Russell Okung a Bronco

[Mingo]

Wow - that's a great read - from Okung. Funny he calls it betting on himself - the same way I thought of it.

The way - I think - John Elway looks at it - Okung wanted to be a Bronco more than Ryan Clady. The Denver Broncos are not only viewed as winners among the players, but they have a reputation for being first class all the way in strength and conditioning and player development and locker room comforts. A beautiful place to live and work - where every Bronco player is idolized. Okung valued those things - where an agent looks only at how much the total is constantly thinking of what 2.5% of it would be. This is exactly what happened with Talib -while Elway was in negotiation with Rodgers-Cromartie- he switches and signs a guy as good or better for the amount he wants to pay.

 

[Orange Crush77]

I love this guy now

 

[SpringStein]

I love this guy now

You must be bamboozled easily!

 

[Orange Crush77]

I love you papa

 

[CEH]

I love you papa

I'm off to A&W for a papa burger. That's for the suggestion OC.

 

[Draft Crazy]

A&W has just hired OC as a spokesperson.

 

[Mingo]

Is that what he gets for never getting named POTM?

 

[Caliskinsfan]

A steal for y'all. Doesn't seem like he saved himself $$ at all without an agent.

 

[Duffman]

A steal for y'all. Doesn't seem like he saved himself $$ at all without an agent.

Well he does get all that money he doesn't have to give his agent any and I'm sure teams love dealing with a player directly over an agent so there's that.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Well he does get all that money he doesn't have to give his agent any and I'm sure teams love dealing with a player directly over an agent so there's that.

Would have gotten more $ with an agent even with the fee. I imagine teams do love it, especially when they win like this contract.

 

[GNG]

A decent OT that is being overpaid.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

A decent OT that is being overpaid.

Overpaid?! Not so much.

 

[GNG]

Overpaid?! Not so much.

Well the money isn't guaranteed so that is good.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Well the money isn't guaranteed so that is good.

Exactly. from PFT...



PFT has obtained the official details of the five-year-not-five-year, $53-million-not-$53-million contract Okung signed Thursday with the Broncos. As previously reported, it’s a one-year, $5 million deal with an option on the rest of the contract.

But it’s not even a $5 million deal for one year. He has a $1 million workout bonus, a $2 million base salary, and a $2 million roster bonus tied to being on the 53-man roster for any one game. So, basically, the Broncos are giving Okung $1 million to participate in the offseason program, with an option before Week One to pay him another $4 million to actually play for them in 2016.

Not a single penny of the deal is guaranteed at signing.

Per a source with further knowledge of the contract, Okung must participate in at least 90 percent of the offseason workouts and be on the roster when the offseason program ends to get the $1 million workout bonus.

The Broncos have until the first day of the 2017 league year to exercise the option for 2017. If they do, Okung gets a $1 million option bonus, an $8 million roster bonus, a $2 million guaranteed base salary, and up to $1.5 million in per-game roster bonuses for 2017. His base salary of $9.5 million for 2018 also would become fully guaranteed if the option is exercised, making it a $19.5 million decision for the Broncos after the 2016 season.

If Okung even makes it to the start of the 2016 season. If he does, he needs to perform well enough to persuade the Broncos to pay him $19.5 million guaranteed over two years.

The contract has $1.5 million in per-game roster bonuses from 2018 through 2020, and base salaries of $8.5 million in 2019 and $9 million in 2020.

Still, months before the Broncos have to make a $19.5 million decision on Okung, they have a $4 million decision to make — which could make him a free agent again in late August, with $1 million for his trouble.

There’s also a possibility that Okung could be traded, since the deal doesn’t have the same no-trade clause that the Broncos gave Peyton Manning a year ago.

To summarize, Okung has obtained the ability to earn $1 million to participate in the team’s offseason program, with no guarantee he’ll even be on the opening-day roster in 2016 — and no guarantee he’ll earn anything more than the $1 million bonus for participating in the team’s offseason program.

It’s unclear how Russell Okung the agent persuaded Russell Okung the client to accept these terms, but at least Russell Okung the agent earned his fee.

 

[Mingo]

It is true - and misleading to say there is no guaranteed money in the Okung deal. Next year - if the Broncos exercise the option - then $20 million is guaranteed. It's a make good deal.

Yes - he could have gotten more money elsewhere and with an agent, but he got what he wanted. It's not surprising that fans from other teams don't know what it's like being a Denver Bronco.

 

[SpringStein]

It's not surprising that fans from other teams don't know what it's like being a Denver Bronco.

Then why have you chosen to live in Texas?!!

 

[Mingo]

Just because I live in Texas doesn't mean I don't know what it is like to be a Denver Bronco - that is an affliction reserved for fans of other teams.

January 2018 moving to Durango

 

[Caliskinsfan]

It is true - and misleading to say there is no guaranteed money in the Okung deal. Next year - if the Broncos exercise the option - then $20 million is guaranteed. It's a make good deal.

Yes - he could have gotten more money elsewhere and with an agent, but he got what he wanted. It's not surprising that fans from other teams don't know what it's like being a Denver Bronco.

How likely is it that the option is picked up at that cost? He's a 1 year rental.

Doubt he sees anything close to that with the Broncos and that only comes into play IF he manages to stay healthy. Broncos will have a cheaper, younger option lined up by that point. They'd be short sighted not to.

 

[Mingo]

How likely is it that the option is picked up at that cost? He's a 1 year rental.

Doubt he sees anything close to that with the Broncos and that only comes into play IF he manages to stay healthy. Broncos will have a cheaper, younger option lined up by that point. They'd be short sighted not to.

You don't replace a LT in one year in the NFL - unless you get the top 1 or 2 LTs from college in draft - in years where they show up.

Okung - obviously disagrees with your analysis, but maybe he just doesn't have access to your point of view.

 

[SpringStein]

How likely is it that the option is picked up at that cost? He's a 1 year rental.

Doubt he sees anything close to that with the Broncos and that only comes into play IF he manages to stay healthy. Broncos will have a cheaper, younger option lined up by that point. They'd be short sighted not to.

I'm guessing it is a better chance that the next year is picked up than not. If Okung plays as well as I believe the coaching staff thinks he will, $12 MM for a top notch LT is certainly reasonable.