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03-13-2010, 10:24 AM
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Champ Bailey still on top of Broncos' salary pile
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Posted: 03/13/2010 01:00:00 AM MST
Updated: 03/13/2010 02:43:13 AM MST
It pays to be the Champ.
As Champ Bailey's once-record, seven-year contract with the Broncos enters its final months, the left cornerback on Tuesday collected one more $3 million roster bonus.
Running back Knowshon Moreno ($3.775 million), linebacker D.J. Williams ($3 million) and receiver Brandon Stokley ($500,000) were other Broncos players whose bonuses were exercised this week.
Bailey's contract has held up through the test of time. Even though NFL salaries have soared since the Broncos negotiated the deal for their star cornerback after his trade from Washington in exchange for running back Clinton Portis before the 2004 season, Bailey will collect $13 million in salary ($9.5 million) and bonuses ($3.5 million) this season to remain by far the Broncos' highest-paid player.
"Yes, it was a good contract, but I think it was a pretty good contract for the Broncos too, because of the way Champ performed," said Jack Reale, Bailey's agent. "How many players out there went to the Pro Bowl five out of the first six years of their contract?"
Not Portis. He has been to only one Pro Bowl since his financial demands caused former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and general manager Ted Sundquist to deal the running back to Washington in exchange for Bailey and a second-round draft pick that became running back Tatum Bell.
After that trade, Bailey received a new, seven-year, $63 million deal from the Broncos while Portis got an eight-year, $50.5 million extension from the Redskins.
Besides Bailey's five Pro Bowls in Denver, he also led the Broncos to their lone postseason success of the past 11 years.
In 2005, Bailey's pick six of San Diego's Drew Brees turned around the Broncos' regular season, and then his 100-yard interception return of New England's Tom Brady in a divisional playoff was the difference in Denver advancing to the AFC championship game.
Including playoffs, Bailey combined for 20 interceptions, a whopping 401 return yards and three touchdowns in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
But the question isn't whether Bailey played up to his contract. That's a given. The question is, as Bailey turns 32 in June, will he be worth big dollars in the seasons ahead?
As Bailey's current contract winds down to its final months, the Broncos have yet to begin discussions on a contract extension.
"We'll see," Bailey said. "If not, I'll still be paid a lot of money this year."
Bailey's 2010 pay is 35 percent greater than the Broncos' next-highest paid player: Moreno, who is about to cash in as the No. 12 pick in the draft last year.
For a year or two, Bailey was among the NFL's highest-paid defensive players, and he remained the league's top-compensated cornerback until Oakland gave Nnamdi Asomugha a three-year, $45.3 million extension last year.
Asomugha has only 11 career interceptions, 35 fewer than Bailey.
The Broncos, though, are not likely to restructure Bailey's deal anytime soon for two reasons. One, no NFL players outside of unrestricted free agents are getting new deals because of the ever-real possibility of a 2011 lockout. The Broncos did recently allocate $20.3 million of their 2010 budget to sign unrestricted free agents Justin Bannan, Jamal Williams, Jarvis Green, Nathan Jones, Brandon Lloyd and Russ Hochstein.
Two, if the Broncos rework Bailey's existing contract, what message would that send to Elvis Dumervil, Kyle Orton and Chris Kuper, who have been asked to accept one-year, relatively low-salaried contracts as restricted free agents?
Not that Bailey's expiring contract figures to be his last. He has said he would like to play until he's 40 and would be willing to eventually make a Rod Woodson-like transformation to safety to make it happen.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
__________________________________________________ ______________
I've said it before and I will say it again Champ will be stud ball hawking safety.... Can't wait to see it.. Hope it is with the blue and orange!
Champ Bailey still on top of Broncos' salary pile
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Posted: 03/13/2010 01:00:00 AM MST
Updated: 03/13/2010 02:43:13 AM MST
It pays to be the Champ.
As Champ Bailey's once-record, seven-year contract with the Broncos enters its final months, the left cornerback on Tuesday collected one more $3 million roster bonus.
Running back Knowshon Moreno ($3.775 million), linebacker D.J. Williams ($3 million) and receiver Brandon Stokley ($500,000) were other Broncos players whose bonuses were exercised this week.
Bailey's contract has held up through the test of time. Even though NFL salaries have soared since the Broncos negotiated the deal for their star cornerback after his trade from Washington in exchange for running back Clinton Portis before the 2004 season, Bailey will collect $13 million in salary ($9.5 million) and bonuses ($3.5 million) this season to remain by far the Broncos' highest-paid player.
"Yes, it was a good contract, but I think it was a pretty good contract for the Broncos too, because of the way Champ performed," said Jack Reale, Bailey's agent. "How many players out there went to the Pro Bowl five out of the first six years of their contract?"
Not Portis. He has been to only one Pro Bowl since his financial demands caused former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and general manager Ted Sundquist to deal the running back to Washington in exchange for Bailey and a second-round draft pick that became running back Tatum Bell.
After that trade, Bailey received a new, seven-year, $63 million deal from the Broncos while Portis got an eight-year, $50.5 million extension from the Redskins.
Besides Bailey's five Pro Bowls in Denver, he also led the Broncos to their lone postseason success of the past 11 years.
In 2005, Bailey's pick six of San Diego's Drew Brees turned around the Broncos' regular season, and then his 100-yard interception return of New England's Tom Brady in a divisional playoff was the difference in Denver advancing to the AFC championship game.
Including playoffs, Bailey combined for 20 interceptions, a whopping 401 return yards and three touchdowns in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
But the question isn't whether Bailey played up to his contract. That's a given. The question is, as Bailey turns 32 in June, will he be worth big dollars in the seasons ahead?
As Bailey's current contract winds down to its final months, the Broncos have yet to begin discussions on a contract extension.
"We'll see," Bailey said. "If not, I'll still be paid a lot of money this year."
Bailey's 2010 pay is 35 percent greater than the Broncos' next-highest paid player: Moreno, who is about to cash in as the No. 12 pick in the draft last year.
For a year or two, Bailey was among the NFL's highest-paid defensive players, and he remained the league's top-compensated cornerback until Oakland gave Nnamdi Asomugha a three-year, $45.3 million extension last year.
Asomugha has only 11 career interceptions, 35 fewer than Bailey.
The Broncos, though, are not likely to restructure Bailey's deal anytime soon for two reasons. One, no NFL players outside of unrestricted free agents are getting new deals because of the ever-real possibility of a 2011 lockout. The Broncos did recently allocate $20.3 million of their 2010 budget to sign unrestricted free agents Justin Bannan, Jamal Williams, Jarvis Green, Nathan Jones, Brandon Lloyd and Russ Hochstein.
Two, if the Broncos rework Bailey's existing contract, what message would that send to Elvis Dumervil, Kyle Orton and Chris Kuper, who have been asked to accept one-year, relatively low-salaried contracts as restricted free agents?
Not that Bailey's expiring contract figures to be his last. He has said he would like to play until he's 40 and would be willing to eventually make a Rod Woodson-like transformation to safety to make it happen.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
__________________________________________________ ______________
I've said it before and I will say it again Champ will be stud ball hawking safety.... Can't wait to see it.. Hope it is with the blue and orange!