Denver Broncos defensive players to John Elway: Don’t f*ck with us.
That was the message I got from players who had the courage to take a stand against the trade and cut rumors surrounding T.J. Ward this week.
First it was Brandon Marshall who sounded off.
We better not trade the homie
— Brandon Marshall (@BMarshh54) August 30, 2017
But then Troy Renck of Channel 7 asked all-world linebacker and heart of this team, Von Miller, what he thought. Miller responded with passion and emotion, "I thought it was fake news. It's serious like that? It can't be that serious. T.J. has been a great player for us. ... You always get blindsided by stuff. But T.J.'s been great for us. I don't see any reason to -- you know, Mr. Elway and the guys upstairs, they push this organization in a great direction and they're going to continue to make championship moves for us. But it's gotta be fake news."
Given how strongly the leaders on the defensive side of the ball have come out against this, it would be wise for Elway to listen. Sometimes the business side of things should be delayed a bit to ensure team chemistry and the locker room is clean.
It might be worth it for the Broncos to let Ward play out his contract rather than callously throw him to the curb via trade or cut day. If anything, doing so would allay these kinds of concerns.
— Brandon Marshall (@BMarshh54) August 30, 2017
The other caveat of this news could be the ongoing contract extension negotiations the Broncos have had with Ward, which was something Ward himself alluded to in an interview with Renck.
"I am trying not to think about it," Ward said. "I know I’m going to find a way to make it work out."
The second part could be willingness on his part to make a favorable deal with Elway and the Broncos or it could be him ready to move on from the team.
Either way, this drama is likely to unfold this week. If no deal is worked out and the Broncos don’t cut or trade him, then it’s likely a good sign he will be done with the team after this season and moves on as an unrestricted free agent.
If I am Elway, though, I’d listen to players like Von Miller and Brandon Marshall. These are your star players on a defense that might be the best unit in football.
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