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2022 Free Agency


grizmo78

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Let’s recognize there’s still risk with the Gregory signing - no matter the context he still got suspended in multiple years.  It’s a huge benefit that weed isn’t on the list but he’s still going to carry risk of relapse.    The reasons for him to have risk are always going to be there.   Still it’s a big benefit he’s been clean long enough to be out of the program, and of course the new rules on weed last season.  
 

The other risk is that he’s a pass rush terror but he’s not going to provide nearly the same kind of run game play that Von or even Jones would have.  So there’s greater potential to expose him game calling wise.  
 

Still, given that weed rules protect him a lot more and the younger age, I totally get why Paton went here.   Chubb needs to be the Robin and from a pass rush perspective Gregory has the alpha talent you want.   I’d expect EDGE will be one of our first 2 picks given the risk is still there and our depth at EDGE is still a massive issue.    Given the market and what’s left it’s the best move Paton could make.  
 

Get a RT for us to have 3 viable T options and can’t help but be excited.   The Chargers certainly did their part but still think 3 teams are making it out of the AFCW into the playoffs.    So excited for our chances heading into the season - can’t say that for a while.  

Edited by Broncofan
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16 minutes ago, broncos67 said:

I’m pleased with FA so far. I can’t imagine any more splashy signings but another CB or RT will make me happy going into the draft. 

I bet they can still hang in the value range (4-6 million) for a couple guys net some good starters/heavy contributors. Roster is shaping up nicely. 

Love hearing that DJ Jones turned down more money from another team to play here. 

Edited by BroncoBruin
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With whatever small amount of cap we have left we should sign a cheap RT option (Kelly/Turner) and a cheap CB that can cover the nickel (Donte Deayon?) and then we’d be going into the draft with the following needs:

 

- Defensive Backs (I’m lumping Safety and Corner together because we are going to play a lot of time. Caden Sterns hopefully makes the leap, but he’s completely unproven. Jamar Johnson and PJ Locke have shown nothing. You can never have enough good corners)

 

- Interior DL (Still a need despite the DJ Jones signing because Dre’Mont Jones is in a contract year and Mike Purcell is pretty average)

 

- EDGE (Rotational piece/insurance for Gregory)


- TE (Okwuegbunam gets promoted to the main guy, Tomlinson replaces Saubert, but we need another receiving TE to take Albert’s old role. mid rounder needed) 


- RB (Day 3 pick to play STs this year and eventually replace Mike Boone)

 

- Backup QB (Honestly I’d rather clear some cap to sign Jacoby Brisset)

 

 

 

I’d probably be looking to come away from out three day 2 picks with a safety who can cover the box, a 5-tech DE and an edge rusher. 

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One thing that seems clear to me is that Paton has a lot of respect amongst agents and GMs in the league. You don't get some of these trades and signings done without that, and we should appreciate the importance of that now and in the future. Elway had seemingly lost a lot of that trust and there were some tidbits that illustrated that point.

Paton giving second contracts to players, trading star players where they want to go, and paying fair market rate for players is going to win you friends in the NFL. Agents guide their clients to teams, you don't want to give away the farm to players (Jacksonville), but it seems clear to me that if you treat players fairly financially, you'll have your choice of a lot more guys in the future.

Also worth a watch is the Andrew Brandt clip on Twitter where he lays out some of the reasons why Randy Gregory chose Denver over Dallas (contract related language) - I think it sort of illustrates my point above.

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45 minutes ago, broncos67 said:

One thing that seems clear to me is that Paton has a lot of respect amongst agents and GMs in the league. You don't get some of these trades and signings done without that, and we should appreciate the importance of that now and in the future. Elway had seemingly lost a lot of that trust and there were some tidbits that illustrated that point.

Paton giving second contracts to players, trading star players where they want to go, and paying fair market rate for players is going to win you friends in the NFL. Agents guide their clients to teams, you don't want to give away the farm to players (Jacksonville), but it seems clear to me that if you treat players fairly financially, you'll have your choice of a lot more guys in the future.

Also worth a watch is the Andrew Brandt clip on Twitter where he lays out some of the reasons why Randy Gregory chose Denver over Dallas (contract related language) - I think it sort of illustrates my point above.

The DAL clause where guaranteed $ voids even with just a fine is ridiculous.   It’s apparently standard writing for DAL.   Only Dak didn’t have it in his contract but that’s still an awful look.   Doesn’t matter that Gregory had it in his other 2 contracts he didn’t have leverage then.  
 

It may not work out for us, but to win/lose based on that level of contract smithing is pretty awful for any team.   The DAL FO really needs to take a hard look at their contracts for FA’s in demand.   It’s a different calculus when teams don’t have the uppper hand in negotiations.  

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As long as it’s cheap Tomlinson is a solid blocking TE choice.  Being a BAl inline TE you have to block well.  He’s not as much of a pass catching threat but if it’s cheap it definitely gives us a real inline TE to help the run game.   
 

I would have loved to see us kick the tires on OJ Howard but he may be too pricey.    That’s a dual threat inline TE still left.   Will be interesting to see what he gets.   

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I know you are supposed to source your sources so to speak (but for those who can identify I am truly the Fred Flinstone of this technological world though I can type over 40 words a minute :)) but my son forwarded me an Allbright article saying Gregory's base salary for this year is a mere $4 million and that next year it shoots up to 14 and of course the ten million signing bonus totalling 28 for two years.  I was stunned by this.  The $4 million base for this year is just crazy.  What a bonus this contract is.  We still have like 18 million to spend.  I am so impressed with Paton, I've totally totally moved on from my frustration on passing on Fields.  Still want that RT and would love Collins.  You won't get a player like him in the fourth or even third so I would consider trading for him.  Figure we'll be restructuring Russ too which will give us more to work with................. In Paton we trust ......

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6 minutes ago, anewdawn said:

I know you are supposed to source your sources so to speak (but for those who can identify I am truly the Fred Flinstone of this technological world though I can type over 40 words a minute :)) but my son forwarded me an Allbright article saying Gregory's base salary for this year is a mere $4 million and that next year it shoots up to 14 and of course the ten million signing bonus totalling 28 for two years.  I was stunned by this.  The $4 million base for this year is just crazy.  What a bonus this contract is.  We still have like 18 million to spend.  I am so impressed with Paton, I've totally totally moved on from my frustration on passing on Fields.  Still want that RT and would love Collins.  You won't get a player like him in the fourth or even third so I would consider trading for him.  Figure we'll be restructuring Russ too which will give us more to work with................. In Paton we trust ......

Seeing Paton operate the last year really makes you realize how deeply incompetent Elway was for those last 6 years lmao. Of course we will need to see the product on the field before the crown is really given, but no way anyone can't feel great about this team where we are right now 

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10 minutes ago, anewdawn said:

I know you are supposed to source your sources so to speak (but for those who can identify I am truly the Fred Flinstone of this technological world though I can type over 40 words a minute :)) but my son forwarded me an Allbright article saying Gregory's base salary for this year is a mere $4 million and that next year it shoots up to 14 and of course the ten million signing bonus totalling 28 for two years.  I was stunned by this.  The $4 million base for this year is just crazy.  What a bonus this contract is.  We still have like 18 million to spend.  I am so impressed with Paton, I've totally totally moved on from my frustration on passing on Fields.  Still want that RT and would love Collins.  You won't get a player like him in the fourth or even third so I would consider trading for him.  Figure we'll be restructuring Russ too which will give us more to work with................. In Paton we trust ......

Backloading contracts was a terrible practice in the Peyton cap era because cap hell could only be pushed back 2+ years.  GM Dorsey killed KC this way.  Why Elway needed to be so disciplined to keep us in contention from 2013-15.   

But the addition of extension & voidable years really changes the timeframe.  Teams can push back cap hell for 4+ years and longer if they have a Saints 2017 draft too.  With a contender level QB in early - mid 30’s it really  becomes justifiable to do now esp with the TV $ skyrocketing cap $ in figure years.  
 

The butcher bill is still coming but now the due date can be pushed back to when a team is done with its true contention window.  That’s the change in the past 2-3 years that changed cap management.  And to be clear - we have a lot of room still left if there’s a guy we really want.   We can pass and leave it for future years but the cap number left is very fluid.  It’s a totally different era than the one Elway had to deal with in our contender years. 

 

 

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21 minutes ago, champ11 said:

Seeing Paton operate the last year really makes you realize how deeply incompetent Elway was for those last 6 years lmao. Of course we will need to see the product on the field before the crown is really given, but no way anyone can't feel great about this team where we are right now 

The thing that killed Elway was trying to stay in contention in 2017-19 with a roster that no legit shot to sniff contention.  Stopgap FA moves.   Drafting purely out of need (remember Carlos Henderson / Mckenzie Rd 3-5 just to get speed no matter the lack of skills?).   Case Keenum.  The aging RT Veldheer.  And so on. 
 

At least by the 2018 draft he realized that needed to change.   Trying to win-now with bad rosters only prolongs the mediocrity phase.  To be fair his 2019-20 draft changes started the road back to where we are now.  And obv he was amazing in our contender years.    And it goes without saying hiring Paton might end up being his biggest legacy move apart from getting Peyton to come here so long ago. 

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20 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

The thing that killed Elway was trying to stay in contention in 2017-19 with a roster that no legit shot to sniff contention.  Stopgap FA moves.   Drafting purely out of need (remember Carlos Henderson / Mckenzie Rd 3-5 just to get speed no matter the lack of skills?).   Case Keenum.  The aging RT Veldheer.  And so on. 
 

At least by the 2018 draft he realized that needed to change.   Trying to win-now with bad rosters only prolongs the mediocrity phase.  To be fair his 2019-20 draft changes started the road back to where we are now.  And obv he was amazing in our contender years.    And it goes without saying hiring Paton might end up being his biggest legacy move apart from getting Peyton to come here so long ago. 

Carlos Henderson lol. What a god awful draft pick. McKenzie has had a career revival in Buffalo since they actually use him properly (shocking). But yeah, the stubbornness of "win-now and now on" was dumb and prolonged the mediocrity.

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That 2017 second day was awful. Demarcus Walker (to his credit, he’s still in the league, but well short of his second round standard), Carlos Henderson and Brendan Langley (who?)

 

That draft would have been 2009-level horrible if Munchak hadn’t turned Garett Bolles career around. 

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