Thread: Russel Okung Visting

Mike Klis ‏@MikeKlis 9m9 minutes ago
LT Russell Okung has arranged for @RussellOkung to visit Broncos today. Pay cut talks with Ryan Clady must be snagged. #9news#9sports

Mike Klis ‏@MikeKlis 35s35 seconds ago
Losing Brock Osweiler gave Broncos cash to keep C.J. Anderson. Will extra cash mean they can now sign Russell Okung? #9news#9sports

Originally Posted by Hardwired

Mike Klis ‏@MikeKlis 35s35 seconds ago
Losing Brock Osweiler gave Broncos cash to keep C.J. Anderson. Will extra cash mean they can now sign Russell Okung? #9news#9sports

Well if we sign Okung that means we cut Clady, so I don't think the extra cash we save from Os will really have much if anything to do with this.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Well if we sign Okung that means we cut Clady, so I don't think the extra cash we save from Os will really have much if anything to do with this.

I don't think this is a negotiating ploy either. I think Clady had his chance to take a sizable pay cut and still be the guy for something in the range of $4-5 million a year, but has refused to do so. Broncos can save $8.9 million by cutting Clady, so it's entirely possible the Broncos land Okung for $6-7 million annually given that his market has been set by the cash-strapped Lions, Steelers, and Giants. Okung is his own agent and seems averse to playing for a non-contending team, so as long as our offer falls within that range, a signing is a strong possibility.

Okung is one of the best LT's in football. I don't think he can be had for less than 10per.

Originally Posted by Al Wilson 4 Mayor

Okung is one of the best LT's in football. I don't think he can be had for less than 10per.

He was visiting the Steelers, who don't have that money to spend. He is injury prone and has never started an entire NFL season in his 6 year career. Clady's seasons have been shortened by freak injuries, but Okung is just generally injured all the time. No way he gets $10 million annually, and it's telling Seattle isn't on the phone with him too.

Originally Posted by UnderArmour

He was visiting the Steelers, who don't have that money to spend. He is injury prone and has never started an entire NFL season in his 6 year career. Clady's seasons have been shortened by freak injuries, but Okung is just generally injured all the time. No way he gets $10 million annually, and it's telling Seattle isn't on the phone with him too.

Yeah, I agree that it's cause for concern when Seattle just let's him walk.

Both of our most recent SB trips were played without Clady for the entire season. When he's healthy, Clady can be an asset to this line, but how much do we REALLY need him? Dude has taken a lot of money from us recently to mostly just be on IR. It'd almost make more sense to sign an oft injured Okung than Clady if he's not willing to budge.

This is how the line would look-

LT- Okung
LG- Sambrailo
C- Paradis
RG-Garcia
RT- Stephenson

That's a much improved line over last season. Get er done Elway.

Originally Posted by Ziggy

This is how the line would look-

LT- Okung
LG- Sambrailo
C- Paradis
RG-Garcia
RT- Stephenson

That's a much improved line over last season. Get er done Elway.

Agree 100% Make it so #7

i won't be suprised if this gets done. . . when the duke decides to make a move, he moves quick. . . remember how he gave up on DRC and snagged talib like a boss?

Okung is a year younger than Clady, has played two fewer seasons and has been more healthy in recent seasons. If Clady will not re-structure enough to give the Broncos the cap relief they are seeking, Okung makes a viable option. However, he's reportedly wanting $13M a year, which he won't get. He's also acting as his own agent so he won't have to pay the 3% commission to his agent. Acting as your own lawyer in a contract negotiations is not a smart move.

He visited the Steelers, but left without a contract. They then signed former Broncos T Ryan Harris. No longer want Okung. He visited the Giants but he left there without a contract and now the Giants are looking at other FAs.

The problem, as we hear it, is three-fold. Okung views himself as meriting a deal in the range of $11 million to $13 million per year. Also, teams who have made offers aren’t going to leave them open indefinitely; because Okung isn’t an expert when it comes to negotiating NFL contracts, he doesn’t appreciate the importance of moving at the right time. Finally, he’s still recovering from shoulder surgery, which complicates the entire situation even further.

Okung battled injuries early in his career. From 2010 through midseason of 2013, he missed 15 of 58 regular-season or postseason games. But since recovering from a torn ligament in his toe in 2013, he has played in 41 of a possible 46 games, including the postseason.

The veteran of six NFL seasons suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Seahawks' divisional-round loss at Carolina in January. He expects to be ready to return to full strength at training camp.

At 6-foot-5 and with 36-inch arms and with high intelligence, Okung is a lengthy, prototypical tackle for the Broncos' zone-based scheme. Per the statistics of ProFootballFocus.com, the Oklahoma State product has allowed just 3.5 sacks per season in his career.

I think he could be an upgrade over Clady at this point, but he wouldn't come cheap. He's going to cost around $10M, although I can't believe he could get $13M a year. Still, if the Broncos can't reach a deal with Clady, this is probably the best option. Ideally, they would sign both and have tremendous talent on both ends of the line, but that is prohibitively costly.

I think if he leaves without a contract like he did the Giants and Steelers, this deal isn't getting done. If he stays and signs today or tomorrow, we have a pro-bowl caliber LT who has perhaps another 4 or 5 good years left. He's only been in the league for 5 seasons and missed parts of two of them, so there's not a ton of wear and tear on his body. That's a plus.

Originally Posted by dogfish

i won't be suprised if this gets done. . . when the duke decides to make a move, he moves quick. . . remember how he gave up on DRC and snagged talib like a boss?

This seems like the same kind of move to me, too. Make a good faith effort and then when talks bog down, go to plan B immediately. I guess it's a QB thing, going through your progressions and hitting the open receiver before the pocket collapses.

Jeff Legwold ‏@Jeff_Legwold 16m

Russell Okung's visit to #Broncos, w/ Stephenson projected RT or G. means they think they have legit shot at Okung, Clady talks at tip point

Column: Despite the Lions' needs, Russell Okung not worth the (reported) price

from article:

But he reportedly wants $11 million to $13 million annually.

full article - http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf...e_less_ch.html