Broncos Could Trade Cody Latimer?
- Veteran safety T.J. Ward may not be the only player the Broncos are open to trading, as the club could also listen to offers for fourth-year receiver Cody Latimer. speculates Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter link). Latimer, a second-round draft choice in 2014, has never broken out in Denver, as he’s posted 16 receptions over three seasons. However, he’s still young (25), plays special teams (41% of the Broncos’ ST plays a year ago), and offers intriguing measurables (here’s his MockDraftable profile). And perhaps most importantly, Latimer could be had for minimal cost, especially given the rise of fellow receivers Jordan Taylor and Kalif Raymond in Denver, as Renck details.
Broncos QB Paxton Lynch To Miss Time
Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch is expected to miss “a couple” regular season contests while dealing with a shoulder sprain, head coach Vance Joseph told reporters, including Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (Twitter links).
If Lynch is sidelined for the early portion of the season, the Broncos would be forced to turn to 2017 undrafted rookie Kyle Sloter to act as Trevor Siemian‘s backup. The only other quarterback currently on the Denver roster is rookie Chad Kelly, who is on the non-football injury list. Kelly is expected to spend his first NFL season on injured reserve, so he isn’t an option to serve as a No. 2 quarterback.
If they aren’t comfortable rolling with Sloter as their only reserve signal-caller, the Broncos could look to the free agent market in search of another quarterback. Colin Kaepernick, whom Denver was interested in prior to the 2016 campaign, stands out as an obvious solution, and Joseph said “every option will be considered” when questioned specifically about Kaepernick, per Jhabvala. Other free agent passers include Christian Ponder (who spent time with the Broncos in 2015), Robert Griffin III, Shaun Hill, Zach Mettenberger, and Bruce Gradkowski.
Lynch, a first-round selection in 2016, lost Denver’s starting quarterback job to Siemian through his performance in training camp and the preseason. Given that he’s only set to miss a few games, Lynch probably isn’t a candidate for injured reserve/designated to return unless his injury worsens. Instead, the Broncos will be forced to carry at least three quarterbacks (Siemian, Lynch, and a backup) while Lynch recovers.
Broncos Have Discussed T.J. Ward Trade
The trade market is heating up. The Broncos have received calls on safety T.J. Ward and have had trade conversations about him, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) reports Denver is actually initiating the trade talks on Ward (instead of waiting for other teams to contact them).
[RELATED: Click Here For The Latest Broncos Rumors]
It’s not immediately clear which teams have called on Ward, but it stands to reason that multiple contenders have expressed interest. Ward, 30, holds appeal as a two-time Pro Bowler on an expiring contract, though his $5.7MM cap number is a bit on the high side. Ward graded out as just the No. 50 safety among 90 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, so he may not be the elite player he once was.
Back in May, Ward expressed interest in finishing his career in Denver and the two sides reportedly had preliminary talks about an extension. We haven’t heard much on that front over the last three months, so those conversations appear to be on the back burner.
Other notable players reportedly on the trade block include Jets running back Matt Forte, Browns cornerback Joe Haden, and Browns offensive lineman Cameron Erving. A significant trade also went down on Tuesday morning as the Niners shipped tight end Vance McDonald to the Steelers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/17
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LS Taybor Pepper
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LS Jeff Overbaugh
- Waived/injured: Patrick Scales
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: P Will Monday
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: OL Gabe Ikard
Denver Broncos
- Waived/injured: DL Jimmy Bean
Detroit Lions
- Released: WR Keshawn Martin, TE Tim Wright
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: LS Derek Hart, WR Colby Pearson, RB William Stanback
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Earl Wolff
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Akeem Dent
- Waived from IR: CB Ezra Robinson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: LB Josh Mauga
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: K Travis Coons
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Michael Bart, LB Christian Kuntz, LB Nick Usher
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Audie Cole
- Placed on IR: TE Clay Harbor
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Daniel Gray
- Placed on IR: OL Adam Gettis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Mehdi Abdesmad, DL Hendrick Ekpe
- Waived: RB Blake Sims
- Placed on IR: Justin Trattou
Packers To Host LB Ahmad Brooks
The Packers will meet with free agent linebacker Ahmad Brooks on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who reports the Broncos also have interest in the former 49er.
While Green Bay is theoretically set at outside linebacker with Nick Perry and Clay Matthews Jr., signing an edge rusher like Brooks would allow the Packers to move Matthews inside, where he’d likely be an upgrade over Jake Ryan and/or Blake Martinez in nickel packages. Entering his age-33 campaign, Brooks could also be a candidate to play a Julius Peppers-esque role for Green Bay: in such a capacity, Brooks would serve in a rotational basis (Peppers played about a third of the Packers’ snaps in 2016) and focus on pass rushing.
Denver, meanwhile, is in need of depth on the edge given that Shane Ray is doubtful to play in Week 1 due to a wrist injury. Fellow outside ‘backer Shaquil Barrett could hypothetically return from a hip issue in time to play in the Broncos’ season opener, but his availability isn’t a given. While Von Miller clearly locks up one side of the Denver defense, the club would turn to Kasim Edebali, Danny Mason, or Vontarrius Dora, or potentially use second-round rookie DeMarcus Walker in a stand-up role, if Ray/Barrett can’t play Week 1.
Brooks, who was released by San Francisco last week, has 10 years of NFL experience and 98 starts under his belt. Last season, Brooks played the most defensive snaps of any 49ers linebacker (981) and posted 53 tackles, six sacks, and a forced fumble. However, he graded as just the 87th-best edge rusher in the NFL out of 110 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus, has not ranked among the top-20 at his position since 2012.
Renck: Broncos Not Expected To Pursue Ealy
- Saddled with a ravaged defensive end corps, the Broncos would make sense as an Ealy fit. But Troy Renck of Denver7 said the team doesn’t plan to pursue him (Twitter link). Denver is without Derek Wolfe and Jared Crick for the time being and saw recently re-signed defensive lineman Billy Winn tear an ACL in the Broncos’ first preseason game. UFA addition Zach Kerr also left the Broncos’ preseason game Saturday with a first-half knee injury. Ealy’s best game came against the Broncos, with the former second-round pick sacking Peyton Manning three times and intercepting him once in Super Bowl 50.
Broncos Claim Jimmy Bean, Cut Dontrell Nelson
- The Broncos have claimed defensive lineman Jimmy Bean off waivers from the Raiders and cut cornerback Dontrell Nelson, per Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). The Raiders waived Bean, a 2016 undrafted free agent, on Wednesday. Nelson’s an undrafted rookie from Memphis who had been with the Broncos since May.
Devontae Booker Won't Open Season On PUP
- Broncos running back Devontae Booker‘s wrist injury will keep him out for the first two to three weeks of the regular season, head coach Vance Joseph told reporters, including Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post, on Thursday. The team doesn’t believe that’s a long enough absence to justify placing Booker on the reserve/PUP list and losing him for the first six games of the season, so he’ll occupy a spot on the Broncos’ 53-man roster while he’s continuing to recover. That decision could affect their other backs, of course, as C.J. Anderson and Booker may be the only locks at the position. Jamaal Charles is the biggest name in their backfield, and the longtime Chief/recent injury case will see his first preseason action Saturday. Onetime 1,000-yard rusher Stevan Ridley, fourth-year man Juwan Thompson and sixth-round rookie De’Angelo Henderson are also vying for roles.
Broncos, Donald Stephenson Rework Deal
It appears that Donald Stephenson has improved his chances of making the Broncos’ roster. The tackle has agreed to a restructured deal, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Meanwhile, his $4MM salary for 2018 has been erased, Mike Klis of 9News writes.
[RELATED: Broncos’ Shaq Barrett Could Play Week 1]
Full details of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely that the revised contract will carry a smaller overall cap number, making him a stronger option to play behind starting left tackle Garett Bolles and right tackle addition Menelik Watson. The new pact will benefit Stephenson too, as the guaranteed portion of his deal has gone from $2MM to $2.5MM. He’ll also receive $750K for playing in 50% of the team’s snaps and another $750K if he reaches 70%.
This marks the second time this offseason that Stephenson has agreed to rework his deal. Originally on a three-year, $14MM deal, Stephenson modified the deal in March to lower his 2017 salary.
The veteran started 12 games at right tackle for Denver but graded out as the second-worst tackle in the league among qualifying players, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. He was responsible for three sacks and 11 penalties.
Broncos Rumors: Charles, Stephenson, Butt
Jamaal Charles reportedly has a “50/50” shot to make the Broncos‘ final roster, and his only chance to earn a spot on the club will come in Saturday’s preseason game against the Packers, tweets James Palmer of NFL.com. Charles, 30, signed a one-year deal with Denver that contained only $100K in guarantees, and he hasn’t yet participated in a preseason game. The veteran back, who’s been injured for much of the past two years, won’t play in the Broncos’ final preseason contest, so he’ll need to show he’s worth a roster spot this weekend. Denver’s other running backs includes C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Juwan Thompson, Stevan Ridley, and De’Angelo Henderson.
Here’s more from the Mile High City:
- Denver will soon face a decision on the status of offensive tackle Donald Stephenson, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com details (Twitter links). Stephenson isn’t expected to start, as the Broncos plan to play rookie Garret Bolles at left tackle and free agent addition Menelik Watson at right tackle. That combination would leave Stephenson as an extremely overpaid backup, as Stephenson will earn a fully guaranteed $2MM base salary and another $2MM bonus if he makes Denver’s Week 1 roster (all part of a contract restructuring agreed to earlier this year). While Stephenson’s salary is clearly a sunk cost, the Broncos could save the other $2MM by releasing him before the regular season gets underway.
- Rookie tight end Jake Butt will “probably” begin the 2017 season on the physically unable to perform list, as Broncos head coach Vance Joseph explained to reporters, including Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Butt, recovering from a torn ACL suffered in his final collegiate contest, would be forced to miss the first six games of the year if placed on PUP. Denver selected Butt in the fifth round, using the 145th overall pick to secure the Michigan product.
- The Broncos have had a relatively busy week, as they’ve announced Trevor Siemian as their starting quarterback over Paxton Lynch, and learned fourth-year edge rusher Shaquil Barrett could be available for Week 1.