Could it happen?  I mean really, could the Broncos and Chiefs, bitter AFC West rivals form way back int the AFL days really consummate a trade, really agree to a deal that could make each team better in some way, shape or form?  

If you believe what the newspapers in Kansas City are saying the Broncos and Chiefs are in discussions on a deal that would send disgruntled Chiefs safety Greg Wesley to the Broncos for a draft pick.  In fact, the Kansas City Star goes so far as to say the two teams have agreed to the compensation, with the Chiefs holding off final approval of the deal becuase, well, after all, the Broncos are a divisional rival and Wesley is a pretty decent safety.  

In reality this story, which you have heard nothing of in the Denver media, was probably leaked by the Chiefs in hopes of generating interest in the seven-year vet around the league.  If nothing happens, and the way the Chiefs have handled their personnel matter this off-season it is unlike anything will, K.C. with have to decide on whether releasing Wesley for nothing or at least getting something for him even if the partner is a hated rival.

Let me give some free advice to Carl Peterson.  Your star running back is pissed, one of your best defenders is an alocoholic and pissed, you finally got rid of your starting quarterback, who was pissed, and the way you are handling the QB battle is bound to piss off everyone involved.  All the while, your fan base, you know, the ones who pay your salery are getting increasingly pissed.  You are a rebuilding football team.  Go ahead, Carl, you can say it....Reeeeee-buillllllddddddiinnng.  There, that should feel better.

The Chiefs will be in no position to compete with the Chargers or Broncos in 2007.  They need to get younger and more athletic on both sides of the ball and really have no idea what kind of performance they are going to get from the most their quarterbakc, who seems too busy with a hand-scanner at Dillards to adequately prepare for the 2007 season.  Oh, and he has only started a handful of games....AT ANY LEVEL becuas ehe has blown out his knees a half-dozen times.

All I'm saying is the Chiefs should build for the future, the present be damned.  If the Broncos are going to give the Chiefs more than a bucket of golf balls and a free ticket to next year's Broncos' Fain Fair the Chiefs should jump on it, and FAST.  Sure, Wesley might make some plays this year, or next, that come back and haunt them, but do the Chiefs really think they are going to be Super Bowl ready this year or next?  I think not...but then again, as we have talked about in the past, 9-7 and a playoff appearance are considered a success.

For all y'all that want to see how productive Wesley has been, look no further than below....

Where there's smoke, there's fire.  I guess you can call that my motto, becuase for the past couple of weeks I've written it about 10 times.  After the Broncos acquired Dre Bly from Detroit word leaked that Matt Millen was hot and heavy over having Al Wilson included in the deal.  The Broncos refused, and message board's went crazy with speculation that the Broncos would even consider trading their defensive leader.  At the time, I thought little of it, though I do believe any team that misses the playoffs should look at ALL possibilities to get better, that no one on the roster should feel safe.

Now comes our buddy Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post who reports the Broncos actually dangled Wilson to the Redskins in a deal that would have, at it's core, netted the Broncos the #6 pick in the draft.  That's two teams involving the same player in the past 5 days.  Like I said, where there's smoke, there's fire.

La Canfora's article continues on that the Redskins are still pursuing CB Dre Bly, even after the Broncos are telling anyone that will listen that they are expecting Bly to "See The Light" when it comes to playing in Denver next season.  Says La Canfora --

The Broncos and Redskins have been discussing trade possibilities since before the combine last month, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, with Denver coveting Washington's sixth overall pick and the Redskins looking to trade down and reacquire a second- and third- round pick, which were dealt away (the Broncos have the Redskins' third-round selection from the T.J. Duckett trade).

Denver tried to get running back Ladell Betts in the deal, according to sources, but Coach Joe Gibbs has been intent on pairing Betts and Clinton Portis in the backfield next season.

The Redskins were offering veteran cornerback Shawn Springs for Bly, but those talks stalled when Washington asked for additional cap relief to offset Spring's $7.5 million cap charge and Denver declined, sources said. Last month, the Broncos made a proposal involving middle linebacker Al Wilson, their first-round pick (21st overall), a third-round pick and perhaps a second-round pick to land Washington's sixth-overall pick, according to a source, but the Redskins preferred Fletcher, who was their prime objective in free agency.

Should Denver be willing to essentially replace Wilson with Bly in trade talks, the potential for a deal could be high. Also, the Broncos could still make a play for Springs, whom Washington asked to take a $2 million pay cut, or the Redskins could attempt to trade Springs for draft picks if they acquired Bly.

The Broncos and Redskins are no strangers to off-season deals, and the prospects of teh two teams getting together again seem high.  The questions remains, with all the moves the team has made, and all money that hasa been spent, are the Broncos looking to part with a major part of their team, and major chunk of their salary cap, as part of the renovation.  No word has come from the Wilson camp, though heearing your name repeatedly mentioned in trade talks can't do much for you confidence in the team.

Photo Courtesy

Just heard Len Pasquarelli from ESPN.com tell Colin Cowherd that the pieces are in place for the Broncos to send Jake Plummer to Tampa for a mid-round draft pick.

While the trade isn't official, it could be annouonced as early as today.

This was also repported on Cold Pizza this morning... Here is a link to ESPN.com's story. It is looking like the pick would be a fourth rounder, which gets the Broncos back into the early part of day two of the draft. They didn't have a fourth rounder as part of the Ashley Lelie trade, and traded their fifth rounder to Detroit as part of the Dre Bly deal.

Another solid move by the Broncos, not wasting any time dumping a player that is not part of the future. Keep it here for the latest.

It all kicks off tonite.  At 12:01AM, Friday, the moratorium on trades and free agent signings ends and team are allowed to open up the check books to get the guy they are looking for.  The one they think will put them over the top, to be the missing piece of the puzzle.  Drew Brees was that type of player last year, moving from the Chargers to the Saints.  Who'se it going to be this year?  More importantly, who does Mike Shanahan and the Broncos braintrust think might be the key to get the Broncos back to the promised land.  Alot of names have been connected to Denver, and all indications seem to point to the Broncos being a major player, both in terms of trades and Free Agency.

Let's take a look at the names we have heard and what I think the prospects are of the team landing them --

Dre Bly, CB - Detroit Lions -- Where there's smoke there's fire and there is alot of smoke surrounding the Broncos making a move for the disgruntled CB.  I have made my opionion clear, I don't think the Broncos need Dre Bly, especially at the price it wouold take to get him.  Detroit Lion's fan seem to disagree with me and I have been getting railed on Lions' message boards throughout the web.  First let me thank them for reading.  Second, let me make my position clear.  The Broncos have several needs.  One of them is depth in the secondary.  It is not tops on the list, or even second on the list, in my opinion.  Dre Bly wants out of Detroit, and wants a new deal, with his ending after this season.  You can be sure he is going to watch and see what Nate Clements gets, among others, to determine his value.  The Denver Broncos DO NOT have the cap felxibility to give another corner 4-5 million dollars a year.  Are the creative ways to get it done?  Sure.  The team could back-load the deal, but it still is dependent on what Bly is looking for.  Javon Walker, for instance, was willing to play for peanuts last year to prove his health, thus allowing the Broncos a chance to "try before you buy".  Walker performed and the Broncos paid him.  Is Bly willing to take a backloaded contract in return for playing for a winner?  That remains to be seen, but a chance I'd rather NOT TAKE if it involves a 3rd rounder and a player.  A second day pick, maybe, but not the third rounder I see as a tool to move up in the draft.  Now, I have no problem with Lions fans wanting to dump their disgruntled players on the Broncos, but if he was so damn good, on and off the field, the Lions wouldn't be so eager to kick him to the curb. Possibility -- 10/10

Daniel Graham, TE - Free Agent -- Graham, on the other hand, would be worth the investment.  There are some injury concerns, but when healthy Graham has peformed at a high level and would give Jay Cutler another weapon on an offense that seemed a bit void of weapons last season.  Graham is an excellent blocker and would give Tony Scheffler someone to learn from.  Graham is a Colorado kid and has to at least be intrigued by the prospects of playing for the Broncos.  There will be a lot of competition for Graham, and I imagine the Broncos won't be the highest bidder, but I expect the team to make a serious run at him and see if family and friends can tug at the heart strings a bit.  Possibility -- 7/10

Patrick Kerney, DE - Free Agent -- Three weeks ago I would have bet the house that Kerney would be a Bronco.  Then D-Lineman started getting franchised and re-signed leaving the free agent class at the position thin at best.  Kerney has to be salivating looking at what pass0rushers are getting paid and the number of teams that have tons of money to spend.  Another situation where the Broncos will have to get creative, but Kerney opted out of the last 2 years of his deal to test the market and I have a feeling he is going to take full advantage.  What seemed like a sure thing a few weeks ago might be the slimmest of possibilites now.  Possibilities -- 3/10

Jeff Garcia, QB -- Free Agent -- John Clayton of ESPN reported that there is a strong liklihood of Garcia ending up in Denver.  The Broncos would love to have Garcia as their backup becuase of the success he has had in the West Coast Offense.  This all comes down to what Jeff Garcia wants.  If he WANTS to be a starter, the Broncos cannot bring him in.  Jay Cutler is the starter and we don't need someone like Garcia looking over his shoulder.  I am all for competition, but Cutler needs a veteran QB to help him when he struggles, not a guy that will be going to get a ball to warm up in case his number is called.  There are better options out there for the Broncos and while Garcia is a great fit, he has to be on board with the fact that he is the backup, not the starter.  Possibility -- 4/10

Brad Johnson, QB -- Free Agent -- A better option for a veteran backup might be Johnson, who was cut by the Vikings this week.  Sure, he may not be a flashy performer like Garcia, but he does have a Super Bowl ring and can be that veteran tutor that I think Cutler needs.  Johnson showed two years ago that he can still come in and get the job done, but proved last year that his years of being the man are probably behind him.  I think he could come reasonably priced as well.  It wouldn't get much fan-fare, but would be a solid move.  Possibility -- 5/10

As other rumors and names surface I will add to the list.  If you have anything, send it to me, or better yet, wirte a Diary about it and let me know what you think!

Update [1:58pm by TheSportsGuru]:Since Dre Bly was just traded to the Broncos for Tatum Bell and George Foster I am changing the 'Possibility Score'

It made little news in Bronco Country last week when Detroit's Dre Bly requested a trade from the deep chasm that is Matt Millen's Lions.  Sure, the Broncos are short a DB but I feel pretty good about D-Fox starting the season and getting some reasonably priced veteran depth behind him.  Sounds like a plan, right?  Not to NFL.com's Pat Kirwan.

An article by Kirwan today spoke of the possibility of Bly ending up in Denver, and even goes so far as to call the scenario the best case for both parties.

"From what I could gather, the best landing spot for Bly is Denver for possibly a third-round pick and a player or two. Detroit has a number of needs, and the Denver roster has a few guys who could help them. The sad and sudden death of running back Damien Nash will probably put the trade talks on hold for the time being, though."

A third round pick and a player or two?  Umm, no thanks.  Bly is heading into his 9th season, and of his four years in Detroit he managed to stay healthy for 16 games only once, last year.  He was dependable in St. Louis, but he should really start to trend downward in the next year or so.  His season high in INT's is 6, which he's done 3 different times.

Even worse yet is Bly's contract situation.  He will enter the last year of his contract, meaning he probably wants a long term deal.  His cap number for next season is over $5 million.  While a new contract would alleviate some of that number the Broncos have other areas of need much greater than at Corner Back.

The Broncos have Wants and Needs.  Bly might be considered a Want, but the Broncos need to focus on Needs if they want to get back into contention.

Photo Courtesy of DetroitLions.com

A couple weeks ago I spoke on MHR Radio about my wishes for the off-season.  Patrick Kerney was one, and another, to stabalize the running back position was Thomas Jones of the Bears.  "He would look great with a horse on his helmet" I said.  And now it appears the Bears are willing to part with Jones, who was a lone bright spot during the Super Bowl Loss.

Jones would look great in Blue and Orange

SI.com reported in its Rumors section that Jones has requested a trade and that the Bears are prepared to at least try and appease Jones.  

If I am Mike Shanahan I am on the phone rigth now with the Bears seeing what it will take.  If Adrian Peterson were a sure thing to be there around pick 8 or 9 I might wait, but since that may not happen Jones is the best back available in my opinion.

What do you guys and gals think???

Update [3/2/2007 1:09pm by TheSportsGuru]:This post was written a few days ago, Jake Plummer is now reportedly going to retire as opposed to being traded to Tampa Bay. Click on the MHR Logo at the top-left for the latest news!

All along the thought has been that Jake Plummer would be in another uniform next season, traded or released after losing his job to Jay Cutler.  Plan C was never really brought up at any point, until today that is.  In an Interview today announcing his new foundation, Jay Cutler expressed that he and Plummer have had conversations about Jake's future --

"I think anybody close to Jake, who knows him on a personal level, if he came in one day and said 'I'm outta here' ... it wouldn't be a big surprise, but he's competitor. I know he loves the game and loves Sundays, so if he came back I wouldn't be surprised that way either."

Cutler's statements are exactly right.  Jake Plummer beats to a different drummer.  Part of what makes him so likeable is probably the same reason his time as Denver' starting quarterback ended like it did.  He loves the game of football, but doesn't LIVE the game of football.  WOuld anyone out there truly be shocked if Plummer decided 10 years was enough?

A new team, a new city, it all probably wears on Jake and I imagine he's even considering staying in denver as the backup.  Not a bad gig, holding a clip board on Sunday's, and out of the firestorm that is the Denver Bronco fandom.  Whatever ends up happening Jake will do what Jakes feels is best for himself, and that is all you can hope and expect anyone to do.

With Free Agency getting set to "kick-off" I will be posting these 'Rumor Reports' as often as necessary.  You can be part of the action as well.  If you see a rumor, anywhere, in the papaer, on-line, in a message board, post it in the Diary and I will move it to the front page.  Please include a link to the source for proper credit.  

Last week, avid reader SD Bronco posted a diary about a rumored trade involving the Broncos and Green Bay Packers with Tatum Bell heading to Lambeau for DE Kabreer Gbaja-Biamila.  There were some draft picks involved as well, but those were the main players.  I like the prospects of something like that, getting the Broncos a proven pass rusher while dumping Bell, a player who has run his course in Denver.

Now, Bill Williamson of the Denver Post has brought forth another rumor involving Bell.  Williamson reports that rumors are swirling that T-Bell could be headed to Houston with Jake Plummer in a deal that would get the Broncos the #8 overall pick in the draft.  The target in that scenario would be Adrian Peterson, though I have serious questions about Peterson's availability at #8.  

Would the Texans do it?  I think they would.  Houston has tried to build through the draft and it hasn't worked.  The last thing a team with so many holes needs is another high-priced draft pick that may or may not pan out.  The Texans need to taste some winning, now.  Plummer would stablize the quarterback position and Tatum Bell would give the Texans a back with breakaway speed to pair with Domenik Davis, if and when he returns

It was reported last week that Asante Samuel was 'Franchised' by the Patriots, probably signalling the end of Tight End Daniel Graham's stay in New England.  Williamson also reports that Graham will be a main target of the Broncos this off-season and to me that would be a great acquisition.  Graham would be a great compliment to Tony Scheffler, and is a significant upgrade at the position over guys like Stephen Alexander.

Graham is a solid blocker, an excellent receivere, and would give the Broncos a a guy that has Super Bowl rings and has been part of a winning culture, things I am always in support of.  Take all of that, then factor in that Graham went to the University of Colorado, and it could be a perfect fit for both parties.