Free Agency 2017

[CEH]

So Pats had no first round pick. traded 2 of their best defensive players, won the Super Bowl and have $69MM in cap space.

 

[Mingo]

So Pats had no first round pick. traded 2 of their best defensive players, won the Super Bowl and have $69MM in cap space.

Goodell gave them motivation - a god send for last season.

I hear they want to trade Grappolo this off season and get a 1st round pic and more. With Brady going on 41 years old - I would be mighty suspicious of what they think of Jimmy Grappolo if they are trading him.

 

[cdumler7]

Hate to rain on anyone's parade but a couple of agents were interviewed here in the east. They were talking about available money that teams will have and they expect their players to get PAID!!! With some teams having as much as $80M in cap space, nobody will be taking discounts. All of the competitive teams will be extremely careful when signing free agents because they don't want to piss off guys that they got "cheap".

Patriots fans are preparing to lose at least 4 starters on the defense......Hightower, Butler, Ryan and Branch. HT wants Von Miller money, somebody will overpay for a Super Bowl hero, Jets are drooling over Ryan and Branch wants a big final contract (32 years old).

This could be a very nerve wracking free agency period.

Just reread through the thread and not seeing any of us thinking that these players are going to take discounts to come play for the Broncos. The only one that I could see maybe just maybe willing to take a bit of a discount for the Broncos is Calais Campbell because he is from Colorado and would probably love to come play with our defense. Even there though when people talk about discounts I think what a player thinks and what fans think is a discount are 2 very different things.

Right now my guess is he gets somewhere between $11-13 million a year. That would make him the 3rd highest paid 3-4 DE in football only behind Wilkerson and Watt. For Campbell being 30 years old that is probably about where he will be price range.

Others of us have talked on here about Wagner and thinking he will get somewhere between $7-9 million. That would make him the 2nd highest paid RT in football. He isn't ranked that high in my book but he is coming into a FA period with little talent at his position and lots of teams with need so most likely he will end up getting paid more than he is worth.

Lang/Leary/Zeitler will all probably get between $7-10 million. That would put them top-5 for their position. My guess is Zeitler gets the most of any of them from the group so probably closer to the $10 million mark for him.

Williams is another Bronco fans have talked a lot about. NT's don't make a ton of money. $5 million is about tops for the position these days so $5 million a year wouldn't shock me for him and I would be ok paying him that.

So every player Bronco fans have talked about and talked about the kind of price they would get have been with the idea of market value and it not being cheap to get them. We understand all too well that with the rising cap and cap space a lot of these teams have there are going to be some surprising numbers come out for some of these prospects hitting FA

 

[BigKen]

I think a lot of us just wish out loud. Listening to the agent made me grit my teeth. These guys work on about 3% but that also includes residuals and endorsements. If your an agent for a top earner, talking someone into a team friendly deal doesn't severely affect your pocketbook. But the newer guys see a huge difference between $10M and $15M ($300,000 v $450,000) a year or a long term deal, 5 years $60M ($1.8m) and 5 years $35M ($1.05M). Their expenses and recruiting costs are high too. You do have to look and act the part.

And I agree that the pats and Broncos have made competitive teams spending wisely or not spending at all. AND Belichick has done extremely well picking through other teams' trash. Eventually, that kind of luck runs out.

 

[nflbronco]

Goodell gave them motivation - a god send for last season.

I hear they want to trade Grappolo this off season and get a 1st round pic and more. With Brady going on 41 years old - I would be mighty suspicious of what they think of Jimmy Grappolo if they are trading him.

Why not alot of stupid teams will trade #1 for him. Then they will discover he's Matt C #2 on another team. NE will just draft their next guy and groom him.

 

[WalkerBoh]

Why not alot of stupid teams will trade #1 for him. Then they will discover he's Matt C #2 on another team. NE will just draft their next guy and groom him.

I think that list would be quite short. I'm sure teams paid attention to Brock this past season. Many will still also remember Flynn and Kolb.

 

[nflbronco]

I think that list would be quite short. I'm sure teams paid attention to Brock this past season. Many will still also remember Flynn and Kolb.

I hope your right about this and teams actually have learned. Clev and NE have great trade history plus 2 #1's. wouldn't rule it out. Teams are too much in a hurry to upgrade QB and panic.

Matt C sucked away from NE Ryan M sucked away from NE. Jimmy G will likely suck away from NE its a trend.

 

[cdumler7]

I hope your right about this and teams actually have learned. Clev and NE have great trade history plus 2 #1's. wouldn't rule it out. Teams are too much in a hurry to upgrade QB and panic.

Matt C sucked away from NE Ryan M sucked away from NE. Jimmy G will likely suck away from NE its a trend.

New England runs maybe the most QB friendly system that there is. Essentially their system every play call is a 2 word play call. Very easy to remember and it doesn't matter what formation it is for the QB that play call tells them everything they need to know. So you memorize one play you really have about 10-15 plays memorized because of the different formations you can run with it. Where the system gets complicated is actually more for the skill position players as they might have to memorize all 5 routes on any given play because they could be lined up in any of the 5 spots. So now a WR has to memorize just as much of the play book as a QB. Other systems they can usually focus on 1 spot and call it a day and when they get to the huddle only have to hear about 2 words to know what their responsibility actually is.

All of that added to inferior coaching wherever these other QB's go leads to them being a shell of what they maybe were in NE. Some team will be stupid enough to trade for Jimmy G and give up a nice draft load to get him. This QB class in the draft is down right terrible so teams will get desperate. I hate that NE is the benefactor of other teams' stupidity.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Dolphins cut Branden Albert today.

 

[Mingo]

Dolphins cutting defensive linemen Mario Williams, Earl Mitchell

Broncos/Earl Mitchell? cut so not subject to compensation.

 

[LGM]

So apparently Mr. Albert is now certified "dolphin free".

(Sign him John.)

 

[SpringStein]

So apparently Mr. Albert is now certified "dolphin free".

(Sign him John.)

Does that come in a small can?

 

[LGM]

Does that come in a small can?

It's always nice when an obscure reference is understood.

 

[WalkerBoh]

It's always nice when an obscure reference is understood.

Especially when there's multiple layers to the reference

 

[Mingo]

I woke up yesterday - a half wit - and decided to go double or nothing, but lost.

 

[fightinredantz]

Maybe I missed this somewhere, but Earl Mitchell is coming in for a visit on Wednesday or Thursday. San Fran, Seattle, Denver and then Atlanta is his NFL city tour. Sounds like Denver his high on his list potentially.

Report: Broncos among Earl Mitchell's top suitors

Also saw where Brandon Albert is about to be traded to Jacksonville for Julius Thomas. I thought he was released. Here a link:
Report: Dolphins, Jaguars working to finalize trade

Not sure how accurate 247sports.com is but if true it is a bit interesting.

If Mitchell is signed does that mean that Vance Walker is not going to be resigned? I have heard he is going to test the market.

 

[CEH]

Maybe I missed this somewhere, but Earl Mitchell is coming in for a visit on Wednesday or Thursday. San Fran, Seattle, Denver and then Atlanta is his NFL city tour. Sounds like Denver his high on his list potentially.

Report: Broncos among Earl Mitchell's top suitors

Also saw where Brandon Albert is about to be traded to Jacksonville for Julius Thomas. I thought he was released. Here a link:
Report: Dolphins, Jaguars working to finalize trade

Not sure how accurate 247sports.com is but if true it is a bit interesting.

If Mitchell is signed does that mean that Vance Walker is not going to be resigned? I have heard he is going to test the market.

There turned out to be too much trade interest in Albert

 

[cdumler7]

Maybe I missed this somewhere, but Earl Mitchell is coming in for a visit on Wednesday or Thursday. San Fran, Seattle, Denver and then Atlanta is his NFL city tour. Sounds like Denver his high on his list potentially.

Report: Broncos among Earl Mitchell's top suitors

Also saw where Brandon Albert is about to be traded to Jacksonville for Julius Thomas. I thought he was released. Here a link:
Report: Dolphins, Jaguars working to finalize trade

Not sure how accurate 247sports.com is but if true it is a bit interesting.

If Mitchell is signed does that mean that Vance Walker is not going to be resigned? I have heard he is going to test the market.

Happens sometimes in the NFL where you put it out there that a certain player is going to be released but don't actually release them right away just seeing if anybody picks up the phone to make an offer to have that exclusive rights to the player. They got a phone call so then pulled back from the official release to see if they could get something done.

 

[CEH]

Okung's option will not be picked up. He will be a FA.

 

[fightinredantz]

I really hope Stevenson is getting his walking papers soon. Take that money and sign Ricky Wagner.