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Thread: Should and CAN the Broncos re-negotiate LT Okung's contract?

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    Default Should and CAN the Broncos re-negotiate LT Okung's contract?

    Should and CAN the Broncos re-negotiate LT Okung's contract?

    Denver’s first big decision will be what to do with left tackle Russell Okung and his $1 million option. Picking up Okung’s option by March 8 would kick in a four-year, $48 million contract with $20.5 million guaranteed. It would be a surprise if the Broncos did so based on Okung’s up-and-down play in 2016 but the weakness of the free agent market makes it a possibility.

    Another option would be to see if Okung would accept a pay cut and restructure his contract. If Okung doesn’t go for that, he would likely find himself on the low-supply, high-demand left tackle free agent market hoping to receive more interest.

    Cincinnati’s Andrew Whitworth, 35, is the only legitimate left tackle on the free agent market who could be considered an upgrade over Okung, 29. It’s also unwise to count on a rookie starting left tackle, particularly in a down offensive tackle draft class.

    The Broncos could have more than $40 million in cap room when free agency begins March 9, but many teams are seeking offensive line upgrades. CBS salary cap analyst and former agent Joel Corry said the Broncos should consider offering Okung an $8 million a year restructure.

    It’s unlikely Okung would accept that figure, which is equal to what he made in 2016 after playing time incentives are figured in. After proving he could stay healthy for 16 games with the Broncos, Okung, who negotiated his deal without an agent, would have little incentive to drastically decrease his pay. Kansas City’s Eric Fisher set the market for average-to-solid left tackles when he signed a four-year, $48 million extension with $22 million guaranteed in July.

    That would leave Denver with four choices: begrudgingly pick up the option, exercise the transition tag between February 15 and March 1 for a one-year deal between $12-13 million, try to entice Okung to restructure at a happy medium or let him go.
    AVERAGE LTs are getting $12M a year in FA. Whitworth sounds good, but he's physically beat up and can't move anymore (per former Broncos T Tyer Polumbus). He's going to get some absurd amount of $ for a 35 year old guy.

    But, I don't see Okung being willing to take a cut to stay with the Broncos. If he hits FA he's likely to get something like a $20 M guarantee.

    Meanwhile, The Miami Herald confirms the Jaguars and Dolphins are "still in talks" regarding a trade that would send former Chief Branden Albert to Jacksonville, so that's one prospect the Broncos can't use to replace Okung. A late round conditional pick is essentially nothing, but Denver isn't in on that deal.

    It's easy to say "Okung isn't worth the money" and he flat isn't.

    But, here's the grim meat-hook reality: the Broncos have almost no options.

    This is a terrible T class in the draft, perhaps the worst OL draft in 20 years, according to experts, so there's no chance the Broncos could land a starting franchise LT with their 20th pick.

    That leaves FA. The Broncos need a LT if Okung leaves, plus a RT to replace Donald Stephenson, and a RG to replace Michael Schofield.

    You're just not going to be able to sign 3 veteran FA starters for your OL. Just not going to happen. There are about 20 NFL teams according to Brandon Stokely, whose #1 off-season priority is strengthening the OL. And college is just not turning out great OL these days, so the situation is just not getting any better.

    I'd say the Broncos will have to bite the bullet and pay Okung his contract money. That's a $20 M guarantee over 2 years. I don't like it, and Elway probably doesn't like it, but there's no reasonable alternative.
    Last edited by Cugel; 02-20-2017 at 07:30 PM.

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    Disregard original post.

    I don't think there's any way they can pick up the option.
    *The statements above are my opinions, unless they are links, because then they are links, which wouldn't make them my opinions, and I suppose stats aren't necessarily opinion, but they are certainly presented to support an opinion. Proceed accordingly.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MOtorboat View Post
    Disregard original post.

    I don't think there's any way they can pick up the option.
    The Broncos have until March 8 to pick up Okung's option.

    But, if they wait all the good FAs will be gone. Branden Albert, who isn't elite by any means (he was a poor man's Ryan Clady, the Chiefs picked him 1 pick after Clady - whom they really wanted, but who was grabbed by Shanahan). But, now he's being traded to Miami.

    "All those Ts who are on the market won't be there for long. Lots of teams are looking for LTs. Those guys aren't growing on trees. " -- Brandon Stokely.

    Stokely is insisting they can't pay that contract. But, unless they go out in FA and get a guy within the next 2 weeks, they could be stuck with Okung's contract.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cugel View Post
    The Broncos have until March 8 to pick up Okung's option.

    But, if they wait all the good FAs will be gone. Branden Albert, who isn't elite by any means (he was a poor man's Ryan Clady, the Chiefs picked him 1 pick after Clady - whom they really wanted, but who was grabbed by Shanahan). But, now he's being traded to Miami.

    "All those Ts who are on the market won't be there for long. Lots of teams are looking for LTs. Those guys aren't growing on trees. " -- Brandon Stokely.

    Stokely is insisting they can't pay that contract. But, unless they go out in FA and get a guy within the next 2 weeks, they could be stuck with Okung's contract.
    What do you mean the free agents will be gone? The reason that date is March 8 is because free agency starts on March 9.
    *The statements above are my opinions, unless they are links, because then they are links, which wouldn't make them my opinions, and I suppose stats aren't necessarily opinion, but they are certainly presented to support an opinion. Proceed accordingly.

    Quote Originally Posted by Buff View Post
    What is this, amateur hour? It's TNF against the Jets and you didn't think you'd need extra booze?

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    Quote Originally Posted by MOtorboat View Post
    What do you mean the free agents will be gone? The reason that date is March 8 is because free agency starts on March 9.
    Trades dude. Trades. Branden Albert has already been traded (apparently to Miami) for a late round pick. Rather than let a guy hit FA, the team will trade him for a late round pick. Before you say that the other team will simply wait for a guy to be released, would you do that if you were, say, Cleveland? (Cleveland doesn't need a T of course). But, would any premium FA want to go there?

    So, if they want a guy they have to trade for him cause quality FAs don't want to go to some teams.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cugel View Post
    Trades dude. Trades. Branden Albert has already been traded (apparently to Miami) for a late round pick. Rather than let a guy hit FA, the team will trade him for a late round pick. Before you say that the other team will simply wait for a guy to be released, would you do that if you were, say, Cleveland? (Cleveland doesn't need a T of course). But, would any premium FA want to go there?

    So, if they want a guy they have to trade for him cause quality FAs don't want to go to some teams.
    What the hell are you babbling about and how is Branden Albert involved in this? Albert is under contract until 2019. The Broncos won't miss out on any free agent left tackles by waiting until March 8 to decide to trigger the option. Likewise, it won't help them to decline it or accept it earlier. Free agency doesn't start until March 9.
    *The statements above are my opinions, unless they are links, because then they are links, which wouldn't make them my opinions, and I suppose stats aren't necessarily opinion, but they are certainly presented to support an opinion. Proceed accordingly.

    Quote Originally Posted by Buff View Post
    What is this, amateur hour? It's TNF against the Jets and you didn't think you'd need extra booze?

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    I'd be surprised if Elway decided to pick up that option on Okung. If he isn't going to bring in a vet QB he might. He probably doesn't want Siemian or Lynch playing behind an unknown at LT.

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    They can and should restructure Okung, no more Pie-in-the-sky incentives either. He's about an $8 MM player at this point, 3-year-deal.
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    There are more possible cuts coming. Elway will be watching. This draft is weak LT draft but good RT.

    Change in scheme will help our OL too. We won the SB with schofield at LT? Shore up other positions and we can limp along but you cant afford to overpay players just to fill a gap. Its a waste of cap when you can fill other holes for 1 player.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MOtorboat View Post
    What the hell are you babbling about and how is Branden Albert involved in this? Albert is under contract until 2019. The Broncos won't miss out on any free agent left tackles by waiting until March 8 to decide to trigger the option. Likewise, it won't help them to decline it or accept it earlier. Free agency doesn't start until March 9.
    The Miami dolphins were going to cut Branden Albert because Laremy Tunsil fell into their laps at #13 in the 2016 draft. Tunsil is an elite franchise LT. They played him for a season, now they're set to move him to LT, making Albert and his contract totally expendable.

    They were going to cut him at the start of FA, but when they talked with other league executives they found out that there was some real interest around the league for this guy, so they traded him. For a 7th round pick.

    The best OL will not actually be cut if their teams can manage to trade them. That's what I'm talking about. Do try and keep up!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaded View Post
    They can and should restructure Okung, no more Pie-in-the-sky incentives either. He's about an $8 MM player at this point, 3-year-deal.
    In terms of talent you are right. But, how much money you make is dependent on how hard it is to replace you, not on some "intrinsic" notion of your worth. It's hard to replace him. There aren't a lot of better tackles out there, hence he will get paid MORE than he's "worth" in pure talent terms.

    In pure talent terms he's not the mobile player he once was. He's a bit slow on the edge, which is a disadvantage in passing sets. He's actually a much better run blocker than he was though, he's gotten pretty good at that (according to Tyler Polumbus, his former team-mate and fellow OL who knows Okung about as well as anybody).

    Given the scarcity of talented LTs available in FA he'd command a big salary - more than $8M.

    The Broncos could refuse to pay it. But, then what? Now they don't have a LT.

    Branden Albert was one possibility. He might be somewhat of an upgrade on Okung, but the Broncos didn't even blink. So far as we know, Elway did nothing to trade for him. Maybe they didn't want him. I don't know.

    But, the latest word from Okung's camp is that he has no intention of re-negotiating his contract.

    He's a strange dude. He didn't have an agent last year. He took a merciless beating in the media over that stupid contract he negotiated. But, he seems to feel that "a deal's a deal" and expects the Broncos to live up to their end and pay him what he signed for. If not, then he'll walk. And he won't mind if NOBODY is willing to pay him $11 M (a bit of a stretch for a guy of his quality, but he might actually get it due to the lack of alternatives).

    Because of the PRINCIPLE involved. I can understand his attitude even if I don't sympathize with it. The NFL is the NFL. Teams don't honor their contracts if they don't have to. The only real money is guaranteed money.

    Every agent knows this and deals with it. That's just the way the business is run, unlike Baseball where every contract is fully guaranteed. But, Russell doesn't have an agent!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slick View Post
    I'd be surprised if Elway decided to pick up that option on Okung. If he isn't going to bring in a vet QB he might. He probably doesn't want Siemian or Lynch playing behind an unknown at LT.
    I've reluctantly come to that conclusion as well. And that's the theme of this thread.

    Is Okung an elite LT? No.
    Should he get paid like an elite LT? No.
    But, is there someone available to the Broncos either in FA or the draft who is noticeably better? Probably not.

    Hence they may have to pay and keep him if he's unwilling to re-do his contract.

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    At the end of the day...what other choice do we have but to pay him? The FA and draft cupboards are devoid of options.

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    Elway works magic. He will offer okung a take or lose it deal and will prob have beachum or a stop gap ready to go.

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    Moar MOtorboat.
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