Why are the Broncos talking trade for T.O.

[IwasHere]

Just curious, as I am watching my mornings news and they are reporting that the Broncos and Eagles are in Detroit having a meeting about a possible T.O. trade?


I thought that T.O. was going the Free Agent route?

Could Denver pull and end run around the rest of the League who are sitting on the sideline waiting for T.O. to become a Free Agent?

[AlexB]

I think I'm right in thinking that 2006 is the low year in his contract, so if they trade for him, they would only pay him £800k or so for the season. The bonus would have been paid by the Eagles, and the big salaries would only kick in from 2007 onwards.

I was thinking about this, and if a team can convince him to play for the existing contract and then renegotiate next year, they get an all-pro receiver for near league minimum salary.

What can TO do? If he holds out, he could be tarnished forever, burn all his bridges. Or if Denver don;t want the hassle, they can just cut him at the cost of what is likely to be a low round pick, as everyone knows the Eagles will cut him anyway if they can't get a trade.

Of course, in reality they will renegotiate, but it would be funny if TO causes a fuss over his deal, gets a move, and then is made to play for the same deal anyway

[TroyF]

If the Broncos desperately want him, they'll do whatever they can to pull off the deal to beat anyone else who is interested. Why take a chance at getting outbid?

I'm not especially fond of the move because I can't stand T.O. But a pissed off, motivated TO makes the Denver Broncos an incredibly dangerous team.

[Ksyrup]

Yes, he'll do so much to help on defense.

Honestly, that team got torched by Ben and would have been torched for the third consecutive year by Manning. While we definitely need to think about an eventual replacement for Rod Smith, I don't see TO sticking around for more than 2 years, at which point Smith will likely be in steep decline (he'll still pretty good now). So yes, he makes them more dangerous on offense, but I don't think he would necessarily put this team in the Super Bowl.

[KeyserSoze]

Poor Jake Plummer, poor poor one....

[TroyF]

Yes, he'll do so much to help on defense.

Honestly, that team got torched by Ben and would have been torched for the third consecutive year by Manning. While we definitely need to think about an eventual replacement for Rod Smith, I don't see TO sticking around for more than 2 years, at which point Smith will likely be in steep decline (he'll still pretty good now). So yes, he makes them more dangerous on offense, but I don't think he would necessarily put this team in the Super Bowl.


Didn't say he'd put them in the Super Bowl, but I did say he'd make them dangerous. They got to the AFC Championship game and won 13 regular season games in a brutal division without him.

As for the defense, the young CB's should be better next year. I don't think we are far off on defense. We do need a pure pass rusher, but overall the LB core, CB's and DT's are very, very solid.

Keep in mind, the Denver offense just died in the playoffs. The defense wasn't good in the Pittsburgh game, but the ofense didn't show up for either the Patriots or the Steelers. With TO, Rod and the running game, the Denver offense is pretty damned good, even with the idiot we have at QB.

[Ksyrup]

Well, getting to the Super Bowl is pretty much all that's left, isn't it? I don't see him being that big a difference. Even if the offense had shown up, we weren't winning those games except by fluke (5 Turnovers, for instance). Darrent Williams' injury definitely hurt, but the lack of pass rush and the questionable coverage schemes in the Steelers game just killed us. I guess they played the secondary in the way they thought was best, but it was clear it wasnt working, and I would have at least tried something else before the game got out of hand. Oh well.

[Drake]

Maybe they want T.O. because they finally realized that Ashley Lelie wasn't any relation to Leelee Sobieski.

[rkmsuf]

I don't like it for the Broncos. You want Jake Plummer to go to pieces, TO is your guy.

[Ksyrup]

And when Plummer falls apart during a game after being yelled at by TO, they can't even get Kubiak to come out of the booth as an emergency backup now, either!

[QuikSand]

I think I'm right in thinking that 2006 is the low year in his contract, so if they trade for him, they would only pay him £800k or so for the season. The bonus would have been paid by the Eagles, and the big salaries would only kick in from 2007 onwards.

I find it hard to believe that the Eagles would be willing to pay the bonus, and then just eat it under the cap. Even if they get a high draft pick in the deal, they end up paying something like $5-7 million (as I recall) and then immediately eating that under the cap for either one or two years.

A draft pick is valuable because it can be a contributor for well under market value in cap terms... once you take a giant cap hit to get the draft pick, you wash out its value. The Eagles are too smart for this, I think.

[Ksyrup]

Someone has to pay the roster bonus. If the trade is made before whatever date that comes due, wouldn't Denver just assume the obligation to make that payment? Of course, this is a moot point, since the reason this entire thing occurred was because he wanted a new contract anyway. They just have to get it done before he's due any more bonus money under the existing contract.

[stevew]

I would think if they are working on a trade, at the same time they are also working on a new contract. I thought the main problem with TO was that he was afraid he wouldnt get this bonus after the season, and therefore the eagles could cut him after 2 years. Whereas the 7 million dollarish bonus after this season pretty well locks in at least 2-3 years of his "bigger salary" cap wise.

[Toddzilla]

These are the same douchebags that drafted Maurice Clarett, so nothing they do surprise me.

"And with the 82nd pick in the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select...Marcus Vick, QB, Virginia Tech"

Book it.

[cuervo72]

I think I'm right in thinking that 2006 is the low year in his contract, so if they trade for him, they would only pay him £800k or so for the season. The bonus would have been paid by the Eagles, and the big salaries would only kick in from 2007 onwards.

I find it hard to believe that the Eagles would be willing to pay the bonus, and then just eat it under the cap.

I find it hard to believe anyone will be willing to pay TO in pounds.

[AlexB]

I find it hard to believe anyone will be willing to pay TO in pounds.

lol - force of habit :p

I understood the signing bonus (not the roster bonuses) to be paid and done, and no matter whether TO is an Eagle or not, they are liable for it. And if he's traded, the Broncos only take over the salaries and performance bonuses. A roster bonus wouldn;t be valid because this is based on him being on the Eagles roster rather than anyone else's?

[MrBigglesworth]

I think I'm right in thinking that 2006 is the low year in his contract, so if they trade for him, they would only pay him £800k or so for the season. The bonus would have been paid by the Eagles, and the big salaries would only kick in from 2007 onwards.
I'm not sure if this is what you were saying or not, but there is a roster bonus due to TO on March 1, something like $5-7 million. That would all go on this year's cap for whoever's roster he is on on that date, barring a restructure of his contract.

TO's initial signing bonus was also mostly roster bonus, which means that the cap hit for the Eagles as of right now for cutting/trading TO would be minimal. Those are the two factors that caused TO to hold out earlier in the year, he knew this was the final year of his present contract.

[tarcone]

Why not take clarett? what did it cost the broncos? a 3rd rd pick that was given to them because they lost a FA....big deal. but what if clarett turned out to be something? he is the type of back that fits into the system.
i would love to see them take a chance on Vick. he is already better then his brother. so what the hell, cut him like clarett, but if he truns out to be better then michael....WOW
as for T.O. plummer has a cushion in shanahan. he wont allow anyone get on Jake. T.O. learned a harsh business lesson this season. he knows you dont get paid if you dont play.
as for the defense, i blame shanahan, he was totally outcoached by cowher. plain and simple. The defense is good and if the broncos get T.O., they can draft all defense again
SUPER BOWL 41 BRONCOS vs. ?

[gkb]

The Broncos definitely need a receiver, but not T.O. I hope they don't get him. I think they need help on the defensive line, the offensive line, and I feel that they need a studly safety. I don't think Jake can handle T.O., even if Shanahan can.

[General Mike]

if a team can convince him to play for the existing contract and then renegotiate next year

Yeah, and if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle. T.O. isn't gonna play without renegotiating his contract. He'll sit out the GD year.

[rkmsuf]

yeah I can see marcus vick being quite the field general and commanding mad respect in the huddle

[MrBigglesworth]

Yeah, and if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle. T.O. isn't gonna play without renegotiating his contract. He'll sit out the GD year.
I think he'd be stupid to require a renogotiation. He is being paid too much this season, he knew it and expected to be cut, that is why he wanted his deal redone this past season, so he would have a more secure long term deal.

[QuikSand]

T.O. isn't gonna play without renegotiating his contract. He'll sit out the GD year.

Actualy, I think the real leverage is on the other side - that of his new team. Whether he gets traded or released by Philadelphia, I don't think any team is going to be willing to take on the existing contract.

Instead, he will either get a pretty good short term deal from someone, or else a heavy-duty deal with a strong series of performance incentives, both on-field and otherwise. I have to think that will be the base condition of any team that seeks to sign him.

I think the chances of any team dealing or him, and simply absorbing the current contract in its entirety is practically nil. And that's not at all a function of T.O.'s leverage, it's a function of how much he has screwed himself out of the position of making any demands.

[General Mike]

I think he'd be stupid to require a renogotiation. He is being paid too much this season, he knew it and expected to be cut, that is why he wanted his deal redone this past season, so he would have a more secure long term deal.

No, he's dumb to not request a renegotiation. I hate TO, but the same thing that happened to Javon Walker is going to happen to him.

[MrBigglesworth]

No, he's dumb to not request a renegotiation. I hate TO, but the same thing that happened to Javon Walker is going to happen to him.
Javon Walker was set to earn under $1 million last year. TO's current contract calls for a $5 million roster bonus on March 1, then salaries of $5.5 million in 2007, $6.5 million in 2008, $7.5 million in 2009 and $8.5 million in 2010.

You think Denver will give him more than that??

[Ksyrup]

Javon Walker was set to earn under $1 million last year. TO's current contract calls for a $5 million roster bonus on March 1, then salaries of $5.5 million in 2007, $6.5 million in 2008, $7.5 million in 2009 and $8.5 million in 2010.

You think Denver will give him more than that??
The total amount doesn't matter, it's what he gets up front that matters, so he can bitch 2 years from now. Yes, I bet he thinks he will get more than $5M signing bonus under a new contract. But that's where his previous issues should bite him in the ass.

[Desnudo]

Yeah, and if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle. T.O. isn't gonna play without renegotiating his contract. He'll sit out the GD year.

Your uncle has tits?

[AlexB]

I'm not sure if this is what you were saying or not, but there is a roster bonus due to TO on March 1, something like $5-7 million. That would all go on this year's cap for whoever's roster he is on on that date, barring a restructure of his contract.

TO's initial signing bonus was also mostly roster bonus, which means that the cap hit for the Eagles as of right now for cutting/trading TO would be minimal. Those are the two factors that caused TO to hold out earlier in the year, he knew this was the final year of his present contract.

Aha. No, that wasn't what I thought, but does explain it - cheers. In this case, disregard my earlier thoughts!

[rkmsuf]

Your uncle has tits?


Would you like to milk him, Greg?

[Ksyrup]

Looks like Denver is going to be Headcases 'R Us either way:

The Broncos have had at least two internal discussions about acquiring Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, but the teams have not talked about a deal. The Denver Post, citing two NFL sources, reported this week that coach Mike Shanahan might consider trading for Williams but likely only if the team does not trade for receiver Terrell Owens.
-- Miami Herald

[General Mike]

Javon Walker was set to earn under $1 million last year. TO's current contract calls for a $5 million roster bonus on March 1, then salaries of $5.5 million in 2007, $6.5 million in 2008, $7.5 million in 2009 and $8.5 million in 2010.

You think Denver will give him more than that??

Denver doesnt want him taking 10.5M of their cap next year. If they don't renegotiate, he's only going to be there one year then.

[MrBigglesworth]

Denver doesnt want him taking 10.5M of their cap next year. If they don't renegotiate, he's only going to be there one year then.
His salary for the coming season would only be $800k, so it would be a $5.8 million cap hit this season, but I still don't think Denver wants him to take that much of their cap even.

[Desnudo]

Perma-tan Shanahan, Plummer, and T.O.? Sounds perfect.