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nevcraw
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


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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!

broncobryce
03-13-2010, 10:27 AM
Cool, that shores up our safety position for awhile.

Ravage!!!
03-13-2010, 11:55 AM
I'm curious to see how this works out. I can't see us giving champ the 12 million dollar roster bonus that is due this year.

WARHORSE
03-13-2010, 01:49 PM
Champ will be paid the 13 plus mil, and HOPEFULLY, I say hopefully because Ive been hoping for this for years, he will resign and end up playing safety once his skillset serves us better there.

The big challenge will be determining his value should he make that change.

Champ has a ways to go to get to 40, and cornerback pay is a lot higher than safety pay. A long term contract is gonna have to be worked out, and I hope both sides give a little.



Champ will be the essence of the moniker "ballhawk" at the position, and I cant wait to see it. To be able to play centerfield with his chest to the QB is gonna allow his reading, reacting and instincts to take away alot of QBs confidence in throwing downfield.

Most definitely he will play FS, and though he wont conk any heads, he is as sure a tackler out there as any in the open field.


..........He may have to pump a little iron though.:coffee:

Tned
03-13-2010, 01:51 PM
Champ will be paid the 13 plus mil, and HOPEFULLY, I say hopefully because Ive been hoping for this for years, he will resign and end up playing safety once his skillset serves us better there.

The big challenge will be determining his value should he make that change.

Champ has a ways to go to get to 40, and cornerback pay is a lot higher than safety pay. A long term contract is gonna have to be worked out, and I hope both sides give a little.



Champ will be the essence of the moniker "ballhawk" at the position, and I cant wait to see it. To be able to play centerfield with his chest to the QB is gonna allow his reading, reacting and instincts to take away alot of QBs confidence in throwing downfield.

Most definitely he will play FS, and though he wont conk any heads, he is as sure a tackler out there as any in the open field.


..........He may have to pump a little iron though.:coffee:

During his time in Denver, he has been one of the best run stoppers, in terms of sniffing out the run and open field tackling, on the team.

Northman
03-13-2010, 01:51 PM
The guy has been worth it no doubt about it. The consumante professional and class act as well. I do hope he tries to lengthen his caree also by moving to safety as some point.

Northman
03-13-2010, 01:52 PM
During his time in Denver, he has been one of the best run stoppers, in terms of sniffing out the run and open field tackling, on the team.

Its unfortuante he is so small. He would of been a great DE. :lol:

Tned
03-13-2010, 01:54 PM
Its unfortuante he is so small. He would of been a great DE. :lol:

He seems to have the mindset for it.

WARHORSE
03-13-2010, 03:18 PM
I saw Champ move down off the corner to pull right alongside the DE against San Dieggo, and then have them run LT to his side.

He bulled the RT five yards into the backfield, making LT bounce it further outside, only to be brought down at a loss of yardage.


Thats what CHAMP Bailey brings to the table.

T.K.O.
03-13-2010, 04:31 PM
I'm curious to see how this works out. I can't see us giving champ the 12 million dollar roster bonus that is due this year.

his roster bonus was 3 mil and it's already been paid.
he's "on board" for this year....next year is the big question

Ravage!!!
03-13-2010, 05:25 PM
his roster bonus was 3 mil and it's already been paid.
he's "on board" for this year....next year is the big question

That roster bonus was paid, yes. But isn't he guaranteed 12 million this year? TWELVE million, and you think next year is the big question?

dogfish
03-13-2010, 05:33 PM
I'm curious to see how this works out. I can't see us giving champ the 12 million dollar roster bonus that is due this year.


That roster bonus was paid, yes. But isn't he guaranteed 12 million this year? TWELVE million, and you think next year is the big question?

dude, are you really still beating this drum?


come on man, time to move on-- it's the uncapped year, and we quite clearly aren't making a move with bailey. . . if we had any type of re-negotiation in mind, we would've attempted it before paying the roster bonus. . .

Ravage!!!
03-13-2010, 05:36 PM
dude, are you really still beating this drum?


come on man, time to move on-- it's the uncapped year, and we quite clearly aren't making a move with bailey. . . if we had any type of re-negotiation in mind, we would've attempted it before paying the roster bonus. . .

Not beating a drum. I don't agree that the negotiations won't happen though.

You are right, its an uncapped year. But that sure goes against all the penny pinching rumors and comments we've heard from the Bowlen camp, doesn't it?

I see what you mean, if there is a year we don't have to worry about the 12 million against the cap, take advantage of it. Still seems odd though.