Rodgers Latest: Broncos, Raiders, Carr
Three weeks away from the June 1 date when an Aaron Rodgers trade becomes financially realistic, the Packers have not deviated from their anti-trade stance. The parties’ impasse, however, continues to lead to noise within the AFC West.
Although the Packers shut down Rodgers trade inquiries during the first night of the draft, which came hours after the reigning MVP’s desire to leave Green Bay surfaced, the Broncos began discussing the level of offer it would take to acquire Rodgers at that point, James Palmer of NFL.com notes (video link).
[RELATED: Broncos To Aggressively Pursue Aaron Rodgers?]
Some within the Broncos organization view a Rodgers trade as a realistic possibility, Palmer adds. The team has the combination of cap space — second-most in the NFL, behind Jacksonville — along with a promising group of young pass catchers and a glaring quarterback need. While this would be a historically unusual trade, given Rodgers’ talent and age, early prospective proposals have included two first-round picks, a future second-rounder and at least one notable player. The Broncos have four starter-caliber wide receivers and, having drafted Patrick Surtain II ninth overall, can match that at cornerback. Though, the team is not viewed as being especially open to including its recent first-round pick in any potential offers.
It is not clear yet if the Broncos have any stiff competition for Rodgers, in the event his stalemate with the Packers leads to true trade talks. The Browns are not interested in ditching Baker Mayfield, and a trade to an NFC team would certainly be less palatable for the Packers. Rodgers-Raiders connections have been surprisingly scarce since Las Vegas was mentioned as a preferable destination for the 16-year veteran.
Jon Gruden has said passing on Rodgers in 2005, when he was the Buccaneers’ head coach and selected Cadillac Williams fifth overall, is one of the greatest regrets of his lifetime. It would stand to reason the Raiders would pursue Rodgers, given Gruden’s annual flirtations with potential Derek Carr upgrades. However, the Gruden-Carr relationship may have improved to the point the passer can be somewhat comfortable in Vegas. Gruden is currently “very happy” with Carr, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com notes, adding that a trade for Rodgers can be viewed as unlikely.
Carr, 30, has posted back-to-back top-11 QBR finishes since 2019 — something Rodgers did not do, though he did lead the league in the metric in 2020 — and has a manageable contract that runs through 2022. It would be a surprise if the Raiders were not at least in the mix for Rodgers, but it certainly sounds like the Broncos are closer to making a legitimate offer for the disgruntled superstar.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/21
We’ll keep track of today’s late-round signings here:
Denver Broncos
- S Caden Sterns (fifth round; Texas)
New England Patriots
- OL William Sherman (sixth round; Colorado)
- WR Tre Nixon (seventh round; Central Florida)
Charles Leno On Broncos’ Radar
The Broncos are doing extensive research in their effort to fill Ja’Wuan James‘ right tackle post. Four veterans — Bobby Massie, Dennis Kelly, Jermaine Eluemunor and Cameron Fleming — have come up thus far. Each is set to visit the team.
Denver has also expressed interest in Charles Leno. The right tackle-needy team has spoken with the longtime Bears left tackle-turned-free agent about the sudden vacancy, according to ESPN.com’s John Keim (on Twitter). However, Leno’s goal at the moment is to catch on with a team and play left tackle, Keim adds. The Broncos signed Ryan Pope earlier Tuesday but remain in the market for a starter-level tackle.
[RELATED: Washington Hosts Charles Leno On Visit]
Leno worked as the Bears’ starting left tackle from 2015-20 and graded as a top-30 tackle, per Pro Football Focus, last season. But Chicago cut him shortly after drafting Teven Jenkins in the second round. Leno, 29, went through a Monday workout with Washington, and it sounds like he remains in play for a stopgap role. Washington also drafted a tackle in Round 2, Texas’ Samuel Cosmi, but Leno’s visit signals the team is hunting for a short-term fix at Trent Williams‘ former spot.
No left tackle vacancy exists in Denver, with Garett Bolles having turned his career around in 2020. Bolles signed an extension to stay with the Broncos last year. The Broncos may well have considered another left tackle-to-right tackle conversion, but timing scuttled it. Days before James went down, the Ravens took Alejandro Villanueva off the market. They are prepared to move the longtime Steelers left tackle to the right side, where he is ticketed to replace Orlando Brown Jr. Villanueva worked under Broncos O-line coach Mike Munchak for several years in Pittsburgh.
Four of Leno’s pro seasons took place when Broncos HC Vic Fangio worked as the Bears’ defensive coordinator. For now, however, Massie is the more realistic option to follow Fangio from Chicago to Denver. Other free agent options include Mitchell Schwartz, Ricky Wagner and 2020 Broncos spot starter Demar Dotson.
Broncos To Sign OT Ryan Pope
The Broncos are set to sign offensive tackle Ryan Pope (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Pope agreed to terms shortly after his Tuesday workout, though the team will still consider other options after their Wednesday session.
Dennis Kelly, Cameron Fleming, and Bobby Massie are among the veteran tackles who will audition for the Broncos this week. The team has cast a wide net ever since Ja’Wuan James‘ season-ending injury, though they’re unlikely to find a long-term solve at this stage of the offseason. Former Bears starter Charles Leno is also available as of this writing, though he may be ticketed for the Washington Football Team instead.
Pope, a 6’7″, 315-pound blocker, has made the rounds since leaving San Diego State, but he has yet to see live action in the NFL. Last year, he missed the Jaguars’ final cut and spent the bulk of the year on the Packers’ practice squad.
Broncos To Host Jermaine Eluemunor
The Broncos’ right tackle seminar will also include Jermaine Eluemunor, according to Matt Lombardo of FanSided (Twitter link). The former Patriot will compete alongside Dennis Kelly, Bobby Massie, and Cameron Fleming as the Broncos look for help up front.
[RELATED: Broncos Meet With Cameron Fleming]
Eluemunor started out as a 2017 fifth-round pick of the Ravens. After starting in two games as a rookie and one game as an NFL soph, they traded him to the Patriots for a low-round draft choice. At that point, the Texas A&M product shifted from guard to right tackle and saw eight starts in 2020.
The Broncos are leaving no stone unturned as they look to replace Ja’Wuan James. Massie may be the most attractive option of the bunch, though he’s had injury trouble of his own. Last year, his season was cut short by a knee injury. And, in 2019, he was limited by an ankle issue. In total, he was limited to 64 games (all starts) for the Bears across the last five seasons.
Broncos Meet With Cameron Fleming
The Broncos are set to meet with Cameron Fleming, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. He’ll show his stuff alongside Dennis Kelly and Bobby Massie as the Broncos look for solutions at right tackle.
Fleming started 16 games for the Giants last year. However, the G-Men let him walk after his one-year, $3.5MM deal expired. Before that, Fleming spent four seasons in New England and two in Dallas playing under Joe Judge and Jason Garrett. From 2017-2020, Fleming played between 230-400 snaps per season, working as a part-time starter throughout that stretch. If all goes well, the former fourth-round pick could spend his age-29 season in Denver.
Ja’Wuan James‘ latest injury has left the Broncos searching high and low for answers. The Broncos furnished James with a four-year, $51MM deal in 2019. Unfortunately, between knee trouble, a 2020 opt-out, and his new Achilles tear, James has seen just 63 snaps as a Bronco.
Broncos Rookie To Have Heart Procedure
- The Broncos recently drafted Ohio State linebacker Jonathon Cooper in the seventh-round, who played in college with a heart condition. Now, Cooper is having a procedure to correct the issue, Mike Klis of Denver 9 News writes. While it’s hard to read ‘heart procedure’ and not get a little alarmed, thankfully Klis writes that it’s a “minimally invasive” operation that will only sidelined him for a few weeks. Cooper won’t be able to participate in the team’s rookie minicamp, which is a tough blow for any seventh-rounder, but he is “expected to be ready for the start of training camp, if not sooner.” Here’s to hoping everything goes smoothly with the ablation procedure.
Broncos Place Ja’Wuan James On Reserve/NFI List
The Achilles’ tendon tear Ja’Wuan James suffered earlier this week has become a critical event in this NFL offseason, due to the veteran right tackle going down away from the Broncos’ facility.
Although there was some uncertainty regarding the veteran blocker’s availability in 2021, the Broncos placed James on the season-ending reserve/non-football injured list, Mike Klis of 9News reports. This opens up a roster spot but, more significantly, shields the Broncos from the obligation to pay James his $10MM base salary. It is not yet known, however, if the Broncos will withhold that salary.
The team could also go after $3MM of James’ $12MM signing bonus as well, but the former first-round pick’s Denver stay is likely over. It did not go well. Adrift at right tackle dating back to the Peyton Manning years, the Broncos attempted to solve this perennial issue by giving James a four-year, $51MM deal in 2019. However, knee trouble and a 2020 opt-out have limited James to 63 snaps as a Bronco.
Not paying James the $10MM would free up some cap space for the Broncos, who held the second-most room ($25MM-plus) before James went down. This would allow for funds to acquire a replacement; Bobby Massie and Dennis Kelly are set to meet with the team. The Broncos are not yet certain to release James, per Klis. Doing so would trigger a $9MM dead-money hit, if they do not go after part of his signing bonus.
In the wake of James’ injury, the NFL and NFLPA released statements regarding their most recent contentious issue. The union has called for a boycott of voluntary offseason workouts; the Broncos were the first team to indicate they would stand with the NFLPA’s proposed boycott. While some Broncos have reported to the facility, James was training away from Broncos headquarters because of the boycott. The league and union remain at odds on this matter.
Latest On Packers, Aaron Rodgers
While the full-on stalemate between the Packers and Aaron Rodgers did not surface until last week, it has simmered throughout the offseason. Rodgers appears to have prepared teammates for his departure before that.
Following the Packers’ Jordan Love pick, Rodgers wondered if his plan of finishing his career in Green Bay was realistic. During the 2020 season, the decorated quarterback informed Packers free agents-to-be he was unlikely to play for the team in 2021, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link).
The Broncos, Raiders and 49ers surfaced last week as acceptable Rodgers destinations, and he is believed to have briefed those teammates of this list of teams, per Garafolo. This did not end up leading to a Packer exodus, however. Longtime Rodgers blindside blocker David Bakhtiari signed a record extension to stay in Green Bay in November, and Aaron Jones agreed to a new deal just ahead of free agency. Of course, money obviously played the central role in these big-ticket deals. But both cornerstone Packers signed despite potentially knowing they could be playing for a team in transition in 2021.
[RELATED: Broncos To Aggressively Pursue Aaron Rodgers?]
Rodgers’ former teammates, however, are split on the notion he will leave. James Jones and John Kuhn do not believe this situation has passed the point of no return. The 37-year-old QB wants the Packers to better position themselves for a Super Bowl, per Jones, who added that Rodgers does not need GM Brian Gutekunst to be fired to return (Twitter link). Kuhn, who has spoken with Rodgers since this impasse became public, said the quarterback’s appreciation for the Packer franchise and his having seen Brett Favre‘s messy exit has caused him to be “conflicted” regarding his own apparent exit strategy, via J.R. Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Favre, on the other hand, sees his ex-backup as entrenched in his position. The future Hall of Famer should not be expected move to mend the rift between he and team management, per Favre, who said during an appearance on ESPN Wisconsin’s Wilde & Tausch (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com) he expects Rodgers to be elsewhere next season. Rodgers sitting out the season would be preferable to his returning to the Packers under unfavorable circumstances, Favre adds. Rodgers has also spoken with Favre since this matter became public, having replied, “I’ll touch base with you after all this is over,” to a Favre text.
The Broncos have emerged as the team most closely connected to the three-time MVP thus far, and prospective trade packages are surfacing. Two first-round picks and a second should be required for the Broncos to land Rodgers, league sources informed Denver7’s Troy Renck, who adds the team would likely need to give up at least one key player in the deal. While Denver now has surpluses at wide receiver and cornerback, with Courtland Sutton set to return from injury and the team loading up at corner this offseason, Renck notes the team will likely fight to keep first-round pick Patrick Surtain II out of a prospective trade offer. Of Denver’s four top corners, Surtain certainly profiles as the highest-value player.
Bobby Massie To Visit Broncos
The Broncos are doing their homework on free agent tackles. In addition to hosting Dennis Kelly, the Broncos are also set to meet with former Bears starter Bobby Massie (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). 
[RELATED: Broncos To Host OL Dennis Kelly]
Massie, a nine-year NFL veteran, was released by Bears earlier this year to save $5MM against the cap. Though he’s not be a world-beater, he is an experienced starter at a premium position. The Broncos could use someone like him after losing Ja’Wuan James to yet another injury.
Massie has had injury trouble of his own. Last year, his campaign was cut short at the midway point with a knee injury. In 2019, he was limited by an ankle issue. In total, he started in all 64 of his games for the Bears across the last five seasons. And, going back to his early years with the Cardinals, he has 118 games (110 starts) to his credit.