Contract Negotiations- Defense

by Jon Tollerud on Oct 28, 2009 2:54 AM MDT Comment 16 comments

In Collaboration with my good friends Jeremy Bolander and EJ Ruiz, I bring you a little piece to help your BYE Week Blues. It took some time and some effort to get all the data needed for this hence the second half of the Bye week posting time. We have a few players coming up on the end of their contracts this year. What we are going to attempt to do in this little series is look at draft prospects that could replace potential Free Agents. I will also give my opinion on the cost of retaining and if I think the player will be retained. I get the privilege of presenting you with our defensive contracts in this post. We only have a very few defensive players up for contract this year despite what your Madden video game may say.

Josh Barrett (Restricted Free Agent)
Ryan McBean
Elvis Dumervil

The list isn't too long but the players are a bit of an enigma to me. This is how I think it should be dealt with:

Josh Barrett: (SAF)

Josh is a restricted free agent which means we can play the first rights game. From his initial scouting reports:

Strengths: Exceptional athlete...great size...at 225 could play weak-side linebacker in the NFL...superb speed at 4.35....hits like a rock...adds value to special teams on kickoffs and punt returns....can roam sideline to sideline...excels in zone-coverage...Can slide down and cover slot receivers as well as tight-ends...uses leverage to break off blocks...
Negatives: Struggles in man to man coverage...failed to build on his junior season... easily bites on play-action and pump fakes...focuses too much on the quarterback and backfield...although he has excellent straight line speed struggles in change of direction...what position will he play in the NFL?...strong against the run...injuries are a concern...
Overall: Barrett is a fantastic athlete and great strong safety prospect. His speed to line up against slot receivers along with his overall presence in the middle of the field will strike fear in opposing receivers. Barrett might be best suited to add 10-15 pounds and slide down to weak-side linebacker, where he could excel into an excellent player.

Some of this we have seen and some of it we haven't. Personally I think Barrett adds a lot to the table when it comes to being a "Big Corner" and covering a TE. He did well with Gates and Gonzalez so far and has shown brilliance on special teams. I would tag him with a second round tag and see what happens there. Because he is restricted we can always match the offer given to him or we get compensation in the form of a second round pick. We can then use that pick on a few options:

Justin Allen- USF
Justin Woodall- Alabama
Kam Chancellor- Virginia Tech

What jumps out with these guys are versatility and smart football play. Not many things get past these guys, Woodall has kept BAMA going on D a lot. He might not make the tackles every time but he puts others in position to keep the other team put! Chancellor may have kept Virginia Tech's big bowl game aspirations alive

Ryan McBean: (DL)

Ryan has spent a lot of time as a practice squad guy for both us and Pittsburgh. It is interesting to see the way he has developed and to bring to light things that were said when he initially entered the NFL:

Strengths: Ryan McBean has shown glimpses of greatness throughout his playing career at Oklahoma State. He is exceptionally strongand has good size, but the more important aspect to Ryan McBean is that he is no where near "maxing" out his size and has room to get bigger and stronger and add several pounds of muscle to his 6'4 frame. He has an excellent motor, and does not quit, and he is another DT prospect who, once coached up will be able to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage. He delivers a shot on the ball carrier when he gets a hold of them, and has the potential to be a defensive tackle who could generate sacks at the NFL level.
Weaknesses: Lacks power throughout his 6'4 frame, and needs to bulk up to sustain success in the National Football League. Ryan McBean needs to work on taking on the oppositions block and becoming a strong force in run defense. McBean also needs some work on fundamentals, most notably using his hands properly to gain an advantage in the trenches. Ryan McBean will need a crash course on NFL IQ and will take time to develop, so one can not expect a complete package when drafting Ryan McBean.
Overall:There are a lot of things to like about Ryan McBean and there is a substantial amount of "upside" to his game. Ryan McBean is a work in progress and you may not see the initial results you would like, but you will be hard-pressed to find a mid-round prospect with a higher potential "ceiling". Ryan McBean most assuredly needs to get the NFL playbook and into the weight room immediately, but he is a prospect who could slip through the cracks and be drafted early on Day Two and out perform where he is selected.He also may project as a 3-4 DE or a 4-3 NT.

It was thought he needed some time to develop and has done so. In my opinion he is a good rotational player (the way we have used him) and has probably earned himself a bigger contract. However given the amount of money needed to retain other positions, I don't see us keeping him on unless it is for a very low paying contract something in the range of 3 years and 4 million guaranteed. That being said here are some of the replacements available in the draft:

Brandon Graham- Michigan
Derrick Morgan- Georgia Tech
Alex Carrington- Arkansas St.
Terrance Cody- Alabama
Marvin Austin- UNC

All these guys would replace McBean well. The options get great with drafting Cody. You can move Thomas/ Fields/ Baker all over. They all have a lot of work that needs to be put in to them to make them top notch players but they can get it under Nolan.

Elvis Dumervil (OLB/DE)

Elvis is one of my favorite players. First he was too small to impact the College system. After basically re-defining a pass rush specialist he was too small for the NFL level. All he has done is perform and generate sacks and hurries. The kid has done everything he has been asked to do including switch to rush linebacker. I would love for us to keep him on this team. His team first mentality leads me to believe this is doable however he is going to want (and he deserves) fair compensation for his work. Somewhere to the tune on five years and 10 - 15 Million guaranteed. Is he worth it? Absolutely, but if we don't want to keep him because we drafted Robert Ayers last year and he can step up and do it, here are a few Linebackers that may catch coaches eye:

Sean Witherspoon- Missouri
Perry Riley- LSU
Luther Brown- USC

With these guys they need a lot of polish but have the basics you look for if you are going to replace Elvis. Coaching can turn them into productive players as they all have high motors and great pass rush skills. They all struggle slightly in coverage (Brown especially), but that can be taught at this level.

I realize that it isn't a full blown scouting gig but this is merely to get you excited about the fact that we have a good coach/GM combo who will find solid replacements.

EJ has a great view up on the offense!

GO BRONCOS!

Poll

Who would you let go if you had to let one go?

Elvis Dumervil

1 votes

Josh Barrett

32 votes

Ryan McBean

65 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

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Comments

Barrett and Elvis

Are keepers. Barrett may be a late developer, but he is awesome on ST’s and his coverage of Gonzales and Gates were great.
Elvis is Elvis, and I believe he knows he has a great gig here. I hope his agent does also and keeps him here. He may get more bucks elsewhere, but then bomb, get cut or injured and his career screeches to a sad halt.
McBean has been solid in occupying blockers, and I heard his named called a few times. He may be unspectacular, but those guys make the others stars. I agree on the low scale pay to keep him.

Make those miracles happen - Jon Keyworth

by IgorBStrange on Oct 28, 2009 3:09 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

he may desire more money than we are willing to pay him

we do have some options if he chooses to walk!

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

"Teamwork divides the task and double the success."
- Unknown

by Jon Tollerud on Oct 28, 2009 5:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

The one guy we would let go would be McBean

Although he has played well, Doom is an absolute beast. Barrett is really helping with his coverage on TEs, which can be very important against teams that utilize their TEs often (SD, ATL, DAL, NE, etc.).

"Really, I'm a high-motor guy. Tough, hard-nosed, a hard runner, can make you miss at times. And just competitive. I love to play the game and I bring that energy to my team. So, we'll see how that goes." - Knowshon Moreno

Knowshon Moreno=ROY

by stedtfeld on Oct 28, 2009 7:00 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Barrett is a huge asset

probably bigger than the average fan realizes. special teams aces dont come around too often and when they do they are often shunned ad kicked to the side. Barrett has the ability to play well even in a defense role like strong nickle! The RFA option is what keeps him here IMO

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

"Teamwork divides the task and double the success."
- Unknown

by Jon Tollerud on Oct 28, 2009 5:55 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Elvis...0 votes. lol

I would can Barrett…McBean has proven to be a good fit for us. I’d rather keep all three guys though.

Verbose in style, dispersion of thought, procrastination in life.

The guy formerly known as ZAPPA

by Tim Lynch on Oct 28, 2009 7:56 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

McBean is a decent player

but how many times can you find a player that can cover great TE’s?

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

"Teamwork divides the task and double the success."
- Unknown

by Jon Tollerud on Oct 28, 2009 5:56 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you're talking about

replacing these guys with draft picks then I’d think Barrett is the easiest to replace. DL takes a few years to develop so I’d rather keep McBean because he already has the development time built up and I doubt he’d cost too much.

by 47RulesofHighlyEffectiveBankRobbers on Oct 28, 2009 8:41 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

McBean has been solid

the cheapest in my mind is going to be Barrett because of the RFA tag!

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

"Teamwork divides the task and double the success."
- Unknown

by Jon Tollerud on Oct 28, 2009 5:57 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I voted McBean only because I love the other two. It would be fantastic if we could keep all three.

I think we will be able to keep Barrett and McBean at decent/acceptable salaries. I am extremely worried about what Doom will expect in his contract. The sad truth is that he is performing at an elite level as a pass-rusher, which is currently the most valued player on the defensive side of the ball throughout the league, and will want to be compensated accordingly. This is evidenced by the contract that DeMarcus Ware just signed with Dallas. Silly money. I think that Doom will be willing to take less than that contract. But, even at 75% value it is a pricey proposition.

Ware is making $78 Million over 6 years, with a $20 million signing bonus. The biggest and most important part of that contract is that he is getting $40 million in guarantees, the only part of an NFL contract that really matters. Huge money.

So, even if Doom is willing to go with 3/4 the value of Ware’s contract, which is obviously what his agent will use as a benchmark and bargaining chip, we would still be paying him $58.5 million over six years with a $15 million signing bonus and $30 million in guarantees. In an unsure economy heading into an uncapped year in a relatively small market with limited funds, this is not an amount to be taken lightly. However, Doom is a once in a generation talent (IMO) and it would be a big loss to our team to let him go.

Can anyone with knowledge of how placing a franchise tag on a player would affect this whole situation with Doom help me out here?

by aLuffabo on Oct 28, 2009 8:49 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

They won't use the franchise tag on Doom

Unless a new CBA get’s signed, the franchise tag is unnecessary for Doom, because he’ll be an RFA under the rules of the uncapped year. (In capped years, 4 years of service makes you a UFA, but in the uncapped year, you need 6). In essence, giving him the highest RFA tender amount (much smaller than the franchise tender for a DE/Outside linebacker) will have the same affect as the franchise tag, but the tag could be saved for somebody else. Orton, Marshall, and Sheffler are in the same boat. And I think that Doom is a better player the Ware, and likely would command a bigger contract on the open market than Ware got, not a smaller one. Fortunately for the Broncos, Doom won’t be on the open market as an RFA. That’s not to say that some team won’t be willing to sign him to a poison-pill laden contract much like the one Steve Hutchinson signed with Minnesota several years ago, and give their first round pick to Denver when the Broncos don’t match.

by sports_monkey on Oct 28, 2009 2:10 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

to add to that

in talking with Frank Schwab from the CSG and he thinks Doom and Marshall will be the big humps this year but I think the option of a championship within grasp could keep a guy here for less money (New England style). Who knows though

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

"Teamwork divides the task and double the success."
- Unknown

by Jon Tollerud on Oct 28, 2009 6:00 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

doom for 10-15m makes no sense

ware got 40 guaranteed and doom may break sacks record this reason, so he is worth at least as much. this is his first big money contract, so he needs to be paid now. lucky he we get him for 30 guaranteed

by si_ice on Oct 28, 2009 9:55 AM MDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

agreed

If doom signs for 30m guaranteed before the end of the season, it’ll be because he’s offering a hometown discount.

Also, since it’s unlikely that a new CBA gets signed before the offseason, he’ll be a RFA under the new rules that go into effect in the uncapped year. This means that the Broncos can give him a first round tender while they work out a deal, and at the very least get a 1st round pick from any other team that signs him.

In fact there are 4 impact players for the Broncos who expected to be UFAs at the end of this year but now figure to be RFA’s (Doom, Orton, Marshall, and Sheffler).

by sports_monkey on Oct 28, 2009 1:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kuper is also coming into the FA market and he would be an RFA if there is no new CBA

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

"Teamwork divides the task and double the success."
- Unknown

by Jon Tollerud on Oct 28, 2009 6:02 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pardon my confusion on Barrett and McBean

I’m not sure how the predraft scouting plays into their status or future contract rates. Barrett is very raw, has little playing time and is currently at: 2009: $385,000, with
2010: Exclusive Rights Free Agent
He doesn’t have much playing time and I don’t see anyone overpaying him in a league with too many light weakside LBs. We can keep him at a reasonable rate. Yes?

McBean: He’s been starting. He’s well past the scouting from a few years ago – he’s playing very well in a system that doesn’t tend to create stats for the DEs but has been a consistent performer (look at the film). He did two seasons and offseason in the weight room and he’s much stronger than he’s being credited for in these reports.
12/29/2008: Signed a reserve/future contract. I don’t know exactly how Xanders is looking at him, but replacing him with a draft pick, always a role of the dice, just doesn’t make any sense to me. Is DE our weakest position? Our oldest? What’s the thinking here?

I looked at that CBS ‘Mock’ and it’s about what you’d expect – WAGs about sophomore players. Austin may be good eventually and I understand the possible ‘uncapped’ draft but still… Cody won’t ever play DE and may or may not play NT for us – there are still ‘huge’ questions as to his ability to stay in condition, his football IQ and similar factors. At any rate, he’s not going to be a DE to replace McBean, so I don’t really understand where this is going.

I love the draft talk, so please don’t get me wrong. I’m just not sure exactly what goes into the proposed decisions on these two. Regarding Doom – they’ll work out a deal that he’ll like. He’s going to make a lot in endorsements as his sack rate goes up. One of the keys to team success in NE has been developing players with a willingness to make a little less in salary to make more in endorsements as the team is successful and funneling such endorsement ops to their agents. I expect to see the same here in Denver.

Moreno/Buckhalter in '09

by Emmett Smith on Oct 28, 2009 4:41 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

To tackle each sir

the reason that some of the previous scouting was added was to give a bit of background on where they came from and where they have come so far. This can add to contract negotiations if say a guy is a seventh round pick and plays like a first he may want to talk big money come negotiation. Doom is a perfect example of a guy playing at elite talent and being paid in the 4th round status.

Playing off the understanding of the New England system we are looking to “Stack” our team. When we do this (imho) we look at who we have as well. We could very well have a 30 front that has Thomas as a DE while we train up the draft pick. Mostly this is just a reference pont of an area we MAY address in the draft for the simple reason we lose a player.

As to Cody at DE, I don’t think he will either but we are playing a D- Line not necessarily specific positions. Seems to me like Coach Nolan is doing everything he can to put guys everywhere they can play!

One of the keys to team success in NE has been developing players with a willingness to make a little less in salary to make more in endorsements as the team is successful and funneling such endorsement ops to their agents. I expect to see the same here in Denver.

Thats how I feel too. I just grabbed a few guys for people to keep their eye on in the positions (OLB, DL, SAF). Hope that this clears things up for you a bit.

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

"Teamwork divides the task and double the success."
- Unknown

by Jon Tollerud on Oct 28, 2009 6:11 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs