Bill Williamson (ESPN/AFC West) Expects Kuper to be Cut Due to Injuries

[LTC Pain]

This is interesting. In a Bill Williamson article ranking the offensive lineman in the AFC West there is this footnote at the bottom.

" Denver guard Chris Kuper would be on this list, but he is expected to be cut at some point because of injuries."

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/58947/ranking-the-afc-west-o-linemen

[Buff]

Yeah, the writing is on the wall with the signing of Vasquez. Guys like Kuper usually aren't interested in coming in as a backup for the veteran minimum... Plus his ankle/foot will never be the same. So he is likely gone.

[Ravage!!!]

Bummer, that's too bad. It was obvious the FO by signing Vasquez, and feel that was a great signing. But was hoping Kupe's would have been in there somewhere.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Bummer, that's too bad. It was obvious the FO by signing Vasquez, and feel that was a great signing. But was hoping Kupe's would have been in there somewhere.

I'm hopeful they'll keep him for depth. Heaven forbid we have someone who is of starting quality as our 6th lineman.

[underrated29]

move him to center

[Ravage!!!]

move him to center

How does that solve his injury problem?

[CoachChaz]

I'm hopeful they'll keep him for depth. Heaven forbid we have someone who is of starting quality as our 6th lineman.

Starter quality is one thing. 4 mil to ride the pine is another.

[Buff]

How does that solve his injury problem?

Exactly. He has a plate in his foot that didn't heal properly. I hate to say it - but his career is over. If his foot was healthy he'd be our starting guard.

[underrated29]

How does that solve his injury problem?



It solves our Center problem

[Ravage!!!]

It solves our Center problem

Not if he's hurt. If he was healthy, he would be starting at guard (like Buff just said).

[Joel]

Exactly. He has a plate in his foot that didn't heal properly. I hate to say it - but his career is over. If his foot was healthy he'd be our starting guard.
From what I've read, the foot healed just fine: Playing all last season shredded the METAL PLATE (NOT his foot.) New season, new plate; hopefully we can keep Kuper, because I still have little faith in Beadles AT THE LINE (i.e. not pancaking safeties downfield.) Even if I did, linemen are periodically injured (just in case anyone discussing Kupers future forgot that,) and I don't have to wonder whether a one-legged Kuper>Manny Ramirez: The coaches already answered that question in the playoffs, when Kuper started and played the whole game despite walking around on a warped piece of metal.

[Dapper Dan]

Backup quality $700k Manny > One legged $4mill Kuper

[Davii]

Can he play Safety?

[GEM]

That just sucks for Chris. Dude was really good for us and I hate to see it end this way. :(

[Buff]

From what I've read, the foot healed just fine: Playing all last season shredded the METAL PLATE (NOT his foot.) New season, new plate; hopefully we can keep Kuper, because I still have little faith in Beadles AT THE LINE (i.e. not pancaking safeties downfield.) Even if I did, linemen are periodically injured (just in case anyone discussing Kuper future forgot that,) and I don't have to wonder whether a one-legged Kuper>Manny Ramirez: The coaches already answered that question in the playoffs, when Kuper started and played the whole game despite walking around on a warped piece of metal.

The bone that the metal plate was attached to shattered. Maybe he'll be able to rehab it - but if I were a betting man I'd say his playing days are behind him.

[Joel]

Backup quality $700k Manny > One legged $4mill Kuper
So renegotiation with Kuper is out of the question? He'd rather hold out and see if someone else will pay him $4 million? Because that worked out so well for Doom?

Even if so, I'm not sure that inequality holds. Just because Kuper's not worth $4 million doesn't make Ramirez worth $700k: It just means Kuper's not worth $4 million. Ramirez is still little more than camp fodder.

[TXBRONC]

Can he play Safety?

Or middle linebacker.

[CoachChaz]

So renegotiation with Kuper is out of the question? He'd rather hold out and see if someone else will pay him $4 million? Because that worked out so well for Doom?

Even if so, I'm not sure that inequality holds. Just because Kuper's not worth $4 million doesn't make Ramirez worth $700k: It just means Kuper's not worth $4 million. Ramirez is still little more than camp fodder.

Ramirez is not great in the run game, but he pass blocks quite well. I know most people will see him give up a sack or two and immediately curse him and say he sucks, but that's not the case. Sorry.

[LTC Pain]

So renegotiation with Kuper is out of the question? He'd rather hold out and see if someone else will pay him $4 million? Because that worked out so well for Doom?

Even if so, I'm not sure that inequality holds. Just because Kuper's not worth $4 million doesn't make Ramirez worth $700k: It just means Kuper's not worth $4 million. Ramirez is still little more than camp fodder.

Where and the hell do you pull this crap from??? Williamson thinks Kuper will get cut due to injury. That's all the link says. But somehow you've conjured up what I've bolded/underlined???

[Bosco]

Exactly. He has a plate in his foot that didn't heal properly. I hate to say it - but his career is over. If his foot was healthy he'd be our starting guard.

Kuper's father posted this on another forum.


He is doing well, feels like he is farther along than last year. We have gotten some answers on why he seems to have gotten injury prone and the doctors have addressed it. What we were told makes sense and he expects to be full speed by the beginning of the season. Thanks for asking.


I have just been taking in the hatefest... some of the people on this board are just whack. Chris is doing fine, wants to get back working out but has been unable due to a medical procedure he has been undergoing to address what his doctor discovered after he had his last surgery. His leg is farther ahead than it was last year at this time.

[Joel]

Ah, the NFLs land of false dichotomies:

Moore and Carter are great and Harris sucks, so we don't need or dare to put Champ at safety (Translation: I don't want to move Champ to safety, so no one else can play CB and our safeties are great.)
Irving's four career starts prove he's a great MLB and we don't need one anyway (Translation: I don't want to admit we have NO MLB, therefore we don't need one and/or those we have are great.)
Ramirez is as good as Kuper but a lot cheaper so we should cut Kuper (Translation: I don't want to pay $4 million for a 6th lineman worthy of the name.)


Ramirez is not great in the run game, but he pass blocks quite well. I know most people will see him give up a sack or two and immediately curse him and say he sucks, but that's not the case. Sorry.
I've not seen him do either well. Evidently the coaches haven't either, because they preferred to play Kuper for a whole playoff game, despite KNOWING he had a broken piece of steel where his ankle should be.


Where and the hell do you pull this crap from??? Williamson thinks Kuper will get cut due to injury. That's all the link says. But somehow you've conjured up what I've bolded/underlined??? I got it from this response to my comments on the link: "Backup quality $700k Manny > One legged $4mill Kuper"

That logic only holds IF Kuper can't recover AND won't play for <$4 million (and if Ramirez is worth $700k, which I dispute.) If he "rekuperates" and is willing to renegotiate (and given his history, media buzz and recent team actions I imagine he is) that obviously changes the equation, doesn't it?

[Buff]

Kuper's father posted this on another forum.

Chris is a class act, and I hope he is able to recover... But I think the odds were against him based solely on his original ankle break. Then when you consider that it didn't heal properly and all his other injuries, the odds get even longer. The signing of Vasquez all but seals his fate unless he is willing to take a significant pay cut. Even then, I'm not sure his body will cooperate.


That Kuper had to skip the Pro Bowl capped the most difficult season of his seven-year NFL career. First he missed the entire 2012 offseason program to recover from his ankle/leg injury. Then after he returned for training camp, he broke his left forearm during practice, an injury that did not allow him to play guard through the first five regular-season games.

In his third game at right guard, Nov. 4 at Cincinnati, Kuper reinjured his left ankle. At the time, X-rays did not reveal a fracture. Kuper sat out the next two games and returned to play in two more games. But in the days before the Broncos' game at Oakland, the pain in Kuper's left ankle/lower left leg inflamed and he was scratched from the Thursday night, Dec. 6 game against the Raiders.

X-rays this time revealed a break where the plate — which had been holding the fibula — was shattered.

Read more: Broncos guard Chris Kuper needs surgery, declines Pro Bowl - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22426823/broncos-guard-chris-kuper-needs-surgery-declines-pro#ixzz2VwQPVWli

[Joel]

Chris is a class act, and I hope he is able to recover... But I think the odds were against him based solely on his original ankle break. Then when you consider that it didn't heal properly and all his other injuries, the odds get even longer. The signing of Vasquez all but seals his fate unless he is willing to take a significant pay cut. Even then, I'm not sure his body will cooperate.

Read more: Broncos guard Chris Kuper needs surgery, declines Pro Bowl - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22426823/broncos-guard-chris-kuper-needs-surgery-declines-pro#ixzz2VwQPVWli
"...the plate — which had been holding the fibula — was shattered."

A piece of steel disintegrating=/=injury prone. That's not a failing in his body, but in the steel and/or how/why it was inserted. Fix the plate, fix the problem, which I believe was the point of his offseason surgery.

We'll see what happens, but he'll probably have to take a pay cut to stay on this team or any other regardless. If he's willing to do that, there's no reason (certainly not Ramirez) he must become a cap casualty

[LTC Pain]

Ah, the NFLs land of false dichotomies:

Moore and Carter are great and Harris sucks, so we don't need or dare to put Champ at safety (Translation: I don't want to move Champ to safety, so no one else can play CB and our safeties are great.)
Irving's four career starts prove he's a great MLB and we don't need one anyway (Translation: I don't want to admit we have NO MLB, therefore we don't need one and/or those we have are great.)
Ramirez is as good as Kuper but a lot cheaper so we should cut Kuper (Translation: I don't want to pay $4 million for a 6th lineman worthy of the name.)


I've not seen him do either well. Evidently the coaches haven't either, because they preferred to play Kuper for a whole playoff game, despite KNOWING he had a broken piece of steel where his ankle should be.

I got it from this response to my comments on the link: "Backup quality $700k Manny > One legged $4mill Kuper"

That logic only holds IF Kuper can't recover AND won't play for <$4 million (and if Ramirez is worth $700k, which I dispute.) If he "rekuperates" and is willing to renegotiate (and given his history, media buzz and recent team actions I imagine he is) that obviously changes the equation, doesn't it?


So, you surmise/conclude Kuper won't renegotiate his contract and will holdout based on another poster's opinion? You call that "logic"??? I call it something else.

[elsid13]

Exactly. He has a plate in his foot that didn't heal properly. I hate to say it - but his career is over. If his foot was healthy he'd be our starting guard.

His father post on the mane, and he stated they figured out what the problem was and he is process of getting right. Coaching staff haven't indicated that he going anywhere to him.

[CoachChaz]

I've not seen him do either well. Evidently the coaches haven't either, because they preferred to play Kuper for a whole playoff game, despite KNOWING he had a broken piece of steel where his ankle should be.




A healthy Kuper is still better than a healthy Ramirez. Doesnt mean he sucks. Didnt help much anyway, as Kuper looked like crap in that game.

Either way, I take Ramirez at 700k over Kuper at 4 mil

[Ravage!!!]

RIght.. we do not need/want to move Champ to safety. Translation: its stupid to suggest moving a great player from corner to saftey.

Just as we do not want to move Miller to MLB. Translation: its stupid to move a premier pass rusher from OLB to MLB.

[Joel]

So, you surmise/conclude Kuper won't renegotiate his contract and will holdout based on another poster's opinion? You call that "logic"??? I call it something else.
No, I suspect he WILL renegotiate if asked: Didn't I say so? The point was "Backup quality $700k Manny > One legged $4mill Kuper" works IF—and ONLY if—Kuper demands $4 million to play on one leg. IF both legs are healthy and he's willing to play for less, that logic doesn't hold at all, even if we accept that Ramirez is backup quality or better (which I don't.)

What is hard to follow there? :confused:

[Army Bronco]

Can he play Safety? Maybe Strong Safety... I think he is too white for Free Safety.

[Simple Jaded]

Don't worry, I have a feeling that this Beadles kid is the next Bob Hannah.

[Bosco]

His father post on the mane, and he stated they figured out what the problem was and he is process of getting right. Coaching staff haven't indicated that he going anywhere to him.

Probably Burger Bill pulling shit out of his ass as usual.

[Buff]

His father post on the mane, and he stated they figured out what the problem was and he is process of getting right. Coaching staff haven't indicated that he going anywhere to him.

Yeah - but the problem is a broken bone held together by a metal plate that shattered mid-season. Identifying the problem is one thing - getting his body to respond is another entirely. The team is going to give him every opportunity to recover, but realistically no one is expecting him to return to form. Hence the Vasquez signing.