Case Keenum-To-Broncos Gaining Steam
Earlier this week, the Broncos were believed to be ready to compete to the end of the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes. But last month, they were identified as having Case Keenum looming as a possible backup plan. There’s been more chatter about that in Indianapolis, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes (on Twitter). While it’s unlikely the Broncos are ready to bow out on Cousins after being so closely connected to him for weeks, they’ve been the top non-Vikings Keenum connection this offseason. The Broncos also discussed a trade for Keenum with the Rams in 2016. La Canfora notes the Broncos being serious on Keenum could pit the Vikings and Jets against one another for Cousins. It’s possible the Broncos could sign Keenum and not select a quarterback at No. 5, and Mike Klis of 9News wrote recently Keenum and Cousins are likely to be the only QBs who would deter the Broncos from using that pick on a passer.
Charles Robinson of Yahoo sports, who reported earlier this week the Broncos were ready to go “all in” for Cousins, notes every team linked to the former Redskins quarterback has made it a point to stay in contact with agents of other passers in order to preserve fallback options (Twitter link). That said, Robinson does not believe the Broncos — or any team linked to Cousins thus far — is truly out on the 29-year-old signal-caller.
Latest On Kirk Cousins, “Final” Suitors
The Kirk Cousins sweepstakes is quickly heating up. Earlier today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported (via Twitter) that there were four “final” teams vying for the quarterback’s services: the Broncos, Cardinals, Jets and Vikings.
Denver, Minnesota, and New York have definitively been connected to Cousins for much of the offseason, but it’s mostly been speculation surrounding Arizona’s interest in the signal-caller. Following the retirement of Carson Palmer, the Cardinals currently aren’t rostering a single quarterback.
With the return of David Johnson and the presence of Larry Fitzgerald, Cousins would seemingly have an opportunity to flourish in Arizona. In a bit of an ironic twist, Cousins posted a picture of himself and Fitzgerald on Instagram yesterday, writing “Ran into Fitz in the airport yesterday. He’s a GREAT recruiter!” Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they’re currently operating with less cap space than the other three candidates.
Assuming these are indeed the final four teams vying for Cousins, the report seemingly takes several other potential suitors out of the mix. Primarily, the Browns, who are armed with $110MM-plus in cap space, seem to be out of the race for the quarterback.
Cousins had another productive season in 2017, completing 64.3-percent of his passes for 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. We heard yesterday that the Broncos would be going hard after Cousins, while “rampant speculation” around the Combine projects that Cousins is ultimately going to Minnesota
Latest On Broncos, Kirk Cousins
Now that the Vikings are expected to be in the mix for Kirk Cousins, the Broncos’ chances of acquiring him likely lessened compared to what they were before Minnesota became a serious contender. But Denver has no plans to bow out.
John Elway said the team would explore all options this offseason to upgrade at quarterback, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com reports Cousins is far and away the option the Broncos prefer. Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune adds (via Twitter) the Cousins-to-Broncos rumors are flowing in Indianapolis.
Robinson notes the Vikings and Jets are expected to be the other top Cousins pursuers. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv noted “rampant speculation” around the Combine is sending Cousins to Minnesota.
The Broncos do not possess the cap space the Jets do, with New York now holding more than $90MM. The Vikings also stand to sit with nearly $50MM as of Friday. But Robinson reports the team is looking at ways it increase its cap room. Denver is currently sitting on just less than $25MM, according to OverTheCap, but Robinson notes the Broncos are conjuring scenarios they can increase that to north of $40MM and perhaps as high as $50MM. Denver is likely parting with Aqib Talib ($11MM in cap savings), and Elway did not give assurances C.J. Anderson ($4.5MM) would be back for a fifth season as the Broncos’ starting running back.
However, Elway said Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Derek Wolfe would return. He also indicated (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, Twitter link) embattled right tackle Menelik Watson ($4.5MM in possible savings with $2.7MM in dead money) would be back. That’s somewhat surprising given that Watson allowed the third-most sacks in the league despite playing in only seven games. Beyond restructures, and high-profile restructures haven’t been too common in Elway’s GM tenure, there aren’t other obvious avenues to create notable space.
Robinson notes a Cousins deal might be closer to a three- or four-year agreement and adds a shorter-term deal — one that would allow him to be in line to sign a new deal before his age-33 season — would be attractive for the passer. The Broncos are likely going after Cousins to help their Super Bowl core, and with those players being in their late 20s or early 30s, a three- or four-year Cousins agreement would line up with that. Although, a shorter-term doesn’t provide the kind of security a franchise would presumably seek in being involved in this kind of pursuit.
Cousins is expected to take visits to meet with teams, and Robinson writes the Broncos’ experience signing Peyton Manning after he made Denver his first visit in 2012 could provide an edge for the Colorado franchise. The Yahoo reporter compares the Broncos’ level of interest in Cousins to Manning.
Todd Davis Likely To Test Free Agency
- Although the Broncos would prefer to re-sign linebacker Todd Davis, they will likely allow him to gauge his value on the open market, general manager John Elway told reporters, including Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (Twitter link). The Broncos plan to meet with the representatives for both Davis and fellow linebacker Corey Nelson on Saturday, per Jhabala. Davis, for his part, has started 29 games for Denver over the past two seasons. Now 25 years old, Davis graded as the No. 34 linebacker among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Aqib Talib Interested In Patriots?
Cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Aqib Talib would be receptive to the idea of joining the Patriots, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Both players are under contract, but it’s possible that the Seahawks could trade Sherman and Talib is a trade/release candidate for the Broncos due to his $11MM cap number in 2018.
Broncos Rumors: Thomas, Sanders, Wolfe
Here’s a quick look at the latest out of Denver:
- As had been previously reported, the Broncos plan to retain wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, general manager John Elway told reporters, including Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Specifically, Denver will exercise its $4MM option on Thomas, which will lock the 30-year-old pass-catcher into a $8.5MM base salary for the 2018 season. Sanders, meanwhile, is due an $8.15MM base salary next year. While neither receiver performed up to expectations in 2017, the Broncos likely want to keep both veterans around as they search for a new quarterback.
- Similarly, the Broncos will bring back defensive end Derek Wolfe, who’d been mentioned as a possible cap casualty, tweets Jhabvala. Wolf, 28, signed a four-year, $36.7MM extension prior to the 2016 campaign, forgoing free agency in order to re-sign with Denver. Since that time, Wolfe has been limited by minor injuries, and played on fewer than half of the Broncos’ defensive snaps a season ago. Pro Football Focus ranked Wolfe — who managed two sacks in 2017 — as the No. 58 interior defender among 122 qualifiers. He’ll collect a base salary of $8MM and count for ~$10.769MM on Denver’s cap in 2018.
- While Thomas, Sanders, and Wolfe appear safe, Elway refused to give the same declaration on cornerback Aqib Talib or running back C.J. Anderson, per Jhabvala (Twitter link). Denver is reportedly attempting to trade Talib (and his $11MM salary), but the club could release the veteran defensive back if no interest is found. Anderson, meanwhile, may also be cut, and the Dolphins — who signed Anderson to a restricted free agent offer sheet in 2016 — are expected to pursue him.
Redskins, Broncos Discussing Cravens Trade
Su’a Cravens could be on the move. The Broncos and the Redskins are discussing a trade to send the safety to the Denver, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). No deal is done yet, but the Broncos are showing the most interest of any team and appear to be the most likely landing spot for the former second-round pick. 
Cravens decided late in the 2016 offseason to retire from football. The news caught the Redskins completely off guard as they were banking on Cravens to start at one of their safety spots. The youngster reversed his decision hours later, but the Redskins were still skeptical about his desire to continue playing. After a short stay on the NFI list, the Redskins parked him on the reserve/left squad list, barring him from playing in 2017.
The versatile defender was diagnosed with Post Concussion Syndrome, according to a statement released by his agent late last year, but he is now “asymptomatic and cleared to return back to all things football.”
The Broncos currently project to start some combination of Darian Stewart, Will Parks, and Justin Simmons at safety. Cravens could step in as a first-stringer while also contributing at outside linebacker. In his first season, the Redskins used Cravens at multiple positions, though they were planning on having him focus on safety in his sophomore campaign.
Broncos To Meet With Agent Mike McCartney
- The Broncos have a meeting scheduled with Mike McCartney — agent to, among others, Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian and Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta — in Indianapolis while the two sides are in town for the NFL Combine, NBC 9 News’ Mike Klis reports. Per NFL tampering rules, the two sides can not discuss Cousins, but are free to talk about the latter two. Cousins is expected to be a top target of the Broncos once free agency opens.
Salary Cap Rollover For All 32 NFL Teams
This week, the NFLPA updated its salary cap report to include the rollover amounts for all 32 teams in the NFL. The Browns, as expected, lead the league in $58.9MM in cap space rolled over from the previous season. Here is the full rundown of each team’s rollover amounts:
After the Browns, the 49ers ($56MM), Titans ($30.3MM), Jaguars ($27.8MM), and Jets ($17.3MM) boast the highest rollover amounts in the league. The Dolphins ($69K), Saints ($287K), Giants ($365K), Eagles ($514K), and the Seahawks ($547K) have the least amount of rollover. In total, teams carried over nearly $340MM from last season, good for an average of $10.6MM per club.
Virgin Green To Cash In?
- This year, free agent blocking tight ends like Darren Fells (Lions), Lee Smith (Raiders), and Virgil Green (Broncos) figure to earn more than expected, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The reason, Rapoport says, is because of poor draft talent in that area and a lack of other options. Last offseason, tight end Rhett Ellison landed a four-year, $18MM free agent deal from the Giants despite averaging just ten catches per season over the course of his five-year career, so there is precedent for TEs to cash in even without gaudy stat lines.