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Published on 10/06/2010 at Wed Oct 06 13:00.
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How would you feel about cutting ties?

Posted Wed Oct 6th by

Champ Bailey

Since hiring Josh McDaniels as head coach last season, the Broncos have oft been referred to as “Patriots West”. It is a nickname that stems from a heavy belief in the system, strong team-oriented mindset, multiple player and personnel transplants, and the idea that everyone is expendable. Especially with the potential of stockpiling draft picks.

Everyone is expendable.

With the trade of Randy Moss, a player who is highly regarded as one of the best in Patriots franchise history, Bill Belichick  has settled into the 2011 NFL Draft with double picks in each of the first four rounds. And that’s not even the genius part. No, that part comes when the picks are made.

We have seen half of this process take grip over the Denver Broncos. Mcdaniels, like Belichick, seems hellbent on trading away players with potential to obtain extra choosing rights in the draft (albeit under somewhat different circumstances).

My question to you BT Family: Would you be willing to trade the Broncs most storied player of the 2000’s in order to expand the options of this young team on the rise? Mr. Champ Bailey.

I mean, it’s a business right?

Or, what if, say, just hypothetically, not to jinx, but, say Kyle Orton ends the season as the NFL’s top QB, but the Broncos repeat their 8-8 performance of last year and miss out on the playoffs. Would you be up for taking offers? San Fran may want a QB that doesn’t need grooming, possibly Buffalo. What would it take?

  • Greyfolk

    No way. Bailey is the cornerstone of our D. We'd waste our picks trying to fill the hole left by him.

  • Shawno85

    I think if Perrish Cox gave us a little bit more, THEN Bailey would be expendable. But he's a leader and still one of the best corners in the league. He is everywhere on the field, and we're already talking about renewing his contract so I think he's safe.

    As for Orton, I don't think McD would trade him, not at the level he is playing without a viable option (Tebow needs to be groomed).

  • http://twitter.com/DantePakistan Michael Land

    If we were actually good at drafting then I'd say yes, but based on the past two drafts, I say hell no!

  • troyn

    Actually I think we had a very good draft this year.

  • http://ehalseymiles.com E. Halsey Miles

    Well, everyone is expendable, IMO, and everyone can be traded for the right price. Personally I'd have to feel good that the trade would at least not leave the team weaker for the potential of making the team stronger.

    For trading Orton, and please excuse me while I temporarily turn off my Tim Tebow bias:

    If, today, I were offered a first round pick in trade for Orton, I would take it. Yes, it means that the team, this year, is more likely to go 6-10 than 8-8 this year (and right now we're on a path to 8-8, IMO) but assuming that Josh McDaniels has confidence that Tebow is the quarterback of the future, then a first round pick in 2011 is enough incentive to trade Orton, no matter how good he's been. See: San Diego, Brees and Rivers. The reasoning is that the team has potential to be better and should at least not be worse, except perhaps in the short term. We know Tebow won't be as good as Orton now, but we can gamble that Tebow will be as good as Orton in the medium term. Next year? Possibly not. 2012? That's certainly the hope.

    (Personally I don't believe he will be, but that's not the issue. It's what the Denver Broncos believe.)

    Would I trade Bailey? Well that's an interesting question. Right now our DB roster is full of really good aging DBs and high potential young DBs and not a lot in the middle. And the high potential young DBs? Those are mostly safeties. I don't see where a first round pick is sufficient compensation for Bailey. That said, he's in the last year of his contract and that could also be a sticking point. How much do you pay an aging Bailey to keep playing? He's still got it…this year. Probably even next year. The year after that? It's hard to say.

    When you compare his career to other hall of famers, I'm guessing he's got several years left in the tank, but he's going to regress toward average for most of those years. Still, an average Champ Bailey is probably better than most high potential young DBs, because Bailey is going to make fewer mistakes. When Bailey gets beaten it will be because he got beaten, not because he screwed up. Whereas a high potential young DB is going to screw up more often…and probably still get beaten from time to time besides.

    So right now, I wouldn't trade Bailey unless we were having trouble coming to a satisfactory contract for both players. Bailey seems likely to remain a top paid player in the league, but I don't see him commanding a Nnamdi Asomugha or Darelle Revis contract next. Top 5 at his position? He can probably still command that.

    Will Bailey push the contract as hard as he could? He doesn't strike me as being as greedy as other players. He might settle for a more reasonable contract in order to have 3-4 years of relative job security. Meaning, if I were the Broncos, I would try to negotiate him into a contract that pays him less, overall, than he can probably make elsewhere, at the sacrifice of guaranteeing a lot of his money. Meaning it'd be difficult for us to cut him, and we can rely on Bailey's known strong character to not stop playing because he's making his money.

    But that's just what I'd do.

  • http://ehalseymiles.com E. Halsey Miles

    I just want to add:

    “Everyone can be traded at the right price”. I firmly believe this, and I believe this when Cutler was being shopped by McDaniels. The reason I always held McD accountable earlier is that he lied (or Cutler perceived him as lying) about his role.

    It's ok to say “I want you to be my guy but yes if the right opportunity comes up I'm going to trade you.” If your guy can't accept that, he's not mentally tough enough for the NFL. It's not okay to say “You're my guy”, then try to trade him, then deny you did it to his face. That makes it hard for your players to trust you.

  • nosky

    I won't be shedding any tears if they trade Orton… he'll never be worth more than he is right now.

    And Champ? Dude's getting old.

  • http://twitter.com/ds Dave Simon

    Absolutely not. Champ is a leader, a great player (and he's playing very well this season), and he can teach our young DBs – Cox, Thompson, Vaughn – a lot.

    The man changes game plans.

  • Dan

    It all depends on what Champ is willing to take and what incentives we are able to build into the contract (e.g. if his CB skills diminish and he is moved to safety, his salary would fall from x to y). Let Xanders do his work. If we could get our other CBs to play a little better, I would say Champ would be an outstanding safety. Bottom line if at all possible do not let him go. Maybe offer him a high 2 year CB salary with 2 additional years at safety for a much lower salary that way we don't have to cut him so that some other team gets a pro-bowl caliber safety.

  • areferee

    I believe the premise inherent in the question is false. Should we act as the Patriots are acting to achieve the same results, assumes that we are both operating from equal ground. Nothing could be further from the truth.

    Belichick is a proven winning NFL coach at 166-98, McDaniels is not at 10-10. The Patriots have won 7 Division titles in the past 10, all under Belichick; Denver has only one, under Shanahan.

    In short, decisions that MAY help improve a perennial contender like New England with Belichick and Tom Brady are clearly “apples and oranges” when compared to the same such decisions having the same desired results for Denver under Josh McDaniels and his unproven regime.

    If anything, we have to distance ourselves from EVER trying to match New England, move for move. McDaniels may someday outdo his previous mentor, but he hasn't yet.

    Besides, we have already lost too much talent and many of our decisions, thus far, are unproven. More, such as is proposed by this question, could be disastrous.

  • RCT930

    If we move Bailey to safety and pay him elite safety money as opposed to elite cornerback money, we should keep him. Otherwise we should trade him and suffer the growing pains of Perrish Cox so he's better prepared for next year.

    I also think we should do what we can to get Logan Mankins from NE. He is proven and in the prime of his career — and he would instantly solve our left guard problem. Since we have 6 really good receivers (and Decker and Willis never get in the game), I would like to see us ship one of them to NE with our extra 2nd round draft pick from Miami to get Mankins. If it takes a little more to get him, I would consider that too.

  • robtink242

    my synopsis is to keep Mr. Bailey he can really do the conversion to Safety. Orton is playing some good football so i don't think its wise to make a move there. Our true expendable position is wideout. If we can do a trade that sends Gaffney or Willis for a draft pick thats cool. But really and truly i don't think a trade is in the foreseeable future and that McD is content with his team.
    Ayers is playing well, Moreno is decent, Thomas can ball, Cox as well, McBath and Burton perform, and we have yet to see the potential of Tebow, Decker, Willis, Olsen, Thompson and Ball. McDaniels is often ridicule by us for his draft choices but in my eyes he has drafted well. Personally his only misses were the first Olsen, A.Smith, and Quinn.

    So far since he came into Denver our offense lost its spark, but thats on the rise. We have lost our ground game that gone. On the other hand our Defense is nice and we have the perfect QB that complements that.

  • anthony33

    To me it is totally dependent on what Bailey is will to settle for. Keep him if you can because of what he brings… obvious. However, if he is looking for Revis type dollars, or close to that, then I think you have to look seriously at offers. Love Bailey, but it has to work for everyone.

  • http://manchester-architects.com T-Money

    I hate to say it, but everybody has a price tag. Champ is and has been one of my favorites for years… So if you asked me, i'd show your the door.

  • http://twitter.com/dxmanning Joshua Manning

    Maybe the 2009 Draft was so-so but the 2010 Draft is just to soon to tell. IMO, the 2010 Draft class is BETTER than last year. To answer your question, NO!!!!! The Broncos should not trade Champ.

  • CourtneyBrown98

    The reason I woodn't take it is because we already have TIM TEBOW! Don't throw him to the dogs just yet! Give orton at least three years to prove himself. Orton is a darn good QB. Our woes are not coming from Orton at all! He's proving himself day in and out. And Champ Bailey?? Heck no… I wood much rather replace a andre goodman, or the other safety not name Brian Dawkins with a rookie. You have to know how to improvise. Even if you downgrade him. put him at Safety alongside BD.. he will take a pay cut .. and call it a night! But the question for the Denver Broncos. is? how do you pay a guy that's getting old! And i say.. you cant pay him boatloads of money!! Heck no!!

  • CourtneyBrown98

    You don't give up young talented recievers bro! They are staying put! I believe they can give the same effect as Gaffney and LLoyd if given the opportunity! Orton is making them look good!

  • CourtneyBrown98

    The reason I woodn't take it is because we already have TIM TEBOW! Don't throw him to the dogs just yet! Give orton at least three years to prove himself. Orton is a darn good QB. Our woes are not coming from Orton at all! He's proving himself day in and out. And Champ Bailey?? Heck no… I wood much rather replace a andre goodman, or the other safety not name Brian Dawkins with a rookie. You have to know how to improvise. Even if you downgrade him. put him at Safety alongside BD.. he will take a pay cut .. and call it a night! But the question for the Denver Broncos. is? how do you pay a guy that's getting old! And i say.. you cant pay him boatloads of money!! Heck no!!

  • CourtneyBrown98

    You don't give up young talented recievers bro! They are staying put! I believe they can give the same effect as Gaffney and LLoyd if given the opportunity! Orton is making them look good!