Lonestar
06-18-2009, 03:01 AM
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/18/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Let Casey Wiegmann serve as an example for any future Broncos — or current ones, for that matter — looking for a new, lucrative contract.
Show up to work, be patient, and the deal will get done.
The Broncos and Wiegmann on Wednesday finalized a new, two-year contract for the veteran center that will pay Wiegmann a total of $4.7 million over two years. The new deal gives Wiegmann a substantial raise this season, from the league minimum of $845,000 to $2.5 million — a salary both sides agreed is befitting a player who has started 127 consecutive games, the longest streak among active NFL centers.
"I wasn't even asking for what the average starting center gets paid. It wasn't about that," Wiegmann said. "I just wanted more than they had offered before, and we met in the middle. They gave and I gave, and it worked for both of us."
The deal means at least one of the Broncos' Pro Bowl players from last season will be on the field for them in 2009. One other, quarterback Jay Cutler, already is gone after a feud with new coach Josh McDaniels. And the other, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, is in the midst of his own protest, seeking a new contract or a trade.
Wiegmann nearly joined the increasingly lengthy list of former Broncos.
With no new contract finalized by the end of the team's mandatory minicamp last weekend, Wiegmann left Dove Valley believing his NFL career might be over. He would rather retire healthy at age 35 than start his 14th season at age 36 — his birthday is July 20 — playing for less than he felt he deserved.
But instead of skipping the team's offseason program, Wiegmann decided that showing up at Dove Valley would be the best way to convince the new staff to renegotiate his contract. He missed only one day, an excused absence so he could attend a family function.
"I'm a blue-collar guy. I'm a guy who's going to do what-ever it takes," Wiegmann said. "I knew if we got this done, I would have to learn a new offense, and I just like being around the guys. And I knew it's what I had to do if I wanted to work out a deal. And it worked out that way."
McDaniels declined to comment about Marshall, but the message coming from Broncos headquarters Wednesday was clear: Players who prove they want to be here will be rewarded.
"I commend him and his rep for the way they handled this whole thing," McDaniels said. "They had patience, we had patience. We tried to make sure we did this the right way. We tried to do what is in the best interest of Casey Wiegmann and the Denver Broncos."
Certainly the team will benefit from Wiegmann's presence. Signed to be a backup to Tom Nalen in 2008, Wiegmann ended up starting every game last season after Nalen was injured in training camp. Wiegmann, part of the offensive line that allowed only 12 sacks, a team record, was selected to be an alternate to the Pro Bowl and made his first trip to Hawaii when another player pulled out.
"There are probably six or eight teams that wished they would have listened to me and signed him last year," said Joe Linta, Wiegmann's agent. "This is the kind of guy you want. He keeps his mouth shut, works hard, sets an example for the younger guys. Why would you not want a guy to feel comfortable in the situation?"
Wiegmann has made 8,046 consecutive snaps since 2001 and said he has a goal of reaching 10,000 straight snaps.
"That would be the ultimate," Wiegmann said. "I don't know if anybody has done that in the history of the NFL."
The league does track records for consecutive snaps.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12615671?source=rss
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/18/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Let Casey Wiegmann serve as an example for any future Broncos — or current ones, for that matter — looking for a new, lucrative contract.
Show up to work, be patient, and the deal will get done.
The Broncos and Wiegmann on Wednesday finalized a new, two-year contract for the veteran center that will pay Wiegmann a total of $4.7 million over two years. The new deal gives Wiegmann a substantial raise this season, from the league minimum of $845,000 to $2.5 million — a salary both sides agreed is befitting a player who has started 127 consecutive games, the longest streak among active NFL centers.
"I wasn't even asking for what the average starting center gets paid. It wasn't about that," Wiegmann said. "I just wanted more than they had offered before, and we met in the middle. They gave and I gave, and it worked for both of us."
The deal means at least one of the Broncos' Pro Bowl players from last season will be on the field for them in 2009. One other, quarterback Jay Cutler, already is gone after a feud with new coach Josh McDaniels. And the other, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, is in the midst of his own protest, seeking a new contract or a trade.
Wiegmann nearly joined the increasingly lengthy list of former Broncos.
With no new contract finalized by the end of the team's mandatory minicamp last weekend, Wiegmann left Dove Valley believing his NFL career might be over. He would rather retire healthy at age 35 than start his 14th season at age 36 — his birthday is July 20 — playing for less than he felt he deserved.
But instead of skipping the team's offseason program, Wiegmann decided that showing up at Dove Valley would be the best way to convince the new staff to renegotiate his contract. He missed only one day, an excused absence so he could attend a family function.
"I'm a blue-collar guy. I'm a guy who's going to do what-ever it takes," Wiegmann said. "I knew if we got this done, I would have to learn a new offense, and I just like being around the guys. And I knew it's what I had to do if I wanted to work out a deal. And it worked out that way."
McDaniels declined to comment about Marshall, but the message coming from Broncos headquarters Wednesday was clear: Players who prove they want to be here will be rewarded.
"I commend him and his rep for the way they handled this whole thing," McDaniels said. "They had patience, we had patience. We tried to make sure we did this the right way. We tried to do what is in the best interest of Casey Wiegmann and the Denver Broncos."
Certainly the team will benefit from Wiegmann's presence. Signed to be a backup to Tom Nalen in 2008, Wiegmann ended up starting every game last season after Nalen was injured in training camp. Wiegmann, part of the offensive line that allowed only 12 sacks, a team record, was selected to be an alternate to the Pro Bowl and made his first trip to Hawaii when another player pulled out.
"There are probably six or eight teams that wished they would have listened to me and signed him last year," said Joe Linta, Wiegmann's agent. "This is the kind of guy you want. He keeps his mouth shut, works hard, sets an example for the younger guys. Why would you not want a guy to feel comfortable in the situation?"
Wiegmann has made 8,046 consecutive snaps since 2001 and said he has a goal of reaching 10,000 straight snaps.
"That would be the ultimate," Wiegmann said. "I don't know if anybody has done that in the history of the NFL."
The league does track records for consecutive snaps.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12615671?source=rss