Casey wants to get paid....

[broncofaninfla]

HONOLULU — Sure, Casey Wiegmann wants to come back and play.
But first the Broncos will have to pay.
And if they don't redo the contract of their starting center, who is here to play in his first Pro Bowl?
"Like I told the guys down here, if nothing gets done, there's no better way to leave the game — besides playing in the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl — than coming here and playing in this game," Wiegmann said.
"And I know they want to get something done. We started talking to the Goodmans (Jim and Jeff, of the team's personnel department) before the season was over. We just didn't get into it. With the coaching change, we wanted to let things die down a little bit."
In a juxtaposition of age and authority, Wiegmann, 35, met last Monday with new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, 32, to discuss myriad subjects, including the center's contract situation.
They agreed to meet again in two weeks at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
When Wiegmann signed with the Broncos a year ago, he got a two-year contract that essentially paid him backup wages. Cut loose by a skidding Kansas City team and in his mid-30s, the only job Wiegmann could get is as a backup to Broncos stalwart Tom Nalen.
As it turned out, Nalen suffered an offseason knee injury that didn't heal properly, and Wiegmann rescued the Broncos from going bust with their free-agent class. The Broncos paid roughly $10 million last season to Boss Bailey, Niko Koutovides and Keary Colbert.
Wiegmann was money well-spent. Even with a signing bonus and playing-time incentives, he made $1.6 million last year and is scheduled to draw only the veteran minimum $845,000 for 2009.
In the four previous seasons with Kansas City, Wiegmann averaged $2.7 million a year. The going rate this season for starting centers of his ilk surpasses $3 million.
"I'm on the bottom of the totem pole," Wiegmann said. "I think we're going to get something done. I'd love to come back. I loved the guys I played with. The offensive line there is awesome. (Coach Rick Dennison) does a great job with the offensive line. Talking to Josh, it's going to be a pretty solid offense. We should be right there, as long as they get the defensive side squared away."
With the AFC practice completed here Tuesday, Wiegmann was standing casually in the lobby of the players' resort hotel wearing flip-flops, shorts and a T-shirt. He had just shed 10 pounds after joining his church in a 10-day Daniel Fast, which consists of vegetables, fruits, water and whole-wheat pasta. No meats, no sugars.
"We stayed through and true," he said. "It worked. My Mountain Dew was hard. I'm hooked on it. I drink about one or two a day."
He was waiting on his wife, Danni. Several more relatives were coming in, on Wiegmann's dime, and he wanted to check out the surfers on the North Shore before the family crush.
It took 13 NFL seasons, 127 consecutive starts, 8,046 consecutive snaps and multiple, first-alternate near misses, but Wiegmann finally was invited here to play in his first Pro Bowl.
"Overdue for Casey," said Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, Wiegmann's teammate from 2001-07. "I was sad when we let him go."
The snap streak has become Wiegmann's living legacy.
"I've kind of taken it to heart," he said. "I want to keep going and get over 10,000."
To reach that milestone, Wiegmann is asking for a few more zeroes of another kind. But whether the choice is another season with the Broncos or retirement, Wiegmann is getting himself in shape.
"My dad's big, and with things in limbo, I wanted to make sure I lost some (weight)," he said. "Plus, you don't want to come to Hawaii and feel fat and out of shape."
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com (mklis@denverpost.com)

[TXBRONC]

It sounds to me like Weigmann should get his contract redone.

[Ziggy]

It sounds to me like Weigmann should get his contract redone.

I agree. He's playing the best football of his career. I wonder how many years he wants on the new contract.

[Nomad]

Give Weig a few million from Boss's contract, Boss be injured by the 3rd game next year anyway!

[Fan in Exile]

I'm sure they'll give him more money with all sorts of clauses for playing time and injury.

[TXBRONC]

Give Weig a few million from Boss's contract, Boss be injured by the 3rd game next year anyway!

Who knows Boss might not even be retained.

[Shazam!]

He could have second life here in the tradition of Denver bringing in linemen from the 90's. Maybe they can even get a few more years out of him. Look at Mawae.

[Nomad]

Who knows Boss might not even be retained.

I don't follow drafts, contracts and FA, but if they get rid of players, say like Boss, do they owe him money or other players money?

[TXBRONC]

I don't follow drafts, contracts and FA, but if they get rid of players, say like Boss, do they owe him money or other players money?

I don't follow it very closely but yes since Boss is under contract yes Denver would still owe him money. I expect as sure you do as well some these players are going to get released. We don't know who that will be but I would be surprised if a couple of them have a higher name recognition like a Boss Bailey.

[TXBRONC]

He could have second life here in the tradition of Denver bringing in linemen from the 90's. Maybe they can even get a few more years out of him. Look at Mawae.

No doubt, it is very possible we could get three years out of him or maybe a little bit depending if can continue to play at a high level.

[broncosinindy]

I don't follow drafts, contracts and FA, but if they get rid of players, say like Boss, do they owe him money or other players money?
Yes, i cant remember for how many years we signed boss last year to a contract that was worth 17.5 million i cant remember how much garunteed. or how much we have already paid. but i am sure he will be due some amount

[rcsodak]

I don't follow drafts, contracts and FA, but if they get rid of players, say like Boss, do they owe him money or other players money?

Salaries aren't worth the paper they're written on. It's only the bonus' that are guaranteed. ie. 3yrs/15million, he's already received, but it hits the cap for all 3yrs. If he's cut, it accelerates and the remaining amount hits this year. With $40million supposedly avail, this may be the best time to get rid of the bad money, so as not to carry it forward into the rebuilding of the team.

[broncofaninfla]

I say pay him, we need him and he earned it.

As for Boss and Robertson for that matter, I say Denver should give them physicals, I'm sure they will both fail, reach injury settlements and be done with them.

[G_Money]

With Boss absolutely destroying his knee, and Robertson the same, an injury settlement might be the easiest way out of both of those contracts. Though nobody can clear up Robertson's contract for me, so hopefully the Goodmans understand that damn contract language.

As for Casey, I'd pay him a decent chunk. 2 years, 5.5 mil with a mil in playing bonuses sounds fair. That's going rate, insulates us a little against injury or decline, pays him if he continues to contribute.

I'd still draft another OG/C to compete with Lichtensteiger. Want to have that line in tip-top readiness when Wiegmann calls it quits. In the meantime, having that veteran in the middle is nice. As Nalen showed, you CAN do it as a youngster, but if we can wait til Jay has a few more years under his belt that's fine too.

~G

[broncosinindy]

Boss Baileys Contract.


3/6/2008: Signed a five-year, $17.5 million contract. The deal included a $4.3 million signing bonus. Another $3 million is available through incentives in years four and five. 2009: $895,000, 2010-2012: $2.4 million, 2013: Free Agent. Cap charges: $1.755 million (2009), $3.26 million (2010-2012).

[G_Money]

We can cut him for a 3.5 million dollar hit?

Do it now.

Yesterday even. Though in all seriousness if we need the extra 1.7ish mill it's actually better to carry him on the team than to cut him. It just costs us a roster spot, which if we IR him even that's freed up.

Next year is the year to cut him.

~G

[TXBRONC]

Boss Baileys Contract.


3/6/2008: Signed a five-year, $17.5 million contract. The deal included a $4.3 million signing bonus. Another $3 million is available through incentives in years four and five. 2009: $895,000, 2010-2012: $2.4 million, 2013: Free Agent. Cap charges: $1.755 million (2009), $3.26 million (2010-2012).

So if he's going be cut this would be the year to do it.

[broncosinindy]

from the looks of the contract that is the way i would do it.

[G_Money]

Like I said, TX, he costs us 1.7ish against the cap this year if we keep him, and 3.5ish if we cut him (signing bonuses are paid out over the length of the contract for cap purposes normally, so he still has 4/5 of that $4.3 mil coming to him).

It'll cost Mr. Bowlen an extra $895k to keep him for the year instead of cutting him now, but we can add an extra player for the 1.7 mil excess cap hit that cutting Boss now would mean, and as the article states that's potentially a Wiegmann.

I'd rather IR Boss and add a Wiegmann - in the best possible world. ;)

~G

[Dortoh]

Tyler Polumbus interests me but I say pay Casey as I dont want to gamble with Jays life.

[Nomad]

I say pay him, we need him and he earned it.

As for Boss and Robertson for that matter, I say Denver should give them physicals, I'm sure they will both fail, reach injury settlements and be done with them.


I didn't mean to make this a Boss discussion but they mentioned him in the article and he's one guy that I don't care to have him on the team because of his injuries and low pain tolerence. Many here have answered my question and I agree with you to give him a physical. And back to topic, Weigmann did prove he could play last year and they do need to pay him.

[TXBRONC]

Tyler Polumbus interests me but I say pay Casey as I dont want to gamble with Jays life.

Isn't Polumbus an offensive tackle?

[Dortoh]

Isn't Polumbus an offensive tackle?

His is listed at Tackle but I thought they brought him in as a project at center? I could be wrong.

[TXBRONC]

His is listed at Tackle but I thought they brought him in as a project at center? I could be wrong.

It wouldn't be surprising if Shanahan had tried him out at center.

[G_Money]

Polumbus is our backup tackle.

Lichtensteiger is our center, who is also a guard backup. What we do with Wiegmann will likely determine what we do with Lichtensteiger - I expect to see Wiegmann back and to have Kory battling with Hamilton for starting guard slot.

~G

[Dortoh]

Polumbus is our backup tackle.

Lichtensteiger is our center, who is also a guard backup. What we do with Wiegmann will likely determine what we do with Lichtensteiger - I expect to see Wiegmann back and to have Kory battling with Hamilton for starting guard slot.

~G

Damn it thats right I got those messed up.

[Dortoh]

This was the pre draft assesment of Kory.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/kory-lichtensteiger?id=274

Analysis
Positives: Has good chest thickness, broad shoulders and a squat frame that can carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness...Has strong, thick legs, with good hip rotation and lateral agility to get out front on traps and pulls...Alert to defensive schemes, easily picking up the stunts and blitzes...Versatile, with the ability to play center or guard...Shows excellent quickness as a snap-and-step center, getting a strong surge when making initial contact...Instinctive player who does a solid job making blocking-assignment calls...Durable athlete who has started every game during his college career...A little stiff in his straight-line burst, but shows good balance and body control to take angles and neutralize second-level defenders...Plays with good strength, keeping himself flat-footed with his hands inside his frame to shock and jolt the defender...Shows the functional body control and foot agility to quickly move off the snap...Active, tough competitor who always gives a second effort...Has enough quickness coming out of his stance, clearing defenders off the ball with his leg drive, hand jolt and explosion, as he plays with an aggressive nature...Generates a strong hand punch blocking on the move and plays with great effort, as he is always looking for targets to strike...More explosive coming out of his stance from shotgun formation, but also shows fluid motion when the quarterback lines up under center...Bit of a waist bender, but is quick to recover, as he shows proper knee bend to gain position, anchor and sustain...Drives with force coming out of his stance, staying with the defender while keeping a wide leg base to maintain balance...Clamps on tightly to ride the defender wide and is a physical drive blocker who simply runs over people...Powerful trap blocker who does a very nice job of locating defenders in space...Excels at pulling to trap when uncovered, cutting off on the front side of the gap...Moves well in the box, showing good range and has improved a fluid drop-and-set with his head on a swivel, displaying good footwork in pass sets...Can anchor down with force in pass protection and extends his arms properly to contain the bull rush...Shows the patience needed to take on blockers, as it is rare to see him lunge or over-extend to land on a target...Adjusts well in space and does a nice job either in one-on-one situations or combining with his guards to shut down the rush...Has enough lateral quickness and movement skills to get position on the linebacker moving downfield and shows the slide ability in both directions when blocking an angle...Can make the shotgun snap, as he is quick with his hands, demonstrating much better hand placement as a senior (see 2007 Minnesota, Temple and Akron games)...Uses his hands efficiently to get inside the frame of a defender to rock him back with a jarring hand punch...Mirrors double moves well, due to his fluid lateral agility...Review of 2007 tapes shows that the athlete has refined his change-of-direction agility, as he does a better job of dropping his weight and planting his foot in the ground to redirect.



Negatives: Quality snapper in the shotgun, but the team does not place their quarterback under center much to get a true gauge of his hand quickness in that category...Shows better pop with his hands when blocking on the move than when he's stationary...Demonstrates good balance and body control on the move, but will bend at the waist at times and when he does this, he is slow to recover...A true interior blocker, as he seems more comfortable working in unison with his guards on blocks (does not have the quick kick slide to get on the edge and handle the speedy pass rushers as a potential tackle candidate)...Showed improvement as a senior, but was not always consistent shooting his hands and getting hand placement to lock on and control defenders earlier in his career...Because he is utilized mostly in the shotgun, he might have to return to guard early in his professional career until he can show he has the same snap quickness and hand speed needed for the traditional quarterback snap, but he showed earlier in his career that he has the ability to pull for the ground game from the left guard position (made 184 knockdowns with 27 touchdown-resulting blocks during his first two years as a guard at BGSU).



Compares To: BRAD MEESTER-Jacksonville...Like Meester, Lichtensteiger's versatility will make him a valuable asset for a professional team earlier in his pro career. He has worked hard to develop into a very effective trap blocker and has experience at guard, so a move back to that position during his first few years won't be slowed by a lack of experience. He is a tenacious drive blocker who keeps his head on a swivel to locate and land on second-level defenders with consistency. He is a smart player who makes good line calls and adjustments. With his ability to work in unison with his fellow interior blockers, whatever position he lines up at next year, look for him to make a smooth adjustment to NFL life.

[TXBRONC]

This was the pre draft assesment of Kory.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/kory-lichtensteiger?id=274

Analysis
Positives: Has good chest thickness, broad shoulders and a squat frame that can carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness...Has strong, thick legs, with good hip rotation and lateral agility to get out front on traps and pulls...Alert to defensive schemes, easily picking up the stunts and blitzes...Versatile, with the ability to play center or guard...Shows excellent quickness as a snap-and-step center, getting a strong surge when making initial contact...Instinctive player who does a solid job making blocking-assignment calls...Durable athlete who has started every game during his college career...A little stiff in his straight-line burst, but shows good balance and body control to take angles and neutralize second-level defenders...Plays with good strength, keeping himself flat-footed with his hands inside his frame to shock and jolt the defender...Shows the functional body control and foot agility to quickly move off the snap...Active, tough competitor who always gives a second effort...Has enough quickness coming out of his stance, clearing defenders off the ball with his leg drive, hand jolt and explosion, as he plays with an aggressive nature...Generates a strong hand punch blocking on the move and plays with great effort, as he is always looking for targets to strike...More explosive coming out of his stance from shotgun formation, but also shows fluid motion when the quarterback lines up under center...Bit of a waist bender, but is quick to recover, as he shows proper knee bend to gain position, anchor and sustain...Drives with force coming out of his stance, staying with the defender while keeping a wide leg base to maintain balance...Clamps on tightly to ride the defender wide and is a physical drive blocker who simply runs over people...Powerful trap blocker who does a very nice job of locating defenders in space...Excels at pulling to trap when uncovered, cutting off on the front side of the gap...Moves well in the box, showing good range and has improved a fluid drop-and-set with his head on a swivel, displaying good footwork in pass sets...Can anchor down with force in pass protection and extends his arms properly to contain the bull rush...Shows the patience needed to take on blockers, as it is rare to see him lunge or over-extend to land on a target...Adjusts well in space and does a nice job either in one-on-one situations or combining with his guards to shut down the rush...Has enough lateral quickness and movement skills to get position on the linebacker moving downfield and shows the slide ability in both directions when blocking an angle...Can make the shotgun snap, as he is quick with his hands, demonstrating much better hand placement as a senior (see 2007 Minnesota, Temple and Akron games)...Uses his hands efficiently to get inside the frame of a defender to rock him back with a jarring hand punch...Mirrors double moves well, due to his fluid lateral agility...Review of 2007 tapes shows that the athlete has refined his change-of-direction agility, as he does a better job of dropping his weight and planting his foot in the ground to redirect.



Negatives: Quality snapper in the shotgun, but the team does not place their quarterback under center much to get a true gauge of his hand quickness in that category...Shows better pop with his hands when blocking on the move than when he's stationary...Demonstrates good balance and body control on the move, but will bend at the waist at times and when he does this, he is slow to recover...A true interior blocker, as he seems more comfortable working in unison with his guards on blocks (does not have the quick kick slide to get on the edge and handle the speedy pass rushers as a potential tackle candidate)...Showed improvement as a senior, but was not always consistent shooting his hands and getting hand placement to lock on and control defenders earlier in his career...Because he is utilized mostly in the shotgun, he might have to return to guard early in his professional career until he can show he has the same snap quickness and hand speed needed for the traditional quarterback snap, but he showed earlier in his career that he has the ability to pull for the ground game from the left guard position (made 184 knockdowns with 27 touchdown-resulting blocks during his first two years as a guard at BGSU).



Compares To: BRAD MEESTER-Jacksonville...Like Meester, Lichtensteiger's versatility will make him a valuable asset for a professional team earlier in his pro career. He has worked hard to develop into a very effective trap blocker and has experience at guard, so a move back to that position during his first few years won't be slowed by a lack of experience. He is a tenacious drive blocker who keeps his head on a swivel to locate and land on second-level defenders with consistency. He is a smart player who makes good line calls and adjustments. With his ability to work in unison with his fellow interior blockers, whatever position he lines up at next year, look for him to make a smooth adjustment to NFL life.

If his hand quickness is a problem I hope he's been able to work on it.

[rcsodak]

If his hand quickness is a problem I hope he's been able to work on it.

Bet Jake could teach him handball. :beer:

[TXBRONC]

Bet Jake could teach him handball. :beer:

If you bait me or anyone else in the thread devoted to Jake that's one thing, but making it spill over to a thread that is unrelated to him is classless.

[turftoad]

Yep, give Casey a 1 or 2 year deal. He played good last year. That said, he's old and the lightest guy on the line. We do need him for one more year. Lict should be ready to go by then.

Lichtensteiger, Kory C 6' 3" 295 23 yrs old, some pre draft sites have him at 310-315.

His pre draft Bio:

BIOGRAPHY: Four-year starter who began his career at guard before moving to center as a junior. All-Conference selection the past three years.

POSITIVES: Tough interior blocker with an outstanding head for the game. Feisty, blocks with a nasty attitude, and works well with teammates. Smart, quarterbacks the offensive line, and does the little things well. Quickly gets his hands into defenders, jolts them with good punch, and easily rides them from their angle of attack. Effective in pass protection, showing the ability to slide in a small area then seal defenders from the action with good body positioning. Keeps his head on a swivel, picks up blitzes, and makes great use of angles.

NEGATIVES: Average run-blocker who does not drive opponents off the line. Slightly stiff and must improve his agility. Had surgery late in February to repair a torn labrum and may not be 100% in time for camp.

ANALYSIS: Lichtensteiger is a savvy blocker who's been productive since his early college days. Possesses the skills, smarts, and motivation to compete for a job at any of the interior blocking positions.

[dogfish]

Talking to Josh, it's going to be a pretty solid offense. We should be right there, as long as they get the defensive side squared away."



c'mon guys, where are the quote police to throw him under the bus for being a bad teammate the way they did cutler when he said essentially the same thing?

[WARHORSE]

Why the Cheevers let Wiegman, QB of a VERY dominant offensive line for many, many years...........most dominant in recent history in the AFC WEST..........go is beyond me.

But I certainly dont mind paying the man. He deserves it, and should be shown the key to a worthy small vault with his name on it.

[fcspikeit]

Like I said, TX, he costs us 1.7ish against the cap this year if we keep him, and 3.5ish if we cut him (signing bonuses are paid out over the length of the contract for cap purposes normally, so he still has 4/5 of that $4.3 mil coming to him).

It'll cost Mr. Bowlen an extra $895k to keep him for the year instead of cutting him now, but we can add an extra player for the 1.7 mil excess cap hit that cutting Boss now would mean, and as the article states that's potentially a Wiegmann.

I'd rather IR Boss and add a Wiegmann - in the best possible world. ;)

~G

In the best Possible world, we would keep Boss for his play. He would go out and live up to all the hype and be a good player for us..

[fcspikeit]

He is a pro bowler who is a class act on and off the field, he was under paid last year, yet played hard for us and never complained... There were no signs of him not being able to play at the same level again this year..

I don't think there's any question, we should pay the man!

[TXBRONC]

He is a pro bowler who is a class act on and off the field, he was under paid last year, yet played hard for us and never complained... There were no signs of him not being able to play at the same level again this year..

I don't think there's any question, we should pay the man!

I wonder what he will consider fair compensation for his services? :ponder:

[dogfish]

In the best Possible world, we would keep Boss for his play. He would go out and live up to all the hype and be a good player for us..



don't get too carried away. . . . :lol:

[Nature Boy]

Pay the guy. You can't get as durable and dependable as someone like Wiegman. Sign him for 3 more years til he is 38 yrs old.

The O-line was freaking awesome, don't mess up the cohesion already there with this group.

.

[TXBRONC]

Pay the guy. You can't get as durable and dependable as someone like Wiegman. Sign him for 3 more years til he is 38 yrs old.

The O-line was freaking awesome, don't mess up the cohesion already there with this group.

.

This is scary, I agree with you. :D