QB. Currently, Lynch is the only healthy QB on the roster. With OTAs coming up, it's hard to fathom he will get all of the reps, although, he could probably use them.

[munoz1987]

I could see that happening as well but are the Cleveland Browns still willing to take Shaq Barrett In return if they were to consider trading Joe Thomas?

If the reports are true and Thomas wants to be traded, then why not trade him to the Denver Broncos in return for Shaq Barrett. I'd say that it is necessary and a win win for both sides.

The reason I believe this to be the case is because this draft is loaded with young hybrid defense event/outside linebackers/edge rushers that the Broncos could uncover in an attempt to find a replacement for Barrett.

Sure the Browns could go the sam route (draft) but they'd have to take the time to develop young rookie when with they really are looking for somebody that can come in and start. It just makes more sense to trade Joe Thomas for Shaq Barrett and we now have the funds to do so.

Not only that but the Browns are also shopping around the number 12 pic in this aprils draft. I'd say that's the perfect position if we wanted to draft Christian McCafferrey.

The Broncos could actually sweeten the deal by offerring Barrett, a swap of the first round picks this year, perhaps a first next year and a third this year.

Would that be enough to move up eight spots and acquire Joe Thomas at the same time?

Browns don't want Shaq anymore. The old GM wanted him for their 3-4 D. Now he's long gone and they switched to a 4-3 defense. This new browns Ldrship seems have thier stuff together and is not going to trade a LT when they need to develop a young QB.

[Rastic]

Paradis is still cheap for this season and next, makes no sense to extend him until then. And they can exercise the 5th year option on Roby locking him up for another year. So extending him doesn't need to be done for another year. McManus could be a target though.

Well put.

10char

[samparnell]

Paradis is still cheap for this season and next, makes no sense to extend him until then. And they can exercise the 5th year option on Roby locking him up for another year. So extending him doesn't need to be done for another year. McManus could be a target though.

Right. There are thirteen UFAs next year. Ward, Green, McManus, Davis, Crick, Schofield and Latimer are the highest profile ones, so not a lot of cap space involved there.

Denver has six RFAs next year including Paradis, Barrett, Bibbs, Fowler and Ferentz.

The eighteen ERFAs next year include Kreiter, Taylor, Nixon, Anderson and Day.

[Butler By'Note]

May I suggest long term deals for Paradis, McManus, and Roby?

Paradis is still cheap for this season and next, makes no sense to extend him until then. And they can exercise the 5th year option on Roby locking him up for another year. So extending him doesn't need to be done for another year. McManus could be a target though.

[MHSalute]

May I suggest long term deals for Paradis, McManus, and Roby?

[haciendadad]

My prediction is that they are saving the extra cap room incase they can strike a deal for Joe Thomas, and if that happens I would assume we would also throw in a next year's draft pick. I would think they would want to keep this deal quite until after draft day one so that it isn't obvious that Denver does not need a LT on the first day, this way teams behind them won't feel the need to move up if McCaffery looks like he may fall to #20.

I think TN could make a trade with us to swap positions in the 1st, or possibly the Eagles at #14. If McCaffery gets past Indy at #15, I think Elway will go after him, at least to get ahead of TB Bucs at #19 with a trade with TN Titans at #18. If Elway really wanted to move up ahead of Indy at #15, it would take their 20th and 2nd round pick and maybe we get someone (Eagles at #14) else's 4th round in return.

I am basing my draft pick values off of this chart: http://walterfootball.com/draftchart.php

[Butler By'Note]

See post #12.

$16,338,757 (top 51 cap space) - $7,305,235 (Draft Pool Cap) = $9,033,522 (Cap Space Top 51 + Pool)

So, the ballpark figure would appear to be c. $9 million if spotrac.com is to be trusted.

But the number you cite ($7.3 million) won't actually be the cap space needed, because the players signed will move a different player out of the top 51. So signing a draft pick for $1.5 million actually results in a cap hit of $1 million (as a crude example). I did the math last week, assuming the Broncos use all 10 draft picks, and all 10 draft picks move into the top 51 contracts (they won't) they actually need around $2.1 million in cap space.

As for what the Broncos will do with it, now that teams can roll it over from one year to the next, there's always that option.

[FL BRONCO]

I could see that happening as well but are the Cleveland Browns still willing to take Shaq Barrett In return if they were to consider trading Joe Thomas?

If the reports are true and Thomas wants to be traded, then why not trade him to the Denver Broncos in return for Shaq Barrett. I'd say that it is necessary and a win win for both sides.

The reason I believe this to be the case is because this draft is loaded with young hybrid defense event/outside linebackers/edge rushers that the Broncos could uncover in an attempt to find a replacement for Barrett.

Sure the Browns could go the sam route (draft) but they'd have to take the time to develop young rookie when with they really are looking for somebody that can come in and start. It just makes more sense to trade Joe Thomas for Shaq Barrett and we now have the funds to do so.

Not only that but the Browns are also shopping around the number 12 pic in this aprils draft. I'd say that's the perfect position if we wanted to draft Christian McCafferrey.

The Broncos could actually sweeten the deal by offerring Barrett, a swap of the first round picks this year, perhaps a first next year and a third this year.

Would that be enough to move up eight spots and acquire Joe Thomas at the same time?

Just curious what makes you think the bolded part?

Seems to me Cleveland got rid of most of their talent besides Thomas to acquire draft picks and build through the draft.They have made some moves to beef up their Oline already and I would think that would have to do with protecting a young qb they are going to acquire. Which is probably a good part of the reason they have kept Thomas. They look to be developing over the next couple of drafts/seasons to me. So I think they have plenty of time to develop young players at many positions. They don't seem to me to be looking to contend next year when they have traded most of their talent away for draft picks. To me the biggest positions they need experience at is the Oline and especially LT so they don't get their young qb killed. ;

[shawinkerpoppin]

I say sit on it. The worst thing to do is spend it just to spend. Never know who might get cut after the draft or camp or may demand a trade at some point. Remember last season I think it was sitton the guard from the packers became available for trade and we couldn't afford. Nobody that's a free agent right now if gonna be a drastic improvement over what we have.

[samparnell]

I like the Spotrac site for the cap information - usually pretty good (http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/denver-broncos/cap/). It does shoe the estimated rookie (draft costs and pulls that in with the top 51 projection and the all players). It does show us with 9M in cap space as discussed. Unfortunately that won't get us a Thomas/Peters type (just gets one year of Richardson). But, we could shift some contracts around still as well.

Right. There is enough to re-sign Vance Walker if he is healthy, or a free agent or both. Elway may hang on to what he has left and see who gets released in August. He may want to see what the team looks like post draft before signing anyone else. We shall see.