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Published on 10/07/2010 at Thu Oct 07 15:27.
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Contract talks between Broncos, Bailey fall apart

Posted Thu Oct 7th by

Champ Bailey

The contract extension discussions between the Denver Broncos and All Pro cornerback Champ Bailey have fallen apart, at least temporarily, reports FOX 31’s Josina Anderson.

Bailey and the Broncos had reportedly been holding ongoing contract discussions for weeks aimed at keeping the cornerback in Denver through 2014. Now those talks have been tabled until after the 2010 season, reports Anderson, citing Bailey’s agent Jack Reale.

“Apparently there won’t be any further discussions about Champ’s contract until at least after the season,” Reale told Anderson. “This is not our choice. This is a choice by the Broncos. We’ll respect that and move on if we have to.”

Bailey’s contract is set to expire after the 2010 season.

“I’m not worried about that,” Bailey told Anderson. “I don’t need them to kiss my (edit). I don’t need them to do me any favors. I’m under contract right now, I plan on playing it out. If another offer comes my way that seems like a good fit, or that might be worth signing, that’s what I’ll do. But I mean I’m not going to beg somebody to come to me to keep me on the team. It’s not going to happen. I’ve never been that way, and I never will be. We all know what’s at stake. They’re taking a risk, and I’m taking a risk.

“Who is to say at the end of this season something gets worked out with this team or somewhere else, but they know that.”

When a reader asked Anderson if Broncos fans should be concerned, she replied, “Yes. Tension is there, it could go away.”

I praised the Broncos for smartly trying to lock up Bailey long term, so deciding to table talks until after the season is alarming and concerning. Was it a strong-arm negotiating tactic by the Broncos? Is this Bailey and his agent’s equally aggressive response, making it public? All possible or even probable, and maybe talks really aren’t tabled at all. But, in our opinion, the best situation for everyone involved is Bailey’s future being cemented in Denver. At best, this just delayed that. At worst, a la Brian Dawkins in Philadelphia, this could risk dooming it.

  • Mergrath

    Meh…I've got faith that we'll get it done…just like Doom and Kuper's deals. Bailey will retire a Bronco…!!!

  • http://twitter.com/sodahawk kd

    is this why dude missed practice yesterday for undisclosed reasons

  • Cyberspread

    Crap!!!

  • Cyberspread

    Crap!!!

  • nosky

    Looks like another ruthless cut is coming. Great job, McDaniels!

  • anthony33

    This tells me one thing… Reale went in asking for Revis type money. I don't beileve the Broncos would have broke off talks had things remained resonable.

  • Bronco_groupie

    Is everyone forgetting that Champ is getting old, and how often he has been burned on the field, and hurt off of it?

  • AKfan

    Please detail how often Champ has been “burned”, missed a tackle, and sat out games for us forgetful fans?

  • migeymoto

    Champ's been burned, albeit once every few games. If they came in asking for Revis type money, McD will let him walk..Bailey has 1 more year then fuhgetaboutit, if he were to move to free safety that would be great, but he won't be able to keep up w/the premier WR after this year @ the CB position….

  • AKfan

    He has stated numerous times he plans to move to safety and have a contract that reflects that. Just curious what you are basing your opinion that he will no longer be able to keep up with premier receivers after this year? Athletes don't typically lose their speed instantly and he is doing just fine guarding premier receivers this year (better than any other Bronco). Every expert I have seen weigh in on the subject believes he has several years left playing corner.

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

    Way to throw the him under the bus.

  • areferee

    The Denver Broncos, just like many other teams in the National Football League, have had a long list of ordinary players over its history. It has had a much shorter list of EXTRA-ordinary players. We could argue “ad nauseam” as to which players belong on which list.

    Here is a short list of Denver's extraordinary players: John Elway!

    In other years, the list is larger and arguably could include such names as: Little, Gradishar, Wright, Sharpe and others…

    Champ Bailey arguably belongs on that list, as well.

    Some will say he was, or is over-rated, or getting older, or over-paid. Maybe some of that is true. Maybe not. But he is a difference maker. And he is a class act. And he is a man! A good one.

    You take any of the names I mentioned away from the Bronco teams for which they played, and the team is diminished. Without Elway, the Broncos were ordinary. Virtually all of the Bronco glory and its days of being extraordinary were because of him.

    Since Elway, up to and especially INCLUDING the Bowlen, Xanders, McDaniels era, the Broncos have been nothing but ORDINARY. Get rid of Champ Bailey, or Brian Dawkins or Elvis Dumervil and you are even MORE ordinary.

    Debate all you want, but at the end of the day, look at everything this administration has done to make us better and then compare it to all they have done to make us worse. Which way does the scale tip?

    Sign him.

  • http://baltimoresportsreport.com Zach

    BRING HIM TO BALTIMORE!

  • TheTroglodyte

    Why is everybody jumping on McD's back over this. He isn't the one negotiating on behalf of the Bronco's.

    I will say this though, I am curious to see how Bailey responds because

    1. He knows he is getting older and this is his last chance at a big payday

    2. He just got all the motivation in the world to play absolutely lights out!

    Bailey seems like the time of guy to give 100% anyway but if there is anyway for him to give more, you know for a fact he's going to give it now.

  • lars94

    The Broncos and Bailey’s agent, Jack Reale, were close to hashing out a four-year contract extension that would have kept the nine-time Pro Bowler under the team’s control through 2014. Bailey said he wasn’t crazy about the deal, but was willing to take it because he wants to stay in Denver. “We were scheduled for a discussion on the contract offer they had recently e-mailed me,” Reale said. “Before we had a chance for discussion, I received a call saying they wanted to put it off and wait until the end of the season. That is certainly their option and while not pleased, since no player likes playing in the last year of his contract, we respect their right to pursue that approach. “Champ will do what he always does. Play hard, give 100 percent, keep quiet and lead this team.””

    http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16279530

  • anthony33

    Wow… had not seen that. Very strange indeed.

  • Kerrysucks

    get off our site! find a ravens site

  • Broncos79

    HELLO! aren't you forgetting a MAJOR key player “ROMO”

  • Guest

    I'm not happy with this. Champ seems like a stand up guy and this is only making me lose respect for our management

  • Vince_marine

    I just hope it doesn't cause a distraction for the team.

  • dogheadbrew

    The conspiracy theorist in me sees it like this:

    Ever since getting hired. the McX regime has diabolically plotted to make maximum off field discussion fodder, thereby distracting fans long enough for them to rebuild the team in their image without getting fired.

    Think about it: Cutler was good for about a season of distraction. Marshall made great national media “news” while Hillis kept the loyalists guessing. Doom re-distracted us and Tebow is a whole other national fascination. Unfortunately they have to play games now, so the best they can do is have a Baily negotiation “break-down.”

    Oh, and the Thursday press conferences where McD (maybe soon literally) pulls a new RB out of a hat.

    But that's just my crazy magic-bullet-x-files-skulls-Illuminati side coming out.

  • mikebirty

    pay him

  • anthony33

    AGREE. If the Broncos did indeed send him a proposal then elect not to talk about it… total BS. It would be different, as I mentioned earlier, had Bailey's team submitted a ridiculous offer, which apparently is not the case.

    This front office has a very odd way of doing business.

  • http://baltimoresportsreport.com Zach

    I have a Ravens site. Sorry I didn't realize I wasn't able to talk to the opposing teams fans.

  • anthony33

    Here’s the reality folks, and in the long run it is the best way to run a franchise… the Broncos front office does not give a flying F what the fans think when it comes to personnel moves and contracts. They do so because they know the ultimate goal is winning, and in the long run that is what really makes fans happy. It is clearly about balancing the long term good with the short term want. It is what all well run businesses do every day.

    Were we happy with Cutler, Marshall and Hillis when they completely collapsed and burned at the end of the 2008 season… HELL NO. Did we want all three of these guys to remain Broncos when Shanny left… hell yes. So far I think it’s fair to say the moves have been good for the better.

    So, while all this is a bit strange, we’re going to have to get used to this new style and just trust it until enough time has gone by to evaluate the end result… wins.

  • areferee

    Every personnel decision is subjective. Whether or not it was a good decision is open for argument and that is what we are doing.

    I don't believe there is a consensus that the three trades you mentioned have been for the better.

    You're spot on about the “flying figs” part. Bowlen and his administration have repeatedly proven that they don't care about the fans. I suspect their decisions are not as much motivated by their desire to win, as it is by their desire to remain profitable.

    EVERY team SAYS they desire to win. Not all do. The ones that do win generally show it by spending money to obtain PROVEN winners.

    Champ IS a winner.

  • Boyd Dressler

    CB has lost a step or two. While hopefully he stays if he goes it is best if a trade is made for, yes, a running back who hit the holes and who stays healthy. Who know Bailey for Portis…doesn't fit the need for a healthy back but the irony is inescapable.

  • areferee

    Speaking only for myself, you are welcome here any time. We appreciate input from all perspectives. You have shown a willingness to talk football, and not Bronco-bashing or other trash-talk.

    We look forward to our confrontation with the “BlackBirds” on Sunday. It should be a tough match up. I hope our running game gives you an adequate test. You are not catching us at our best.

  • troyn

    Maybe Champ has lost 1/2 a step at most. Even with that he is a top five cover corner and the number 1 tackling corner in the league. This is mystifying and I'd like 2 know the real story.

  • LevonZevon

    This is off-topic, but I tried commenting a few days ago about possibly trying Demaryius Thomas as a Tight End (who lines up as an H-Back behind Orton).

    Since presumably stone-handed Quinn and Gronkowski are never targeted– and their blocking is mediocre besides– we are basically at a disadvantage on offense (and desperately neeed to try something to keep opposing Safeties from playing too close to the line-of-scrimmage on early-downs).

    Against eight-in-the-box, Josh can't establish a running-game (which takes away the advantage of Kyle's recent mastery of the play-action, fake long hand-off that turns into a bootleg going in the opposite direction of the offensive-line).

    He probably doesn't want to pass on first-down all the time, so he needs to do something to challenge the defense between-the-hashmarks (more than 15 yards downfield).

    Establishing Thomas in Larsen's spot against the Ravens and Jets could work wonders and set up Denver for some trick plays too.

    For one thing, Ray Lewis can't keep up with Bay-Bay if he sifts through the line and rapidly goes down-the-seam like a TE would (if we actually had a Dallas Clark/Chris Cooley/Aaron Hernandez pass-catching TE).

    And it would certainly help against the Jets, since keeping ILB's Bart Scott and David Harris honest– and keeping Leonhard from cheating up to often– is certainly recommended (especially with the Jets likely winning the time-of-possession).

    Since we are probably going to pass 75% of the time anyway, we could use Thomas in the backfield, peeling out as a multi-directional target, while keeping Graham in for blocking purposes.

    We could even direct-snap it to Demaryius or even try inserting Tebow in the goal-line (where he can substitute for Orton, get the snap and have Thomas to pitch to… or even to throw to if he sneaks out under-the-wash).

    Just something I hope we try. Because all this running into a brick-wall behind Gronkowski on first-down wasn't accomplishing anything against Tenn. except wasting every single first-down and making our offense too predictable (and on second-and-ten as well).

  • LevonZevon

    Jonathan Dwyer is a good running back (who mysteriously fell to the 6th round). Pittsburgh would probably trade him for Bailey and a perfectly-inpenetrable defense (and maybe another late-round pick besides).

  • Dazbroncos

    Sadly champ is aging. That said, he is still everything JMD has said he wanted… character players with skill and discipline. Thats what Champ is.
    If Champ wants Revis $$ then he wont get it. If he is reasonable, and history says he is, then he should get everything he deserves and a bit more…

    PAY the damn guy…

  • LevonZevon

    The real story is that Belicheat’s example and Bailey’s injury problems have McD re-evaluating things. He sees the Pats getting draft-picks for Seymour and Moss even though they wouldn’t have re-signed them. He understands the cold-cruel calculus of the game and how no smart teams pay for yesterday’s production.

    So, I envision this as truthful and also a way to get Bailey’s camp to lower their demands. As for #24 shifting to Safety, I think that’s pie-in-the-sky, since Denver will probably want to invest in a bigger-hitting Safety in an off-season or two (when B-Dawk can’t bring it any longer).

    McBath is a Center-fielder-type already and Bruton isn’t starter-material, so Bailey’s shifting from the position he’s mastered wouldn’t make much sense in Denver (although, if Polamalu gets hurt, he could possibly fill in well if traded to the Steelers).

    Perrish Cox can hold down the fort opposite Goodman this year, with Squid and the speedy Cassius Vaughn getting valuable regular-season reps to study on film and improve upon.

    So, I guess that Denver will want to trade Bailey to Baltimore or Pittsburgh– or maybe to New England for Mankins– if his salary demands don’t come down.

    After all, Bowlen’s cash-flow problems must be true, since the biggest free-agent splash he’s made has been Dale Carter a decade ago.

    If we trade Champ to Pittsburgh next week, we could see it for 6th round gem Jonathan Dwyer (who ran all over Denver in the pre-season). Georgia Tech players produce well as Pros and Dwyer has the 5’11, 230 lb. frame to absorb some between-the-tackles punishment while still hitting the holes rapidly.

    And since they are ready for a Lombardi Trophy run with Ben back, Bailey can get his ring and LeBeau can get a steady corner opposite Ike Taylor (which is essential for his zone-blitzes).

    LeBeau was said to be disappointed with Pittsburgh’s coverage last season and, with Troy Polamalu and the hard-hitting Ryan Clark at Safety, it has to be the second CB (which they brought back McFadden to re-fill).

    With the best LB corps in football, a deep defensive line, Heath, Hines, Wallace and Mendenhall suroounding Big Ben and Pouncey growing into his role at Center, the Steelers can roll the dice for a veteran like Bailey and provide the insurance LeBeau is craving (especially with his worries about the disappointing second-year CB William Gay and the mediocre-and-targeted CB from Arizona, McFadden).

    And Dwyer could make McX look shrewd and possibly solve the RB platooning quandary that is very quickly boring a hole into Denver’s opportunity to show the benefits of Josh’s offensive-system.

    By the way, Ron Jaworksi complimented Tebow’s ability to run the Spread offense when he gets a chance… presumably in 2011 (in the recent issue of “ESPN, The Magazine”).

    If Orton keeps playing light-out, we may be able to trade him for a 1st-round choice if Tebow progresses enough to get Josh’s confidence in the post-season. You know, he wants to be the first NFL coach to run the Spread full-time.

  • elwaybronco7

    i say pay Bailey his money just not for 4 years 3 at the most just to get a feel of waht is going on…Parrish Cox looks like he could step in and seamlessly fill Baileys position this year but denver needs a guy like Bailey to help keep the D whippin some a$$ pay him his money just be cautious about it

  • Hope

    Pay the man best back in the nfl and ever .He is the center stone of are defence.He has not lost a stepp that is bull.Brandon Marshall said he is the best cb in the NFL.

  • Reginavest

    I think this is fair. Champ is great but let's face it he's not as young or aggressive as he used to be. I can see why they want to see what he does this season before they make a financial commitment; especially since they are paying out high dollar for the QB's.

  • http://baltimoresportsreport.com Zach

    Thanks. I'm looking forward to the matchup myself too. Should be fun to face a good passing offense.

  • ETL

    When did he ever say that? And is everyone forgetting that the NFL is heading towards a strike?

  • Buzzliteyear

    champ is the best back in football pay him his $ and give him some more just for makeing him wate dont be so greedy

  • Buzzliteyear

    champ is the best back in football pay him his $ and give him some more just for makeing him wate dont be so greedy