Latest On Broncos, Colin Kaepernick
It sounds like the Colin Kaepernick saga is not close to a resolution. The Broncos are pushing for Colin Kaepernick to agree to a drastic salary reduction that would call for him to earn $7MM in 2016 rather than the $12MM he’s currently scheduled to make. On top of that, as Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News writes, Denver is looking for the 49ers quarterback to also take pay cuts in each of the remaining years of his deal. 
The 49ers, as we’ve heard before, are unwilling to help bridge the gap by paying off part of Kaepernick’s contract. Meanwhile, Kaepernick’s camp is fairly committed to either keeping the salaries in tact or letting him hit free agency next offseason, when his controlling team could cut him loose before his salary becomes guaranteed for 2017. Kaepernick is not unwilling to take a pay cut, as Kawakami and others have reported, but he is not willing to give up quite this much in the way of guaranteed cash.
Meanwhile, the QB needs at least one more month before he is football-ready, a source tells Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com. As Mike Florio of PFT writes, that effectively sets a deadline for a potential Kaepernick trade since the 49ers will not want to chance him suffering a serious injury and thereby tanking his trade value. The Broncos believe that if they stand their ground, they will eventually convince the 49ers to eat part of Kaepernick’s salary.
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Broncos Sign Jared Crick
3:08pm: Crick’s two-year deal is worth $4MM, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
12:40pm: The Broncos announced that they have signed defensive end Jared Crick. It’ll be a two-year deal for the former Houston bookend. 
Crick played under head coach Gary Kubiak, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, and defensive line coach Bill Kollar when he was with the Texans and the staff’s familiarity with him surely played a role in the signing. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive end will now join a rotation of defensive ends who will collectively try and make up for the departure of Malik Jackson. Jackson, of course, inked a massive six-year, $85.5MM deal with Jacksonville in March. Denver’s defensive ends depth chart also includes Vance Walker, Kenny Anunike, Derek Wolfe, and George Uko.
Over the last two seasons, Crick has racked up 5.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, 47 tackles, and one forced fumble across 31 starts. The former fourth-round pick was hampered by injuries in his first two NFL seasons.
The Broncos likely aren’t done adding defensive ends this offseason as Kubiak has previously indicated that the team will be eyeing defensive ends in the draft.
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RB Devontae Booker Visits Broncos
- The Broncos remain in the market for running back help, and are hosting Utah RB Devontae Booker for a visit today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Dak Prescott Visits Broncos
- Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott was hosted for a pre-draft visit by the Broncos today, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Prescott is unlikely to go in the first round, so the Broncos could look to target him in the second or third round of the draft.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick, Broncos
TUESDAY, 6:15pm: While Kaepernick isn’t totally opposed to the idea of reducing his salary as part of a trade, he isn’t interested in a pay cut as significant as Denver has proposed, writes Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com.
A source tells CSNBayArea.com that the Broncos actually want to reduce Kaepernick’s salary to $7MM for 2017 in addition to 2016. Considering the Niners quarterback currently has the ability to earn more than $14MM in 2016 alone through base salary and bonuses, it makes sense that he wouldn’t have interest in a deal that would pay him about the same amount over the course of two years.
MONDAY, 6:43pm: The talks have stalled due to the issue with Kaepernick’s salary, but they’re not necessarily done for good, Mark Maske of The Washington Post tweets.
1:18pm: Colin Kaepernick is staying put in San Francisco, at least for now. The 49ers quarterback refuses to take a pay cut and the Niners are refusing to pay off part of his contract to help facilitate a trade with Denver, according to a source who spoke with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). 
Trade speculation involving Kaepernick swirled all weekend, with conflicting reports on whether or not the Broncos and 49ers were close to reaching a trade agreement. Although there was some disagreement on how close the two sides were on agreeing to trade compensation, virtually every report suggested that Denver would want Kaepernick at a reduced salary. Now we know that No. 7 is unwilling take a pay cut from his current $11.9MM figure, which is fully guaranteed. The Niners are also unwilling to eat a portion of that to ease the Broncos’ financial commitment.
Earlier today we learned that Kaepernick was spotted on a flight from Denver to the Bay Area, meaning that he is reporting to the 49ers. By reporting, Kaepernick is able to cash in on his $400K workout bonus, but he likely won’t be able to do much as he continues to rehab from injuries.
The Broncos’ quarterback depth chart currently consists of Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian and while they have said that they would be willing to head into the season with Sanchez as the starter, they have been exploring their options and heavily considering a Kaepernick deal. The 49ers, meanwhile, have Blaine Gabbert under contract and theoretically could afford to part with Kaepernick. Still, they have been steadfast in their desire to get value in return for the one-time superstar and unwilling to split the check.
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Tyler Polumbus Announces Retirement
Everyone wants to leave the game of football on a high note and Tyler Polumbus is doing just that. On Tuesday, the veteran offensive lineman took to Facebook to announce his retirement from the NFL: 
“In 2008 Liz and I began the journey of a lifetime,” he wrote. “8 years and 4 teams later we feel that it is time to call it a career in the NFL. When this journey began I was just hoping that I could make the team with extremely long odds in front of me as an undrafted rookie. I thought it would be amazing to say that I played a season or two with the Denver Broncos. I never imagined that God would keep opening door after door for me to continue in this game. I am incredibly grateful for His mercy, grace, and blessings He has given my family.”
Polumbus, a University of Colorado product, broke into the league with the Broncos as a UDFA in 2008. The tackle’s journey took him to the Seahawks, Falcons, and Washington before he came full circle and signed with Denver in the 2015 season. Now that he has a Super Bowl win and plenty of cash in the bank for his family, Polumbus is calling it a career.
Over the course of nine NFL seasons, Polumbus appeared in 112 games and made 57 starts.
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Broncos Have Reached Out To Ronnie Hillman
- The Broncos have reached out and expressed interest in bringing back free agent running back Ronnie Hillman, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS. However, according to Klis, Denver is one of a few teams showing interest, and Hillman’s other suitors have more cap room than the Broncos.
Colin Kaepernick To Report To Niners
With the 49ers’ offseason workouts set to get underway today, Colin Kaepernick – the subject of several trade rumors within the last few weeks – is expected to be in attendance. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News first tweeted on Sunday night that the quarterback would likely report, and as David Fucillo of Niners Nation details, Kaepernick was spotted on a flight from Denver to the Bay Area. He had been rehabbing in Colorado.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has also reported that Kaepernick will report to the Niners’ facility on Monday, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeting that the signal-caller is set to attend a team meeting at 8:30 pacific time this morning, along with the rest of his teammates.
Of course, as Barrows has detailed and as Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets, reporting to San Francisco is something of a tactical move for Kaepernick, who is still recovering from multiple injuries and may not be able to participate much in workouts. The Niners QB is owed a $400K workout bonus on his current deal, which he may have forfeited by not showing up this week.
Trade speculation involving Kaepernick swirled all weekend, with conflicting reports on whether or not the Broncos and 49ers were close to reaching a trade agreement. Although there was some disagreement on how close the two sides were on agreeing to trade compensation, virtually every report suggested that Denver would want Kaepernick at a reduced salary, and it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to take a pay cut from his current $11.9MM figure, which is fully guaranteed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Renck: Broncos Will Get By Under Center
Even if they’re unable to land Colin Kaepernick, panic over the Broncos’ quarterback situation isn’t in order, opines Troy Renck of the Denver Post. As Renck writes, the defensively dominant Broncos were able to defy logic last season by winning a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler (primarily the former) combining to offer some of the NFL’s worst quarterback play. In Renck’s estimation, next season’s performance from Denver’s signal-caller(s) probably won’t be much of a downgrade, if at all, and the Broncos should still possess an elite defense. The Broncos were in the league’s basement in nearly all relevant passing stats in 2015, so Renck’s belief that they should at least tread water under center with Mark Sanchez (and/or someone else) is justifiable. It’s worth noting, though, that the defense could regress to some degree after it lost a pair of integral contributors, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan, when free agency opened last month.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
As those who have closely followed the Colin Kaepernick saga know, the 28-year-old will collect a $400K bonus if he partakes in 90 percent of the 49ers’ offseason workouts. Those workouts begin Monday, and much has been made about whether Kaepernick will appear or stay away and continue to hold out hope for a trade. The Broncos – who are pursuing a deal for Kaepernick – begin their offseason workouts April 18, so Kaepernick could theoretically skip the 49ers’ program and recoup the $400K with Denver if it acquires him by then, as Mike Klis of 9News notes (on Twitter).
- Whether Kaepernick attends the start of 49ers workouts Monday could be crucial to both teams’ leverage, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. If he’s a no-show, it will further demonstrate that his relationship with the 49ers is irreparable and potentially force them to settle for an underwhelming offer from the Broncos. On the other hand, should Kaepernick report, there’s a chance he and new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly will develop a rapport and ultimately lead No. 7 to continue his five-year career in San Francisco.