Ryan Clady tears ACL - out for season

[VonDoom]

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter 8m8 minutes ago

Broncos Pro Bowl LT Ryan Clady tore his left ACL during practice Wednesday and is likely to miss the 2015 season, a league source told ESPN.

Nooooooooo!

[Zweems56]

My day at work today was so terrible. Open twitter. See this. I want to shut down right now.

[G_Money]

SUNOVABITCH!!!

Thank God we didn't do something stupid like draft or sign La'el Collins. The bookends of Clark and Sambrailo are gonna be tremendously entertaining.

[Buff]

Well, Clark is a better LT than a RT, for whatever reason... So there's that. But yeah, we're pretty much screwed.

[G_Money]

My day at work today was so terrible. Open twitter. See this. I want to shut down right now.

Sort of like this?



Excuse me while I post some more cussing.

[MileHighCrew]

Just wow...... Not sure what the plan will be to deal with this one.

[VonDoom]

My day at work today was so terrible. Open twitter. See this. I want to shut down right now.

F'ing unbelievable, right? I was beginning to feel confident in our line because at least we had Clady and Vasquez set in stone.

Gotta suspect he's done in Denver at this point, right? Two major injuries in three years. Owed $20.7 million over the last two years of his deal if he is kept on.

[G_Money]

Dallas probably has an OL to spare. We'd just have to figure out how to get one off of em. Or we can scrape through the remaining FAs. Any former TEs who eat a lot who want to play Tackle for us?

[VonDoom]

Just wow...... Not sure what the plan will be to deal with this one.

I guess Clark? I know they were working Schofield as Clady's backup but I can't see that, at least to start the season.

[G_Money]

F'ing unbelievable, right? I was beginning to feel confident in our line because at least we had Clady and Vasquez set in stone.

Gotta suspect he's done in Denver at this point, right? Two major injuries in three years. Owed $20.7 million over the last two years of his deal if he is kept on.

At least it happened now, when we can do something about it and still get the replacement in for all of camp. I dunno that that's it for Clady here, but it's certainly not helping matters. We'd have to actually dedicate ourselves to getting a top-shelf replacement for him, and we haven't shown any inkling of wanting to do that.

[DenBronx]

Yeah were hosed.

[BroncoJoe]

So, I'm not an expert like some of you, but wasn't the consensus Clady didn't play very well last year? Is it really that big of a loss?

[underrated29]

ill trade a first rdr for Joe Thomas. Ill throw in Ronnie Hillman and Tony Carter.

[VonDoom]

At least it happened now, when we can do something about it and still get the replacement in for all of camp. I dunno that that's it for Clady here, but it's certainly not helping matters. We'd have to actually dedicate ourselves to getting a top-shelf replacement for him, and we haven't shown any inkling of wanting to do that.

I always kind of felt that this was a make or break year for him. Ever since he signed that massive deal, he's been cursed (or has the team been cursed?). Hurt after one game in 2013, not the same pro bowl caliber player last year. I was hoping it was just that he needed time to fully recover and that he would dominate again this year (or suck, and we would cut him next offseason). Now we won't even get to find out.

[VonDoom]

So, I'm not an expert like some of you, but wasn't the conciseness Clady didn't play very well last year? Is it really that big of a loss?

He wasn't very good last year, compared to his usual standard. But we had hoped it was still recovering from the injury in 2013 and that he'd be back to his old form. He's also worlds better than any of our other options right now, so it is a BIG deal in that respect.

[Shazam!]

Horrible news. OLine is screwed.

[VonDoom]

Could have taken a flier on La'el Collins but that ship has sailed.

[Buff]

Could have taken a flier on La'el Collins but that ship has sailed.

He was always going to a warm weather city closer to the south when he didn't get drafted... If we would have drafted him, we would have been at odds with him and his agent from the get go. I don't think it was ever in the cards for us... Plus, he murders people. ;)

[G_Money]

So, I'm not an expert like some of you, but wasn't the consensus Clady didn't play very well last year? Is it really that big of a loss?

Clady at his worst is better than any other Tackle on the roster will likely ever be at their best. He might be able to hop around on one leg and still be better - not to mention it was a return to an emphasis on the type of blocking that made him an All-Pro in the first place. It's not good news.

[Valar Morghulis]

Champ Bailey

[underrated29]

Jake Long is still out there....recovering....but he has to be better than Clark or schofield

[broncofaninfla]

Sucks but honestly Clady's play slipped last year. I was hoping to see him in the zone blocking scheme though, seems like a natural fit for that scheme. This sucks, I literally cussed out loud when I read it but it's next man up now.......

[VonDoom]

Troy Renck ‏@TroyRenck 4m4 minutes ago

Clady was observed receiving medical attention Wednesday during practice. But didn't appear serious. He visited doctor after practice

Cecil Lammey ‏@CecilLammey 10m10 minutes ago

per source #Broncos will look at free agent possibilities now that Ryan Clady is likely done for the year -discussing now on @ESPN_Denver

Jeff Legwold ‏@Jeff_Legwold 10m10 minutes ago

Now, with Clady injury, #Broncos essentially have four jobs open in OL -- LT, LG, C and RT, Louis Vasquez at RG only sure thing.

Troy Renck ‏@TroyRenck 3m3 minutes ago

Impossible to overstate how bad of news this is for Broncos, Clady. He and Vasquez were the certainties.

[BroncoJoe]

Clady at his worst is better than any other Tackle on the roster will likely ever be at their best. He might be able to hop around on one leg and still be better - not to mention it was a return to an emphasis on the type of blocking that made him an All-Pro in the first place. It's not good news.

Not dissing the guy, but I just don't worry about this kind of stuff.

Back in the day, if Elway went down, or Davis, I'd be concerned. I just don't see Clady as "that" guy. His hype exceeds his play, IMO. But then again, I'm not a film study type of guy. Too many more important things to worry about.

[aberdien]

So i Suppose that's the end of Cladys career

[VonDoom]

Adam CaplanVerified account
‏@caplannfl

Best available LTs for #Broncos: Anthony Collins, Jake Long, Max Starks (was cut by Cards prior to last season starting).

[VonDoom]

So i Suppose that's the end of Cladys career

As a Bronco, making $10 million a year? Yes. He'll play somewhere again in 2016, I just don't think it'll be here.

[G_Money]

Not dissing the guy, but I just don't worry about this kind of stuff.

Back in the day, if Elway went down, or Davis, I'd be concerned. I just don't see Clady as "that" guy. His hype exceeds his play, IMO. But then again, I'm not a film study type of guy. Too many more important things to worry about.

In terms of those teams, this is, "Gary Zimmerman goes down, Tom Nalen was never drafted, and Mark Schlereth is the only OL left who is not a scrub or a rookie."

That would have been a problem then. It's a problem now.

[Cugel]

F'ing unbelievable, right? I was beginning to feel confident in our line because at least we had Clady and Vasquez set in stone.

Gotta suspect he's done in Denver at this point, right? Two major injuries in three years. Owed $20.7 million over the last two years of his deal if he is kept on.

That is basically the problem. The last 3 seasons history is: signed a big deal in 2013, and promptly blew out his knee in the 2nd week and missed the season. In 2014 he was not the same player, but promised he'd be back to 100% for the 2015 season. Now, he's going to miss another season.

There's simply no way they can continue to pay him under his existing contract.




Broncos LT Ryan Clady tore his left ACL in Wednesday's practice, and is done for the season.
It's a massive blow for a team with questions all over its offensive line. Second-rounder Ty Sambrailo has been penciled in at right tackle. He played left tackle at Colorado State, but the leap from the Mountain West to AFC West might not be one he's prepared to make on Peyton Manning's blindside. Clady's 2013 replacement, Chris Clark, remains on the Broncos' roster. Michael Schofield is another option. Limited to two games by a Lisfranc sprain in 2013, Clady was essentially replacement-level in his 2014 return. Clady turns 29 in September.

$9 million this year, $9.5 million next season:


7/14/2013: Signed a five-year, $52.5 million contract. The deal contains $33 million guaranteed, including a $3 million signing bonus. Another $5 million is available through incentives based on performance and All-Pro selections. 2015: $8.5 million (+ $1.5 million roster bonus due in March), 2016: $9.5 million, 2017: $10 million, 2018: Free Agent

The Broncos will be desperately searching the waiver wire for discarded OL who might be able to come in and take a roster spot.

The OL was questionable before, now it's a huge gaping hole. Can Michael Schofield really start at LT after never starting a game in his career? Is Sambrailo going to be ready to start his rookie season? (Answer to that one is "no").

What about Chris Clark who will get a "second chance" but is a career backup at best. If they move Schofield to LT, who fills in at RT?

I'd say the last chance for Peyton Manning to win the SB just flew out the window. :coffee:

[VonDoom]

Not dissing the guy, but I just don't worry about this kind of stuff.

Back in the day, if Elway went down, or Davis, I'd be concerned. I just don't see Clady as "that" guy. His hype exceeds his play, IMO. But then again, I'm not a film study type of guy. Too many more important things to worry about.

If we had a solid o-line with very little change going into the year, I could see this. In a way, that's what happened in 2013 and Clark was a decent fill in. But the entire line except Vasquez is a question mark, and I just think it will be very difficult to cobble together some semblance of decency this year. Even if you thought Clady was overrated (or at least, not the same since the Lisfranc), it's still hard to see how they'll do better without him.

[Rick]

I got the notification on my mobile the moment a Chiefs fan office mate walked in my office to ask me something. Pretty sure it's his fault. ******.

[Magnificent Seven]

Damn! I hate losing superstars!

I hope Elway and Coach Kubiak can find a way to trade for solid OT. However, I am somewhat ok with Chris Clark or Michael Schofield could surprise us.

[G_Money]

Adam CaplanVerified account
‏@caplannfl

Best available LTs for #Broncos: Anthony Collins, Jake Long, Max Starks (was cut by Cards prior to last season starting).

Max Starks is awful. Just terrible. So we'll probably get him.

Collins completely faceplanted in Tampa. He's still probably better than what we have, and you'd think he'd come cheap now. Not really a Clady replacement though.

Jake Long is about as good as we're likely to get, depending on how his rehab is and what he's got left. On the plus side, next year with the ACL Brothers at the tackle spots would be interesting. On the minus side, nothing says Jake can get through the year without tearing his lower leg off again.

I'd take the risk anyway, and I'm sure saddling up with a contender isn't the worst thing imaginable for him either.

[Cugel]

Adam CaplanVerified account
‏@caplannfl

Best available LTs for #Broncos: Anthony Collins, Jake Long, Max Starks (was cut by Cards prior to last season starting).

The problem with this is that the Broncos just don't have any money budgeted for emergency FA acquisitions. They are still going to have to pay Clady $8.5 million for this season, they don't get any more cap room just because the player is injured.

And the Bowlen family does not want to go over their "budget" - which is based on "operating revenues." Reality 101: If you own a $1.4 BILLION company, you can borrow as much money as you want and structure any deal to be cap friendly veteran minimum, with huge signing bonus. Reality 102: They are not going to do that.

So, bottom line: they are not going to be bringing in any high priced FAs. I question whether they sign any more OL until August cuts. Then they will keep a close eye on who might be cut from other teams' rosters and try and claim somebody off waivers, probably as a backup.

[silkamilkamonico]

Big deal.

Our oline has been less than impressive since the SuperBowl mauling we took from Seattle. Get new guys in there anyways.

[BroncoJoe]

We've basically been without him for two years. I'm not too worried, mainly because I trust the brainiacs at Dove Valley.

[Cugel]

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe View Post
Not dissing the guy, but I just don't worry about this kind of stuff.

That is the very definition of "whistling past the graveyard."

[RebelRocker]

How much is guaranteed to Clady this year? Would it be out of the question to just release him? That's a lot of money that's not going to see the field this year.

[Cugel]

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe View Post
Not dissing the guy, but I just don't worry about this kind of stuff.

That is the very definition of "whistling past the graveyard." In Walking Dead.
("Nothing to see here. It's not like there are any Zombie mutants who want to eat my brains waiting for me. La, la, la.")

[Buff]

The problem with this is that the Broncos just don't have any money budgeted for emergency FA acquisitions. They are still going to have to pay Clady $8.5 million for this season, they don't get any more cap room just because the player is injured.

And the Bowlen family does not want to go over their "budget" - which is based on "operating revenues." Reality 101: If you own a $1.4 BILLION company, you can borrow as much money as you want and structure any deal to be cap friendly veteran minimum, with huge signing bonus. Reality 102: They are not going to do that.

So, bottom line: they are not going to be bringing in any high priced FAs. I question whether they sign any more OL until August cuts. Then they will keep a close eye on who might be cut from other teams' rosters and try and claim somebody off waivers, probably as a backup.

You literally just made this up. It would be impossible for you to know how much money is remaining. Common sense tells us that we aren't going to sign a high priced FA - because there are none. And I have no idea what you're talking about with the Bowlen family's budget. Nothing about this post makes sense and I hope you'll consider deleting it, and your account.

[BroncoJoe]

That is the very definition of "whistling past the graveyard."


That is the very definition of "whistling past the graveyard." In Walking Dead.
("Nothing to see here. It's not like there are any Zombie mutants who want to eat my brains waiting for me. La, la, la.")

So, it's been established that you normally don't know WTF you're talking about, and now you repeat yourself.

Since you're concerned, I feel much better.

[Cugel]

You literally just made this up. It would be impossible for you to know how much money is remaining. Common sense tells us that we aren't going to sign a high priced FA - because there are none. And I have no idea what you're talking about with the Bowlen family's budget. Nothing about this post makes sense and I hope you'll consider deleting it, and your account.

Nothing about you indicates you can think and chew gum at the same time, so how about deleting YOUR account?

Now we're even.

Newsflash for the learning impaired: The limitations of the Broncos salary cap situation are public knowledge. The Bowlen family has publicly indicated years ago that they want and intend to stay within the budget imposed by their operating revenues.

They could, if they wanted to borrow the money, pay a large cash signing bonus which would be pro-rated over the lifetime of a contract, thus going over their budget to sign a high priced FA veteran to a cap friendly deal. But, they won't do it because it would require them to pay out a lot of cash up front, which is limited by their budget, which is based on operating revenues. The team has closely budgeted their FA signings, their draft picks and their veteran re-signings all to stay within their budget and to fit within the cap without creating a lot of dead cap space down the line.

If you don't know these things, then you're not paying attention which is not my fault. :coffee:

[G_Money]

The problem with this is that the Broncos just don't have any money budgeted for emergency FA acquisitions. They are still going to have to pay Clady $8.5 million for this season, they don't get any more cap room just because the player is injured.

I would say Antonio Smith might have just cursed a little, because we can always eat his signing bonus and free up 1.5 million extra to put into a pile and get another tackle in here. There are ways to find money in the couch cushions.

[Buff]

Nothing about you indicates you can think or chew gum at the same time, so how about deleting YOUR account?

Now we're even.

Newsflash for the learning impaired: The limitations of the Broncos salary cap situation are public knowledge. The Bowlen family has publicly indicated years ago that they want and intend to stay within the budget imposed by their operating revenues.

If you don't know these things, then you're not paying attention which is not my fault. :coffee:

I do struggle with the chewing and the walking, but it's a lot to think about all at once.

The Bowlens made it known that they don't have unlimited liquid cash a few years back - which wasn't exactly a newsflash. And the guys that were mentioned were not high priced FAs, and every indication is that the Broncos DO leave some money for these types of signings. So I guess I'm not sure what your original point is/was.

[VonDoom]

The problem with this is that the Broncos just don't have any money budgeted for emergency FA acquisitions. They are still going to have to pay Clady $8.5 million for this season, they don't get any more cap room just because the player is injured.

And the Bowlen family does not want to go over their "budget" - which is based on "operating revenues." Reality 101: If you own a $1.4 BILLION company, you can borrow as much money as you want and structure any deal to be cap friendly veteran minimum, with huge signing bonus. Reality 102: They are not going to do that.

So, bottom line: they are not going to be bringing in any high priced FAs. I question whether they sign any more OL until August cuts. Then they will keep a close eye on who might be cut from other teams' rosters and try and claim somebody off waivers, probably as a backup.

None of those guys listed are high priced FA, though. If they were, they wouldn't be on the FA market anymore. No one is saying those guys will fill Clady's shoes, just that they'd be better than what we currently have and will probably come cheap.

[BroncoJoe]

We should make a poll:

Who should delete their account? Cugel or Buff?

It'd be a landslide like none other.

[GEM]

You have to be kidding me! :mad:

[BigDaddyBronco]

Next man up. Clark better show up again.

[Cugel]

So, it's been established that you normally don't know WTF you're talking about, and now you repeat yourself.

Since you're concerned, I feel much better.

Aside from the personal insults, you've just indicated that you know nothing about football.

The Broncos just lost their franchise LT for the season. On what planet have you been living that you think this is not a big deal? There's a reason why teams pay a top franchise LT $8-10 million a season and it's not because it's not important.

Chris Clark is earning $1.4 million this year and there's a reason why. See if you can figure that reason out.

[Valar Morghulis]

We should make a poll:

Who should delete their account? Cugel or Buff?

It'd be a landslide like none other.

you will get permabanned for that

[Buff]

I feel like this is a good time to tell my Ryan Clady story.

Last year, walking through the Cherry Creek mall, I see a gimpy Ryan Clady strolling my way... So I go all groupie fanboi on him like "Hey Ryan, hope you get healthy and have a great year." And he kind of looked at me and grunted and went on his way.

This concludes my Ryan Clady story. AMA.

[G_Money]

We should make a poll:

Who should delete their account? Cugel or Buff?

It'd be a landslide like none other.

See, shit like this is why I don't hang around here as much anymore. It's too much high-school girl drama. I don't care if Buff and Cugel don't like each other, I just wanna talk football.

But I guess hair-pulling is more entertaining.

[Cugel]

I looked at Over the Cap, and I think we would save only $600,000 by cutting him now, since they moved the June 1 cuts back to earlier in May. Pre-June 1 cuts we could have saved $1.8 million and eaten the $8.8 million in dead money.

http://overthecap.com/player/ryan-clady/3

It's highly doubtful that the Broncos would cut Ryan Clady. If I'm not mistaken, there's even a provision of the CBA which would prevent them from cutting him while he's on IR? I'm not certain about that, but it's reasonable.

I think they will try and re-negotiate his contract to remain in Denver next season. He might decide to go elsewhere and get more money, but realistically, if you're some other team, are you going to offer him $9 million after he's had 2 serious injuries in the last 3 years and missed both seasons, and was largely ineffective in 2014 due to the lingering after-effects of the original (lis franc) foot injury?

As a GM you probably wouldn't be willing to gamble a whole lot of money that Clady would be the player he was in 2012 after all the time missed.

[BroncoJoe]

Aside from the personal insults, you've just indicated that you know nothing about football.

The Broncos just lost their franchise LT for the season. On what planet have you been living that you think this is not a big deal? There's a reason why teams pay a top franchise LT $8-10 million a season and it's not because it's not important.

Chris Clark is earning $1.4 million this year and there's a reason why. See if you can figure that reason out.

I didn't say I know nothing about football. I just don't waste a lot of time doing things that hold no value to me personally (like watching film).

Clady hasn't played well for two years, and we've done fine. Perhaps you should investigate which planet you've been living on because you certainly haven't been paying attention to the Broncos' players who have actually been on the field, and preforming at a high level.

Tell me, Cugel - how much did Ryan Leaf, or JaMarcus Russell get contracts for?

Means ZERO.

[underrated29]

Max Starks is awful. Just terrible. So we'll probably get him.

Collins completely faceplanted in Tampa. He's still probably better than what we have, and you'd think he'd come cheap now. Not really a Clady replacement though.

Jake Long is about as good as we're likely to get, depending on how his rehab is and what he's got left. On the plus side, next year with the ACL Brothers at the tackle spots would be interesting. On the minus side, nothing says Jake can get through the year without tearing his lower leg off again.

I'd take the risk anyway, and I'm sure saddling up with a contender isn't the worst thing imaginable for him either.




Long is my hope too, which likely means that it will be some guy ive never heard of.



PS Cugel- We have around 9.5 mil in cap space roughly atm the last i heard.

[BroncoJoe]

See, shit like this is why I don't hang around here as much anymore. It's too much high-school girl drama. I don't care if Buff and Cugel don't like each other, I just wanna talk football.

But I guess hair-pulling is more entertaining.

Relax, G. It's (mostly) all in fun.

[tomjonesrocks]

Wow. What an absolute disaster.

[VonDoom]

Jeff Legwold ‏@Jeff_Legwold 5m5 minutes ago

Per @AdamSchefter and I....#Broncos have agreed to terms with T Ryan Harris.

Played in Houston under Kubiak, so I guess that makes sense.

[BigDaddyBronco]

I feel like this is a good time to tell my Ryan Clady story.

Last year, walking through the Cherry Creek mall, I see a gimpy Ryan Clady strolling my way... So I go all groupie fanboi on him like "Hey Ryan, hope you get healthy and have a great year." And he kind of looked at me and grunted and went on his way.

This concludes my Ryan Clady story. AMA.

Like, "Grunt, you have no idea how effed up my foot is, grunt." Or "grunt, get the hell away from me you gap-toothed fanboi, grunt"?

[Cugel]

I feel like this is a good time to tell my Ryan Clady story.

Last year, walking through the Cherry Creek mall, I see a gimpy Ryan Clady strolling my way... So I go all groupie fanboi on him like "Hey Ryan, hope you get healthy and have a great year." And he kind of looked at me and grunted and went on his way.

This concludes my Ryan Clady story. AMA.

In fairness to Clady for what seems like evidence of unnecessary rudeness to you, he was probably very tired of dealing with all people talking about his injury month after month, answering questions about it in the media. And perhaps having someone come up to him out of the blue like that and reminding him was not what he wanted to deal with at that moment.

I think we would all like to think that we would be more gracious to fans (because most of us don't HAVE any fans) but there are probably times when he wishes he was a bit more anonymous and this seems like it might have been one of those times.

[BigDaddyBronco]

Jeff Legwold ‏@Jeff_Legwold 5m5 minutes ago

Per @AdamSchefter and I....#Broncos have agreed to terms with T Ryan Harris.

Played in Houston under Kubiak, so I guess that makes sense.
Well that solves our RT depth issue, LOL.

[tomjonesrocks]

Good thing we have a roster full of blocking TEs to employ as 6th O-lineman all season.

[DenBronx]

Jeff Legwold ‏@Jeff_Legwold 5m5 minutes ago

Per @AdamSchefter and I....#Broncos have agreed to terms with T Ryan Harris.

Played in Houston under Kubiak, so I guess that makes sense.

Id still sign a few more OL guys. We screwed.


ZBS system sucks!!!!

[Buff]

Like, "Grunt, you have no idea how effed up my foot is, grunt." Or "grunt, get the hell away from me you gap-toothed fanboi, grunt"?

It felt more like the latter, but his limp was so pronounced that it could have been both.

[VonDoom]

Long is my hope too, which likely means that it will be some guy ive never heard of.



PS Cugel- We have around 9.5 mil in cap space roughly atm the last i heard.

I think you're about right on the cap, but I believe Ray and one other rookie haven't signed yet.

Also, I'd be down with giving Long a shot. I was against the gamble before, but at this point, why the hell not?

[Buff]

In fairness to Clady for what seems like evidence of unnecessary rudeness to you, he was probably very tired of dealing with all people talking about his injury month after month, answering questions about it in the media. And perhaps having someone come up to him out of the blue like that and reminding him was not what he wanted to deal with at that moment.

I think we would all like to think that we would be more gracious to fans (because most of us don't HAVE any fans) but there are probably times when he wishes he was a bit more anonymous and this seems like it might have been one of those times.

Yeah, I think I kind of ambushed him when he wasn't expecting it... It wasn't either of our finest moments.

[DenBronx]

WTE had choice words for us in the Clady article over at PFT. Lol

[Buff]

WTE had choice words for us in the Clady article over at PFT. Lol

Gotta tip your cap to him there - that is one committed troll.

[D1g1tal j1m]

I thought Clady would have a bounce back year this coming season after coming back last year and playing average at best. Clark will be the next man up and expect Green to not make the huge leap in our passing game as he will have to stay inline to help this unit with blocking.









p.s. goshdarnit!!!

[VonDoom]

Saw this linked on the Mane - trade for a disgruntled employee?


A tweet from Bengals LT Andrew Whitworth's Twitter account on Wednesday stated that owner Mike Brown has informed Whitworth that he will not be re-signed after the 2015 season.
Like RT Andre Smith, Whitworth is in a contract year. The Bengals used their first- and second-round picks on tackles, and Whitworth is known to be frustrated with the only organization he's ever known. "Mike Brown told me I'm done here," the tweet read. "Said I can play this year and go home. So I told him I want a raise or I'll sit my ass at home." Later, Whitworth attributed the tweet to his wife and claimed it was "intended to be sent as a private message" to a teammate. The tweet has since been deleted, and Whitworth's account is now private. May 6 - 7:53 PM

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/3701/andrew-whitworth

[MOtorboat]

Welp.

[Cugel]

I would say Antonio Smith might have just cursed a little, because we can always eat his signing bonus and free up 1.5 million extra to put into a pile and get another tackle in here. There are ways to find money in the couch cushions.

This is true. The reality is that teams could sign any FA they wanted, no matter what the price. They don't want to tell fans that so they talk about the "cap" limiting them. But, in reality, signing a FA and paying him a lot of cash up front would limit the cap hit because the signing bonus is pro-rated over the life of the contract.

The Broncos, like many teams, self-impose a limit on this practice, and the limit is that they refuse to sign a FA if that signing is going to put them over their "budget" which is based on current operating revenues. As I pointed out, since they own a multi-billion dollar business they really have as much money as they want to spend on player contracts.

Signing Ryan Harris is presumably cheap because he was cut loose by the Chiefs. This is a move that has been predicted for months, because Harris previously played for coach Kubiak in Houston and would be familiar with the blocking system. He's probably not a starter unless things really unravel though, since he only started 2 games for the Texans in 2013 before being cut after the season.

[Cugel]

Saw this linked on the Mane - trade for a disgruntled employee?

A tweet from Bengals LT Andrew Whitworth's Twitter account on Wednesday stated that owner Mike Brown has informed Whitworth that he will not be re-signed after the 2015 season.
Like RT Andre Smith, Whitworth is in a contract year. The Bengals used their first- and second-round picks on tackles, and Whitworth is known to be frustrated with the only organization he's ever known. "Mike Brown told me I'm done here," the tweet read. "Said I can play this year and go home. So I told him I want a raise or I'll sit my ass at home." Later, Whitworth attributed the tweet to his wife and claimed it was "intended to be sent as a private message" to a teammate. The tweet has since been deleted, and Whitworth's account is now private. May 6 - 7:53 PM
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/...drew-whitworth

One thing. Just because a player is unhappy with the Bengals organization does not mean he's no good. Case in point: Alfred Williams.

[Buff]

Saw this linked on the Mane - trade for a disgruntled employee?



http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/3701/andrew-whitworth

The Bengals will demand 2 first round picks and then cut off their nose to spite their face and get nothing in return because that's how Mike Brown does business.

[BroncoJoe]

This is true. The reality is that teams could sign any FA they wanted, no matter what the price. They don't want to tell fans that so they talk about the "cap" limiting them. But, in reality, signing a FA and paying him a lot of cash up front would limit the cap hit because the signing bonus is pro-rated over the life of the contract.

The Broncos, like many teams, self-impose a limit on this practice, and the limit is that they refuse to sign a FA if that signing is going to put them over their "budget" which is based on current operating revenues. As I pointed out, since they own a multi-billion dollar business they really have as much money as they want to spend on player contracts.

Signing Ryan Harris is presumably cheap because he was cut loose by the Chiefs. This is a move that has been predicted for months, because Harris previously played for coach Kubiak in Houston and would be familiar with the blocking system. He's probably not a starter unless things really unravel though, since he only started 2 games for the Texans in 2013 before being cut after the season.

Right. There's no salary cap in the NFL. Teams can spend whatever they want!!!

:tsk:

[NightTerror218]

Time to see what our young OL have in them. A break out season by Schofield or new Somb or whatever his name is could make Clady expendible and save cap space. ZBS should help the younger players a little.

[Cugel]

Quote Originally Posted by underrated29 View Post

PS Cugel- We have around 9.5 mil in cap space roughly atm the last i heard.

I'm not sure that takes into account that not all players are signed, and that Demaryius Thomas has not signed his Franchise Contract yet, so that would be an additional $12 million if that wasn't included. Last I heard they were limited during FA because they needed to budget for signing all their own FAs and the rookie draft picks.

Of course, the limitation could be cash within their budget for signing bonuses, and not cap room.

[VonDoom]

I'm not sure that takes into account that not all players are signed, and that Demaryius Thomas has not signed his Franchise Contract yet, so that would be an additional $12 million if that wasn't included. Last I heard they were limited during FA because they needed to budget for signing all their own FAs and the rookie draft picks.

Of course, the limitation could be cash within their budget for signing bonuses, and not cap room.

It doesn't include the unsigned rookies (like Ray, as I mentioned above) but it DOES include DT's franchise tender at $12.8 million. If they work out a long term deal, that number will obviously change.

[GEM]

Jeff Legwold ‏@Jeff_Legwold 5m5 minutes ago

Per @AdamSchefter and I....#Broncos have agreed to terms with T Ryan Harris.

Played in Houston under Kubiak, so I guess that makes sense.

This makes sense...he was decent for us...a really long time ago in football years. :lol:

[Valar Morghulis]

I dont trust Harris - he is a muzzy, probably part of a sleeper cell

[BroncoJoe]

I'm not sure that takes into account that not all players are signed, and that Demaryius Thomas has not signed his Franchise Contract yet, so that would be an additional $12 million if that wasn't included. Last I heard they were limited during FA because they needed to budget for signing all their own FAs and the rookie draft picks.

Of course, the limitation could be cash within their budget for signing bonuses, and not cap room.

So, you think the Broncos are hurting for cash? What makes you think that?

They've been up against the cap every year for the past decade, if not longer.

[Cugel]

Right. There's no salary cap in the NFL. Teams can spend whatever they want!!!

:tsk:

As a practical matter, yes. They can sign anybody they really want, regardless of the salary cap. But, remember two points:

1. It costs cash up front. So, if a team is committed to living within its budget imposed by current operating revenue then they do NOT have unlimited cash to do this.

2. Teams have to be careful not to create too much in dead cap space that could limit them in future years, so they have to sign players they really expect to be able to play out their contracts, and can't for example give 32 year old DeMarcus Ware an 8 year contract or something.

But, within those limitations a team could theoretically decide to sign a player to a $50 million contract with $30 million guaranteed, in which the salary was a veteran minimum, (for an 8-9 year veteran that is $870k). So, a $30 million signing bonus paid in year 1 and less than $1 million a year in salary after that.

The salary cap hit would be around $6 million a year ($30/5 = $6) because the salary in years 2-5 is not guaranteed. See? They save money against the cap, but it costs them a lot of money up front for the signing bonus.

This example would be bad of course, I'm merely making a point.

[7DnBrnc53]

How's that Shane Ray (over D.J. Humphries) pick looking now, Elway? I knew that was a mistake, and today just confirms it.

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Vic Lombardi retweeted
Evan Silva @evansilva · 2h

PFF actually gave Chris Clark better grades across the board in 2013 as the #Broncos LT than Ryan Clady received last year.

[BroncoJoe]

As a practical matter, yes. They can sign anybody they really want, regardless of the salary cap. But, remember two points:

1. It costs cash up front. So, if a team is committed to living within its budget imposed by current operating revenue then they do NOT have unlimited cash to do this.

2. Teams have to be careful not to create too much in dead cap space that could limit them in future years, so they have to sign players they really expect to be able to play out their contracts, and can't for example give 32 year old DeMarcus Ware an 8 year contract or something.

But, within those limitations a team could theoretically decide to sign a player to a $50 million contract with $30 million guaranteed, in which the salary was a veteran minimum, (for an 8-9 year veteran that is $870k). So, a $30 million signing bonus paid in year 1 and less than $1 million a year in salary after that.

The salary cap hit would be around $6 million a year ($30/5 = $6) because the salary in years 2-5 is not guaranteed. See? They save money against the cap, but it costs them a lot of money up front for the signing bonus.

This example would be bad of course, I'm merely making a point.

So, your example is one that basically never happens? Great point.

I understand numbers, and how contracts work, Cugel. I'm still not sure you do.

[Valar Morghulis]

Clady will be in Chicago next year

[FanInAZ]

Any former TEs who eat a lot who want to play Tackle for us?

JaMarcus Russell was a QB, not a TE, but he does eat a lot. Will he work? :D

[Tebowtime2011]

This is pretty ******* terrible.

[Valar Morghulis]

What about BDB, I heard he is a giant of a man

[VonDoom]

How's that Shane Ray (over D.J. Humphries) pick looking now, Elway? I knew that was a mistake, and today just confirms it.

If Clady had been injured before the draft, I think they would have looked at things differently. But injuries happen and that doesn't make the pick of Ray any better or worse than it did the day he was drafted (same with Heuermann).

Besides, they drafted an OL in the 2nd round; if they had drafted Humphries, would he be better than Ty? Probably, but then the whole draft would have played out differently and we wouldn't have Ray. They addressed OL early even if it wasn't with the guy that most of us wanted.

[sneakers]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Buff]

What about BDB, I heard he is a giant of a man

He is not well suited for the ZBS. Could provide a bit of depth at DT though.

[underrated29]

How's that Shane Ray (over D.J. Humphries) pick looking now, Elway? I knew that was a mistake, and today just confirms it.

That would have been a bad choice. We wanted Ced obgemi or whatever his name is. Cincy took him I believe. We had the trade in place on wednesday. A day or two before the draft. Ray, Ced or cam erving where our targets and one of them was there.

[GEM]

WTE had choice words for us in the Clady article over at PFT. Lol

How nice of him to give us some publicity! :)

[TXBRONC]

Next man up. Clark better show up again.

If he is then maybe he'll be better suited to playing in zone blocking scheme.

[NightTerror218]

Vasquez better be ready for Cj to be running at him a lot for a hole.

[TXBRONC]

Gotta tip your cap to him there - that is one committed troll.

He works hard at his craft.

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Mike Klis @MikeKlis · 1h

Ty Sambrailo expected to replace injured Ryan Clady: Updated story here: http://on9news.tv/1HPfe34 via @9News #9News #9Sports

Mike Klis @MikeKlis · 1h

Change expected to show interest in OT Ryan Harris to Broncos have agreed with OT Ryan Harris, per source. Bronco 2007-10 and Texan 2013-14.

Mike Klis @MikeKlis · 1h

Nice that new coach Gary Kubiak, who was not scheduled to meet with media today, did so in light of Ryan Clady injury.#hegetsit

[Northman]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000321590349/cf14c4ebf46b378af05320c2cc484d0e_normal.jpeg Vic Lombardi @VicLombardi (https://twitter.com/VicLombardi) · 7m 7 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/VicLombardi/status/604028927468654592)

Got news that Broncos backup kicker Anubis will move to RT. Guess that wasted roster spot came in handy afterall.

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Andrew Mason @MaseDenver · 26m

Louis Vasquez says that Ben Garland has "picked up the offense pretty well." Describes him as a "hell of a player."

Andrew Mason @MaseDenver · 30m

Louis Vasquez says a young OL must learn how not to get flustered, and how to leave a bad play behind & move on to the next snap.

Andrew Mason @MaseDenver · 31m

Louis Vasquez said that Sambrailo kept his composure in the huddle today.

Andrew Mason @MaseDenver · 32m

Louis Vasquez says of C Gino Gradkowski, that "so far we've meshed."

Andrew Mason @MaseDenver · 32m

Louis Vasquez says that he will lean on Chris Clark to be another leader on the OL.

[weazel]

smh, figures

[TXBRONC]

He is not well suited for the ZBS. Could provide a bit of depth at DT though.

Shows what you know. He's lighter on his feet than Baryshnikov.

[MOtorboat]

Shows what you know. He's lighter on his feet than Baryshnikov.

I can confirm that this is in fact not true.

[weazel]

http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/415138/rc4z9l.jpg

[chazoe60]

Well ain't that a kick in the onions?

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Kubiak on Clady injury

Head Coach Gary Kubiak talks to the press about the injury Ryan Clady suffered during OTAs.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/multimedia/videos/Kubiak-on-Clady-injury/182e9abd-33c5-4e31-ac95-709ee642fac9

Dennison: 'My heart goes out to Ryan'

Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison talks about the loss of OT Ryan Clady and what's next for the offensive line.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/multimedia/videos/Dennison_My_heart_goes_out_to_Ryan/188b1979-2b99-43e9-bee3-0e458474b1af

[Poet]

The Bengals will demand 2 first round picks and then cut off their nose to spite their face and get nothing in return because that's how Mike Brown does business.

Whitworth won't get traded because his value to us is astronomically high right now. You'd be more likely to get Andre Smith, even though he's younger.

But, if WW were on the block, I doubt we'd as for two firsts. Brown thought Palmer coming off of elbow and knee injuries was still going to be a first ballot hall of famer and that second 'first round pick' we got for him was really just a conditional second rounder.

[BroncoWave]

Welp.

Yeah, pretty much. Didn't really have high hopes for this season in the first place, so this just further cements that feeling. If Peyton makes it 16 games healthy this season, it will be an outright miracle.

[DenBronx]

Fact is Clady has drastically under played what his contract was worth and now this is the 2nd year in the deal he won't even play the season.

Can the Broncos restructure his deal or recover money? What are our options regarding a player missing 2 years like this?


I'd go after Jake Long and see what he has left in the tank.

[VonDoom]

Fact is Clady has drastically under played what his contract was worth and now this is the 2nd year in the deal he won't even play the season.

Can the Broncos restructure his deal or recover money? What are our options regarding a player missing 2 years like this?


I'd go after Jake Long and see what he has left in the tank.

The injury is a risk you take when you sign the contract. Team got boned here but there's nothing they can do. Often it's the opposite where the player gets screwed. Those are the breaks

[Magnificent Seven]

Denver Broncos sign offensive tackle Ryan Harris

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000494558/article/denver-broncos-sign-offensive-tackle-ryan-harris

[Jsteve01]

I want to feel good that 2013 was the record year and clark was at lt. Then i remember the super bowl

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

That.sucks.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

He would have excelled in the system too.

[Dapper Dan]

So this is the shit I wake up to.

[ShaneFalco]

damn. guess they better sign jake long now. even a shell of himself is better then what Denver has on the o line.

[SR]

damn. guess they better sign jake long now. even a shell of himself is better then what Denver has on the o line.

Weird. I said the same thing a couple months ago and you told me I was off my rocker.

[ShaneFalco]

i bet they wish they offered orlando franklin a contract right now

[SR]

i bet they wish they offered orlando franklin a contract right now

Orlando Franklin can't play LT so probably not.

[DenBronx]

i bet they wish they offered orlando franklin a contract right now


Yeah stupid for letting him go. Don't like what he said about Manning though a couple days ago. Said he was unapproachable and Rivers wasn't.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Yeah stupid for letting him go. Don't like what he said about Manning though a couple days ago. Said he was unapproachable and Rivers wasn't.

O said that? That surprises me. I'm a little disappointed he stoop to that level.

[ShaneFalco]

Yeah stupid for letting him go. Don't like what he said about Manning though a couple days ago. Said he was unapproachable and Rivers wasn't.
yup. Could have moved him back to RT and moved Clark to LT

[dogfish]

What about BDB, I heard he is a giant of a man

yea, but no way his footwork holds up at O-tackle. . .


this sucks. . . nothing like being dealt a punishing blow in may. . . not gonna lie, i think this one hurts. . . and yes, joseph, i am one of the people who said clady wasn't that hot last year. . . he's still a significantly better option than chris clark, and two kids who have never played in the NFL. . .

the one saving grace is the fact that dennison and barone have made chicken salad out of chicken shit in the past, and may be able to do so again. . . the ZBS does still hide some defficiencies in personnel, no matter how much it makes a few guys around here foam at the mouth. . . neither seattle nor houston have any HOFers on the line, and both those teams pound the rock. . . pass pro is a different deal, though-- and the seasquawks have a guy who can run away from pressure all day. . . here, not so much. . .

we shall see how it plays out. . . frankly, i don't mind admitting being a little disappointed at the mostly crap options we have for putting a good line in front of peyton effin' manning in what will most likely be his last season (little likelier now, i'm afraid). . . it takes time for a line to gel, and you can only expect so much out of the individuals involved. . . both the players (who are mostly inexperienced, limited physically, or both), and the coaches-- who only have so much to work with. . . hopefully i'm wrong. . . hopefully schofield is now ready to come in and play tackle at a high level, or sambrailo proves the scouts wrong, and has the functional strength to excell from day one. . . or clark has a bounce-back year as a ZBS LT. . . but if we're looking at two of those three at tackle, with the very underwhelming gradkowski/smith combo at LG and center, it's asking an awful freakin' lot of kubes, dennison and barone to get a good NFL line out of that group. . . and mad props to them if they can get it done. . . but it isn't a very good look for us that that's the line we're probably going to put in front of a 39-year-old HOFer who can't run on opening day. . .

yea, i know you don't "plan" for your left tackle to go down in may, but we pretty much got caught with our pants down here given the lack of decent, proven options we already were dealing with at other spots. . . elway chose to gamble a little here when there was cap space still available, so we'll see if we get burned by it. . . rick and clancy will really have earned their paychecks this year if they can get us out of this with a functional NFL line, and our geezer QB in one piece. . .

[VonDoom]

damn. guess they better sign jake long now. even a shell of himself is better then what Denver has on the o line.

Sounds like the Giants are interested in Long after Beatty went down. Be interesting to see if we bring him in for a look

[Simple Jaded]

I don't think the Broncos are as worried about this injury as some of us fans are.

A lot of people, me included, thought the Broncos would draft an OT this year and that OT would succeed Clady eventually, so imo Sambrailo playing LT was just a matter of time. To me the implications of drafting Sambrailo over far better prospects is enough to make me wanna stomp a mudhole in burlap sack of puppies but this probably just means they have to put the plan into operation a year or two early.

The bright side is they drafted technique and experience over talent and ability so Sambrailo might be better in the short term.

Btw, the Bronocs will rack up tons of yards between the 20's and Manning will get the ball out in a hurry and this time next year everybody will be talking about how they don't need Clady anyway. Life goes on.

[Buff]

yea, but no way his footwork holds up at O-tackle. . .


this sucks. . . nothing like being dealt a punishing blow in may. . . not gonna lie, i think this one hurts. . . and yes, joseph, i am one of the people who said clady wasn't that hot last year. . . he's still a significantly better option than chris clark, and two kids who have never played in the NFL. . .

the one saving grace is the fact that dennison and barone have made chicken salad out of chicken shit in the past, and may be able to do so again. . . the ZBS does still hide some defficiencies in personnel, no matter how much it makes a few guys around here foam at the mouth. . . neither seattle nor houston have any HOFers on the line, and both thse teams pound the rock. . . pass pro is a different deal, though-- and the seasquawks have a guy who can run away from pressure all day. . . here, not so much. . .

we shall see how it plays out. . . frankly, i don't mind admitting being a little disappointed at the mostly crap options we have for putting a good line in front of peyton effin' manning in what will most likely be his last season (little likelier now, i'm afraid). . . it takes time for a line to gel, and you can only expect so much out of the individuals involved. . . both the players (who are mostly inexperienced, limited physically, or both), and the coaches-- who only have so much to work with. . . hopefully i'm wrong. . . hopefully schofield in now ready to come in and play tackle at a high level, or sambrailo proves the scouts wrong, and has the functional strength to excell from day one. . . or clark has a bounce-back year as a ZBS LT. . . but if we're looking at two of those three at tackle, with the very underwhelming gradkowski/smith combo at LG and center, it's asking an awful freakin' lot of kubes, dennison and barone to get a good NFL line out of that group. . . and mad props to them if they can get it done. . . but it isn't a very good look for us that that's the line we're probably going to put in front of a 39-year-old HOFer who can't run on opening day. . .

yea, i know you don't "plan" for your left tackle to go down in may, but we pretty much got caught with our pants down here given the lack of decent, proven options we already were dealing with at other spots. . . elway chose to gamble a little here when there was cap space still available, so we'll see if we get burned by it. . . rick and clancy will really have earned their paychecks this year if they can get us out of this with a functional NFL line, and our geezer QB in one piece. . .

In some ways this is better than Clady going down in week 8 and then having to recalibrate midseason. So I guess maybe it's a silver lining that this happened early in OTAs when there is still plenty of time to cycle guys through and have some measure of comfort at the position.

My hope is that this ends up working out for Sambrailo kind of like the Packers situation when Bryan Bulaga tore his ACL in 2013 and my guy David Bakhtiari had to step in and start. He was a 4th rounder, and slightly undersized coming out of CU, but ended up being a pretty serviceable tackle for them and is still the starter. We know Ty's got the athleticism, which is always the concern with a LT, and I'd rather have strength be the question mark which is easier to develop than athleticism. The knock on Bakhtiari is run blocking - so if we could get the same type of pass protection out of Sambrailo, I have faith in Kubiak's ZBS covering up some holes in the run blocking.

Either way, this Clady contract really couldn't have ended up much worse.

[DenBronx]

So if we can reach the SB with Clark then he is going to be the guy to fill in for Clady, making Harris our RT. Problem is it's now a ZBS system and that's going to be a work in process.

[Davii]

If it HAD to happen I guess now is the best time as there is time to plan/scheme around it. It sucks, but it happens, and thank God it didn't happen week 6.

[Dzone]

Manning is going to break the NFL record for self sacks this season. It's duck and cover time.

[Davii]

The pessimism is so thick in this place you need a chainsaw to get through.

[EastCoastBronco]

Just looked it up on Google Translate...
"Clady" is derived from Latin and is defined as "Often Injured".

[tomjonesrocks]

Misses 2 full seasons out of 3 and was terrible last year.

Well that signing worked out.

[VonDoom]

Either way, this Clady contract really couldn't have ended up much worse.

Yeah, it looks epically bad at this point. Seemed like a good idea at the time, though. He was a top five LT when he signed that contract to be paid like one.

[TXBRONC]

So if we can reach the SB with Clark then he is going to be the guy to fill in for Clady, making Harris our RT. Problem is it's now a ZBS system and that's going to be a work in process.

Zone blocking isn't anything new to Harris. The others will have plenty of time to get up to speed on it.

[TXBRONC]

The pessimism is so thick in this place you need a chainsaw to get through.

I thought we might need a bunker buster to get through it.

[VonDoom]

I guess they're not waiting a week to make it official after all ...

Denver Broncos ‏@Broncos 49m49 minutes ago

#Broncos announce putting OT Ryan Clady on IR.