All things Broncos

[Lonestar]

Back to school time for three Broncos
By JEFF LEGWOLD

Three Broncos players — linebacker Spencer Larsen, defensive lineman LeKevin Smith and tackle Brandon Gorin — are scheduled to participate in the NFL’s Business and Entrepreneurial programs.

There is a five-day workshop at the Harvard Business School next week and a four-day workshop at Penn’s Wharton Business School Tuesday through Friday. All three Broncos will attend the workshop at Harvard.

Seventy-seven players overall from around the league — some retired — will participate in the two workshops. The programs are geared toward executive education and player must complete an application process before being selected to attend.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2010/02/11/back-to-school-time-for-three-broncos/

Sounds like smart players that will make the squad next year.

[Lonestar]

The start of the 2010 season has a question mark
By JEFF LEGWOLD

The NFL again celebrated its position at the top of the nation’s sports pyramid this past week, finishing with a Super Bowl that became the highest-rated television program in history.

But it is the 2010 season that will determine if the league — owners and players together — are interested in keeping it on the high ground. The prospect of a labor stoppage in 2011 threatened to overshadow the Big Game at times last week and will be around every turn in the coming football year.

The threat is already being felt even now as teams across the league try to decide what they will do in free agency, how they will fill in the holes in their rosters.

The Broncos, too, will have difficulty trying to decide where to go from here. The crux of the matter is they, like every other team in the league, aren’t sure what to do with multi-year contracts.

Teams want to know if they are going to have to pay any guaranteed money in players’ contracts if there is no football in 2011 because of a lockout. The league hasn’t really given them answer.

As a result the Broncos and many other teams may not be all that active in an uncertain free agent market in the coming weeks because of the financial uncertainty that’s not all that far down the road.

So, while the ending of the 2009 was a resounding success Sunday, the start of 2010’s football year this week is already littered with plenty of questions with no easy answers. Especially for teams like the Broncos, who’d sure like to be a part of the postseason parade the next time around.

[HORSEPOWER 56]

I think the biggest problem right now is, all those players who magically became RFAs (Orton, Marshall, Scheffler, Kuper, Dumervil, etc) who are looking for long term deals probably won't get them. It also lowers their trade value in that no one else will want to offer them a long term deal, either.

Now you have guys who were hoping to get paid who won't be, and who at the end of this season will now be UFAs who the Broncos will lose for no compensation (except maybe some compensatory picks).

We thought that this offseason would be nice because we have all these RFAs to trade and we could stock up on draft picks, but that probably won't happen and we won't re-sign them long term either making them all one year rentals. Then next year (lockout or not) the Broncos will lose a LOT of players at once (even more guys will be FAs by the end of this season) and have to reload (rebuild) at a ton of positions instead of just a few. Honestly, this really doesn't look good for the home team or frankly, for any team that is holding off re-signing their FAs (that they want to keep) based on the labor agreement.

In two years, we could be looking at a completely different team, player wise, because everyone has gone, been released, etc. Look at the Avalanche and all the players they lost when this happened to the NHL.

[Davii]

I think the biggest problem right now is, all those players who magically became RFAs (Orton, Marshall, Scheffler, Kuper, Dumervil, etc) who are looking for long term deals probably won't get them. It also lowers their trade value in that no one else will want to offer them a long term deal, either.

Now you have guys who were hoping to get paid who won't be, and who at the end of this season will now be UFAs who the Broncos will lose for no compensation (except maybe some compensatory picks).

We thought that this offseason would be nice because we have all these RFAs to trade and we could stock up on draft picks, but that probably won't happen and we won't re-sign them long term either making them all one year rentals. Then next year (lockout or not) the Broncos will lose a LOT of players at once (even more guys will be FAs by the end of this season) and have to reload (rebuild) at a ton of positions instead of just a few. Honestly, this really doesn't look good for the home team or frankly, for any team that is holding off re-signing their FAs (that they want to keep) based on the labor agreement.

In two years, we could be looking at a completely different team, player wise, because everyone has gone, been released, etc. Look at the Avalanche and all the players they lost when this happened to the NHL.

Very true, but this is going to be the story league wide, not just with the Broncos.

The talent pool available in Free Agency next year will be much larger than normal, even if a new agreement is made. There are not many players getting new deals right now, the RFA's anyhow.

The entire league is wrestling with the problem of how to even sign contracts when there is the possibility of a stoppage in 2011. No matter how you look at it, no matter what your team, this is bad for the NFL as a whole.

If the two sides can't come together and stop being so damned greedy than the NFL will get what they deserve at that point.

[HORSEPOWER 56]

Very true, but this is going to be the story league wide, not just with the Broncos.

The talent pool available in Free Agency next year will be much larger than normal, even if a new agreement is made. There are not many players getting new deals right now, the RFA's anyhow.

The entire league is wrestling with the problem of how to even sign contracts when there is the possibility of a stoppage in 2011. No matter how you look at it, no matter what your team, this is bad for the NFL as a whole.

If the two sides can't come together and stop being so damned greedy than the NFL will get what they deserve at that point.

The problem is, we the fans, won't. We're the ones who really suffer if there is a lockout.

[Traveler]

Tony Scheffler-TE_Broncos Feb. 19 - 10:26 am et

Beat writer Jim Thomas suggests the Rams could have interest in trading for Broncos restricted free agent TE Tony Scheffler.

Scheffler is a top pass-catching tight end, but he just didn't fit in Josh McDaniels' offense. His skills are a better match for Pat Shurmur's West Coast system, and the Rams are in dire need of a playmaker at tight end. Now in McDaniels' doghouse, he could probably be had for a mid-round pick.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Related: Rams

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playernews.aspx?sport=NFL

[Broncolingus]

Tony Scheffler-TE_Broncos Feb. 19 - 10:26 am et

Beat writer Jim Thomas suggests the Rams could have interest in trading for Broncos restricted free agent TE Tony Scheffler.

Scheffler is a top pass-catching tight end, but he just didn't fit in Josh McDaniels' offense. His skills are a better match for Pat Shurmur's West Coast system, and the Rams are in dire need of a playmaker at tight end. Now in McDaniels' doghouse, he could probably be had for a mid-round pick.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Related: Rams

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playernews.aspx?sport=NFL

Lets get something for him and ship 'em out...

Related to the thread, "...so this is a Harvard bar?"

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ymsHLkB8u3s/0.jpg

[Ravage!!!]

I think the NFL gets a deal done. Too much money will be lost if they don't. I just have a feeling that it comes down to the 11th hour, but it gets done

[Broncolingus]

I think the NFL gets a deal done. Too much money will be lost if they don't. I just have a feeling that it comes down to the 11th hour, but it gets done

Yup...I agree.

NHL and MLB have demonstrated over the past couple of decades how that can hurt a sport long term...some would say the NHLs strike killed it as a major sport.

...and, I think the NFL isn't willing to assume they can come out 'okay' as they did in '82 if it does occur - although, out of all of the sports, they'd have the best chance of surviving a strike.

JMO...

[T.K.O.]

I think the NFL gets a deal done. Too much money will be lost if they don't. I just have a feeling that it comes down to the 11th hour, but it gets done

i agree,i just wish they would get together and make some kind of agreement that would satisfy both the players and the owners in the event of a lockout that would not make this years fa so risky.
like add an adendum to the current cba to allow multi year contracts,but with a say.....25% pay rate for the contract year in the event of a lockout.
then teams could go about business as usual this offseason and players would get their contracts and have the added pressure to come to an agreement knowing if they do have a lockout they would only recieve 1/4th of what they would be making if they play.
owners could afford it but they would also be inclined to reach a deal knowing they will be paying guys for a years vacation if they dont:confused:

[Lonestar]

About the only team that has great RFA this year is DEN.

if the deal does get done it is going to cost us dearly as all of the leave without us getting a dime for them except maybe a few compensatory #3 picks.

I do not see the players giving back every thing to the owners that they want.

there has to be a a rookie deal cut that structures the contracts to reasonable numbers that does not allow rookies that may be busts not to get huge payouts just because they are first round talent. those contracts are killing the NLF.

that is one of the things that has to get fixed the other is the split of money that the salary pool has in it. Giving 61% of the GROSS revenues is nuts as is the 40% that the owners are offering I'm guessing it will wind up in the mid 50's. But there is not enough time between now and 05MAR to get that kind of impasse to be filled.

I think the owners will stick to their guns and restrain themselves from making mistakes in FA this year and will hold the line on rookie contracts throughout the summer. so many of the rookies drafted on day one may not ever make it to a team till later in the year.

I also think that RFA for the most part will be tendered high enough to keep other teams away. For example BM would only make about $3.3 mil this coming year under the highest tender. That is last years salary + 50% raise. that is a steal and a #1 and #3 plus any contract he could negotiate would be a poison pill for most owners, considering he will get a huge Guarantee that would have to be paid IF their is a lockout.

Well that is how I see it from a business mans point of view.