Broncos Should Trade Walker for Jets’ Vilma

There arguably isn’t a better linebacker available this offseason by draft, free agency or trade than the Jets’ Jonathan Vilma. Ill-suited for the 3-4 defense the Jets employ, and recovering from a season-ending knee injury, the 2004 defensive rookie of the year has been given permission to seek a trade.

Vilma will be in high demand this offseason as teams prepare for next season. Literally 9 out of 10 teams in the NFL should be interested in acquiring Vilma’s services. However, few have the firepower and willingness to trade that the Broncos have shown under Mike Shanahan‘s tenure.

The Broncos have a huge need at middle linebacker, especially if the rumors surrounding Ian Gold‘s release are true.

Meanwhile, we are furiously shopping disgruntled WR Javon Walker to anyone who breathes his name in the NFL, with Tampa Bay, Washington, and Dallas being the heavily rumored favorites to acquire the former Pro Bowler. With that kind of ammunition, the Broncos might have the leg up on acquiring the services of a stud like Vilma, right?

I posed that question to TheJetsBlog’s Brian Bassett, who does a great job covering everything Jets for his fellow fans at thejetsblog.com. I’ve heard random rumblings about a WR from the New York stories, but, not being a fan, didn’t know the details on how badly NYJ needed a playmaker like Javon. Here’s what Brian had to say:

It’s true the Jets need to find a deep threat. Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are too similar in that way both being smaller possession receivers who can make great YAC once the ball is in their hands. It’s an interesting proposition, and with the young Kellen Clemens with a much bigger arm than Chad Pennington now likely to lead the team, it’s a definite need. But with Coles under contract (although cranky) and Cotch on the upswing, there are bigger needs for the Jets like LG, RT, DT & OLB so I would imagine that they would be trying to find one of those first. That’s not to say that backfilling at receiver wouldn’t be a good move, it’s just that they have bigger fish to fry.

That being said, Vilma has been empowered to find his own deal (with certain restrictions of course placed by management) so I guess it all comes down to what Vilma can find out there and if the Jets are interested. Knowing Mangini & Tannenbaum, they’d rather have a second rounder they could mold.

I agree that the Jets would look for more than just Walker to take Vilma off their hands. If I were the Broncos, though, giving them Javon and a mid-late round draft pick might be just the ticket. A conditional rounder might be enough – if Walker plays well we only owe them a 5th or 6th, but if he struggles, or is injured, we would pony up a 4th.

This would be the headlining move of the Broncos offseason, filling one of our biggest holes. With the first round of this year’s draft loaded with offensive talent and scarce with defensive playmakers, the Broncos will have to rely on free agency and a trade like this to build a championship-caliber defense.

Not to mention, this move would reunite Vilma with D.J. Williams, which is a very mouthwatering proposition indeed.

If the Broncos could pull this off, and look to the later rounds of the draft or free agency to start grooming a young LB, Denver’s weak linebacker corps could transform to a strength virtually overnight.