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In what was John Elway and John Fox's first season with the Denver Broncos, the team came into late April 2011 with nine draft picks at its disposal. Currently two members of that draft class remain on the team (Von Miller and Virgil Green), while one (Quinton Carter) remains a free agent.
Gone are Rahim Moore, Orlando Franklin, Julius Thomas, Mike Mohamed, Jeremy Beal and now ... Nate Irving.
Irving signed with the Indianapolis Colts today, and given how hard it was for us to get in touch with his agent regarding our crowd funded re-signing package, I imagine maybe it was similarly difficult for Denver.
According to a source close to the situation, Irving may have wanted an actual X-Box and more Pokemon to seal the deal. We, just like the Broncos, unfortunately did not have the resources to bring Irving back to Denver.
At this moment, the monetary compensation for what the Colts agreed to give Irving for his employment is not known, but according to Darin Gant of ProFootballTalk, it is a three-year deal.
Indianapolis and Denver have similar taste in linebackers as this is the second time in two years the teams have gone head-to-head to sign a linebacker, dating back to last off-season's courtship of D'Qwell Jackson.
Mike Adams, another former member of the Broncos' defense, was recently re-signed by the Colts. Adams finished his first season after leaving Denver with a career year of 87 tackles, 11 passes defensed, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries - earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl.