Broncos Not Expected To Cut C.J. Anderson
Many Broncos were rumored cut or trade candidates due to the team’s potential pursuit of Kirk Cousins, but John Elway confirmed most of them will stay put.
However, he wasn’t as definitive regarding C.J. Anderson or Aqib Talib. While the Broncos recently agreed to trade Talib to the Rams, they are not ready to part ways with their starting running back just yet.
Denver is not expected to release Anderson, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). However, Palmer adds the team may listen to trade offers for the sixth-year running back. The Broncos aren’t exactly stacked in the backfield, but they do have third-year player Devontae Booker and intriguing second-year cog De’Angelo Henderson.
An Anderson release would save the Broncos $4MM, but he enjoyed his first 1,000-yard season in 2017 after tearing a meniscus in 2016. And the Broncos could possibly fetch a return for the 26-year-old back in a trade. Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter) the Broncos will listen to offers for the running back.
The Broncos applied an original-round tender to Anderson in 2016 and saw the Dolphins sign him to a four-year, $18MM offer sheet. The Broncos matched it, and Anderson has become Denver’s longest-tenured starting running back since Terrell Davis.
But the Dolphins, led by former Broncos OC Adam Gase and having recently hired longtime Denver RBs coach Eric Studesville, would be interested in Anderson if available. So, the sides could potentially do business. Miami traded Jay Ajayi last season for a fourth-round pick. Two years remain on the contract the Dolphins originally designed.
Broncos Give Shaquil Barrett Round 2 Tender
The Broncos are protecting two RFAs at the second-round level this offseason, with Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reporting (via Twitter) the team placed the second-highest available tender on Shaquil Barrett.
This comes minutes after Matt Paradis was tendered at the Round 2 level. Like Paradis, Barrett will make $2.914MM if he plays on the tender this season.
Barrett has not been an every-week starter like Paradis but has served as a key rotational presence over the past three seasons. The former UDFA was the player the 2015 Super Bowl champion iteration of the Broncos turned to to replace DeMarcus Ware while he was injured, and he’s been one of the better run-defending outside linebackers since that season.
While three years younger than Paradis despite coming into the league at the same time, Barrett isn’t as surefire an extension candidate because of Shane Ray‘s presence. The Broncos used both Ray and Barrett as Von Miller‘s top complements last season after Ware’s retirement, and the franchise must decide on Ray’s fifth-year option by May 3. Barrett, though, has been the more consistent player despite Ray’s first-round status.
It could become an either/or situation as to which Miller supporting-caster is extended, but for 2018, both are under contract.
Broncos Place Second-Round RFA Tender On Matt Paradis
Although the Broncos have regressed since their Super Bowl season, Matt Paradis has become one of the franchise’s best players over the past two seasons. And the Broncos are treating the restricted free agent center as such.
Denver plans to place a second-round tender on its three-year center starter, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. A second-round tender will cost the Broncos $2.914MM after Paradis represented merely a $615K cap hit for Denver last year.
Since earning the center job at the outset of Denver’s 2015 Super Bowl campaign, the former sixth-round pick has not missed a snap. Paradis managed to accomplish this despite playing in 2016 on two hips that eventually needed surgery. Despite undergoing procedures on both during the 2017 offseason, he was back in action in Week 1 and anchored the ’17 Broncos’ line.
The 28-year-old snapper profiles as an extension candidate for the Broncos, who have not enjoyed much non-Paradis continuity on their line over the past three years. Paradis is one season from UFA status, joining key re-up possibility Bradley Roby in that regard.
The Broncos also have to make a tender call on outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who joins Paradis in profiling as a top-tier RFA this offseason.
Broncos Not Interested In DRC Reunion
After breaking up the Aqib Talib–Chris Harris–Bradley Roby trio that served as arguably the NFL’s best over the past four years, the Broncos are planning to look for cornerback help this offseason.
Denver has not needed to pursue much assistance here in recent years, with Kayvon Webster jumping from the Broncos’ No. 4 corner to a Rams starter illustrating the depth the franchise was working with, but will pursue it now that Talib is Los Angeles-bound.
However, the player who preceded Talib as a Broncos starter alongside Harris — Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie — does not appear to be piquing the franchise’s interest this time around. Mike Klis of 9News tweets the Broncos will not be in the mix on a DRC reunion but confirms the franchise is seeking outside help behind Harris and Roby.
The Giants cut Rodgers-Cromartie on Sunday, and going into what would be his age-32 season, he might not be too expensive to bring back. The Broncos signed DRC for one year and $5MM in 2013, and he parlayed a strong Denver campaign into a five-year, $35MM pact with the Giants. However, when negotiations with DRC did not produce a Broncos re-up in 2014, Denver turned to Talib. And that decision played a big part in the franchise’s pass-coverage success over the past four seasons.
The Broncos created $11MM in cap space by trading Talib, but the team is expected to target a veteran quarterback and has needs at right tackle, No. 3 pass catcher and at inside linebacker. Considering both Harris and Roby will earn at least $8MM this year, nickel corner seems like an area the Broncos will try to address on the cheap.
Broncos Could Pursue Ja'Wuan James
- The Broncos are expected to have interest in Ja’Wuan James if the Dolphins are intent on gauging trade offers for their four-year right tackle, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. Denver, which has started four different right tackles in its past four season openers, is again in need of a right tackle. Although John Elway said Menelik Watson will be back, it’s hard to believe the Broncos wouldn’t try to upgrade after their most recent right tackle signee did not fare well.
Aqib Talib Discusses Trade To Rams
Before the Broncos agreed to trade Aqib Talib to the Rams, they had a deal in place that would have sent him to the 49ers. However, Talib rejected that trade, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), and he ended up with Los Angeles (San Francisco, of course, found a pretty nice consolation prize in Richard Sherman). 
Talib recently spoke with James Palmer of the NFL Network (video link), which marked the first time he publicly commented on the trade. In the interview, Talib said he wanted to remain in Denver but is excited about the “fourth quarter” of his playing career and about the opportunity to reunite with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
Given the amount of money that Denver had tied up at the cornerback position, Talib saw the writing on the wall and realized that his time as a Bronco was probably coming to an end, though he still hoped to stay with the club. He said, “I had established real friendships [in Denver]. Robe (Bradley Roby), Chris [Harris] — they’re my guys. Von [Miller], Stew (Darian Stewart). I established real friends there…It wasn’t an issue where I wanted to get out of there. There’s no reason to want to get out of there. That’s a great organization. But it’s a business. We had too much talent on the backend [of the defense].”
He did indicate that, if he had to be traded, he was happy to be traded to the Rams (previous reports indicated that if Denver wanted to move on from him, he would prefer to be released so he could become a free agent, and in that scenario, he would have been interested in rejoining the Patriots). He did not comment on his decision to nix the Broncos-49ers trade, though he did say that there was never any issue between him and embattled Broncos head coach Vance Joseph.
Talib will fly to Los Angeles tonight and take a physical tomorrow morning. If all goes well, the trade will be made official on Wednesday.
Credit to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post for her recap of the Talib-Palmer interview.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Tendered: CB C.J. Goodwin (ERFA)
- Tendered: RB Elijhaa Penny (ERFA)
- Tendered: DL Olsen Pierre (ERFA)
- Tendered: OL John Wetzel (ERFA)
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: DL Drew Iddings
- Tendered: P Michael Palardy (ERFA)
- Tendered: WR Damiere Byrd (ERFA)
- Tendered: OL Tyler Larsen (ERFA)
- Tendered: TE Chris Manhertz (ERFA)
Denver Broncos
- Tendered: DE Shelby Harris (ERFA)
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Jake McQuaide
Broncos, Rams Agree On Aqib Talib Trade
The Rams will reunite Aqib Talib and Wade Phillips, and the Broncos will receive compensation for a cornerback they’ve been trying to unload.
Los Angeles agreed to acquire Talib from Denver on Thursday, James Palmer and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (on Twitter). This continues a busy offseason for the Rams, who will now have two of the best corners to come through the AFC West this decade on their team.
Talib will net the Broncos a fifth-round pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The 32-year-old cornerback has two years remaining on the six-year Broncos-constructed contract and will count $12MM toward the Rams’ cap this season. This trade won’t involve any adjustment to Talib’s contract, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports (via Twitter).
Schefter reports (on Twitter) Talib wanted to again play for Phillips or Bill Belichick, and this helped dictate the trade terms. The 49ers and Patriots had surfaced as suitors who discussed the 11th-year cornerback with the Broncos, but Denver dealt with the Rams and pair Talib and Marcus Peters.
While the Rams are gambling on a tandem featuring two polarizing corners, they now have two of the three corners from the 2016 All-Pro first team. The Broncos previously enjoyed that setup, with Talib and fellow ’16 All-Pro Chris Harris being a four-season tandem for a dominant defense, but Talib’s age and salary did not line up for a team that is pursuing the most expensive free agent in NFL history in Kirk Cousins.
In Peters and Talib, the Rams will have two of the NFL’s best defensive playmakers. Peters is on a record takeaway pace for a cornerback, and Talib sits fourth in NFL history with 10 interceptions returned for touchdowns. That figure leads all active players by three.
While known plenty for his on- and off-field antics that caused headaches and suspensions, Talib has been one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks for many years. He stabilized his career in Denver and was a four-time Pro Bowler since signing with the Broncos in 2014. The former Patriot was a key component of a 2015 Broncos defense that became an all-time great unit, helping Denver to a third Super Bowl title. And Talib thrived under Phillips a year later as well en route to his first All-Pro honor.
Talib will reunite with Kayvon Webster, who may be the only notable corner to see time for both the 2017 and ’18 Rams. The Rams have now agreed to trade for Peters and Talib and also took a flier on former Packers top corner Sam Shields. Trumaine Johnson is expected to depart, and Nickell Robey-Coleman may follow him out of L.A.
The Rams continue to vacillate between shedding salary and taking on money in blockbuster trades. They’ve also created significant cap space over the past week by trading Robert Quinn and Alec Ogletree away, with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) categorizing the departing players as poor fits for Phillips’ scheme.
The Broncos now have 11 picks in the coming draft and have created $11MM in cap space, pushing their total north of $35MM. While that’s still less than the Vikings or Jets — the other primary Cousins suitors — have, it puts the franchise in better position to make a competitive offer.
[RELATED: Rams Depth Chart]
Broncos Exercise CB Chris Harris’ Option
The Broncos have exercised the $1.1MM option on cornerback Chris Harris Jr.’s contract for 2018, a league source tells Mike Klis of 9NEWS (on Twitter). Harris is now slated to return with a cap number of $10.36MM for 2018, which presently stands as the sixth-highest charge on the team. 
This was another quality year for Harris as he amassed 40 tackles, two interceptions, seven passes defensed, and graded out as the 29th best corner in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. He has done even better in the past, however, grading out as a top five corner in both 2014 and 2016.
This year, Harris will be extra important to the Broncos as they are likely to move on from veteran Aqib Talib. It’s rare that a team can lose a high-profile vet like Talib without serious external reinforcements, but that’s more or less what Denver will do with both Harris and Bradley Roby under contract. Denver is also set to return with Brendan Langley, Marcus Rios, and Michael Hunter.
Harris is also under contract for 2019 with a $8.766MM cap hit. However, if the Broncos choose to part ways with him next year, they can get out with just $867K in dead money.
49ers, Broncos Discuss Aqib Talib Trade
The Broncos and 49ers have discussed a trade that would have sent cornerback Aqib Talib to San Francisco, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, that doesn’t look likely to go down at this time. Meanwhile, Talib’s preference is to be released so that he can sign with a team of his choosing and his top choice is the Patriots, Russini hears. 
Talib has been identified as a trade/release candidate for the Broncos due to his $11MM cap number in 2018. The veteran does not have a no trade clause, but any team acquiring him would want to know that he on board with joining them, so he effectively has the ability to scuttle a deal. That may be the case with the 49ers, who may also want Talib to adjust his contract.
Talib has two years remaining on the six-year, $57MM pact he signed with Denver in 2014. With Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby already in-house, the Broncos can afford to move on from him. What they really can’t afford to do, however, is keep hm at his current rate. The Broncos have several needs to address this offseason, chiefly at the quarterback position.
Signing with the Patriots would represent something of a homecoming for Talib, who spent parts of two seasons with New England earlier this decade. The Patriots already have one high-priced cornerback in Stephon Gilmore, but they’re expected to lose Malcolm Butler to free agency. If Talib is willing to accept less than the $11MM base salary he’s scheduled to collect, New England would seem like an ideal destination.
The 49ers, meanwhile, also make sense as a landing spot for Talib given the state of their secondary and their ample amount of cap space. San Francisco could certainly take on Talib at his current salary, but it’s possible the club has asked Talib to accept a pay reduction under the terms of a trade. After ranking 28th in pass defensive DVOA a season ago, the 49ers can use all the help they can get in their defensive backfield.
Talib, 32, appeared in 15 games with the Broncos in 2017, a campaign which marked his fourth in Denver. Despite his advanced age, Talib is still playing like one of the NFL’s premier cornerbacks. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 15th-best CB in the league, while Talib finished third in Football Outsiders’ success rate.