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.

…He’s not Herm Edwards.

Just read what the Old Quotable said after finding out his Chiefs lost the three-way coin flip between them, Atlanta, and Oakland:

“I didn’t want a chance to flip,” Edwards said. “I wanted to be five. That was a good number for us. Five is good. I just felt all along we were going to be five. I thought Atlanta would win the coin toss.”

Of course, obviously you’ll find a better talent at #5 than you would at 4.

How in the world does this guy keep his job?! You (almost) feel sorry for the Chiefs fans, huh?

H/T Awful Announcing

• The Redskins are the latest team reportedly showing interest in WR Javon Walker.  [AOL Fanhouse]
• The Broncos are interested in trading for Detroit DT Shaun Rogers.  Of course, Rogers had the game of his career against the Broncos, returning a monster fumble return for a touchdown (with video).  [Denver Post, Predominantly Orange]
• Another DT, the Jets’ former 4th overall pick (in 2003), Dewayne Robinson, may be on the Broncos’ radar as well.  [The Jets Blog]
• Bob Slowik has made stopping the run his #1 priority.  [Rocky Mountain News]
• It’s hard to find a defensive player that fits the 12th overall pick.  [Denver Post]
• Damien Nash will never be forgotten.  [Denver Post]

The Broncos have 5 days to fix a big mess. Two of their team captains are at risk of playing elsewhere in 2008. John Lynch is mulling his options – he could be retiring, but if he chooses to come back, it could be with another team. He is due a $1.12 million bonus on March 4th. Meanwhile, Jason Elam and his agent have yet to hear from the Broncos in a month. Elam is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, February 29th.

Lynch has been offered a reduced deal, but the two sides are still talking. The report indicates that both sides are still talking amicably, but if a deal isn’t worked out Lynch move on instead of retire.

Lynch is highly regarded by the front office, his teammates, and fans. The fact that they’re working on a renegotiation tells me that he’s probably not retiring just yet. I’m hoping they can get something worked out to keep him in Denver.

Meanwhile, Elam’s situation is beginning to look dire. They had an easy opportunity to slap the franchise tag on their franchise record holder in games played and points scored, but chose not to. Now Elam is in risk of taking his leave.

Let’s not forget that the 7-9 Broncos won 4 of their games off the last-second foot of Jason Elam. A rookie might have hit half those.

Elam said if it came to that, he would have no regrets and respects Mike Shanahan and company. Then he’s a bigger man than me. Losing Elam would seriously shake my faith in the decision making of the Broncos front office this offseason.

• Playing elsewhere is one of Lynch’s options for 2008 [Denver Post]
• Elam still in limbo as clock ticks down [Denver Post]

The future of Javon Walker in Denver could be settled tonight. Walker’s representatives are to meet with the Broncos’ front office over dinner on the future of Javon in Denver or elsewhere.

“The goal is to see what we need to do to bring an end to the situation,” agent Kennard McGuire said today during a break in meetings involving the players association. …

Asked about his gut feeling on his client’s future, McGuire responded, “I’ll know after dinner.”

To bring an end to the situation, he says. Does Mr. McGuire mean an end to Walker’s short career as a Bronco, or an end to the whole mess that started the moment Javon opened his mouth on January 1st?

Meanwhile, the same Bucs reporter that broke the news on Tampa’s interest in Javon is now backing off a bit, saying the deal probably won’t happen.

What do you make of the situation? Is this a last ditch attempt by the Broncos to bury the hatchet? Are they trying to talk about a restructure to help Javon stay, or perhaps even to accelerate a trade? Or is this “so long, goodbye, nice to know you?” I’m interested to hear the readers’ thoughts.

• Broncos’ Walker will be dinner topic [Rocky Mountain News]
• Don’t Count on Walker Deal [TBO.com]

• The Broncos and Bucs have started preliminary trade talks for Javon Walker – but any deal can’t be finalized until (next) Friday. [Denver Post]
• I never thought there was even the slightest chance that The Shanahan Timeout Rule would get tossed, anyway.  [Denver Post]
• Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Rick Dennison talks about figuring out his starting five.  [Rocky Mountain News]
• He should check out Mason’s Morsels, where Andrew Mason has posted videos of Jake Long and Ryan Clady.  [Mason’s Morsels]
• Playoff seeding rules may be in for a change.  [Hashmarks]
• LB Jonathan Vilma would look good in a Broncos uni, wouldn’t he?  He’s gotten permission to seek a trade.  [New York Daily News]

Defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban entered the 2007 preseason as the Broncos’ only planned returning starter on the defensive line. He suffered a torn Achilles in the preseason, forcing him onto the Injured Reserve list.

Despite those injury concerns, the Broncos want Ekuban back next year. Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in just over a week, the Broncos have already offered Ekuban a contract, the Rocky Mountain News reports.

Drew Rosenhaus, Ekuban’s agent, says that they aren’t sure what they will do just yet. Ekuban has a week before free agency begins to review the contract and determine if he wants to test the free agent waters instead.

What’s more, Rosenhaus indicated that Ekuban is fully healthy and ready to participate in any offseason conditioning. The RMN report reminds us that Ekuban started 31 of 32 games in 2005 and 2006.

Ekuban was our best defensive end against the run, and losing him obviously hurt. Here’s hoping he stays in Denver and signs the offer.

Javon Walker made a few comments at the end of the season that escalated from one media pundit to another and the rumor that the Broncos will cut Walker continue to circulate. Generally, these rumors are reported with very little actual substance, leading the reader to wonder if the journalist involved has any real information, or is doing the unfortunately typical journalist repeats whatever some other journalist said assuming that some other journalist was accurate. This is, unfortunately, how opinions and guess work appear to turn into fact in the media — and not just the sports media but the national media as well — and that fact becomes the consensus reality until the subject does something totally unexpected.

Let’s look at what we do know.

• Javon Walker talks about Javon Walker in the third person when Javon Walker is frustrated or upset and doesn’t know what to say to reporters in the locker room on the anniversary of D-Will’s death.
• Javon Walker had a bad season last year, due to knee problems.
• We have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen with that knee this year. This is something that team doctors certainly know a lot more about than the media is telling us. They usually do have a pretty good idea where injuries like these are going to go.
• Walker is going to be $7m toward the salary cap if he stays, or $8m toward the salary cap if he goes. Cutting Walker costs the team salary cap. It doesn’t help.
• Walker is going to make a wad of cash if we cut him or if we don’t.
• Trading Walker is pretty much the same as cutting him.
• We don’t have anyone to effectively replace Walker.
• Walker has one bad interview and the Diva tag comes out. He even apologized in public, but the Diva tag hasn’t gone away.
• Walker has only had a year to deal with a friend and teammate dying in his lap.
• There doesn’t appear to be a lot of interest in a trade for Walker.
• There isn’t a lot of buzz about Walker being traded.

That’s a list of things I know. When I boil that list down, we have a first class wide receiver who has a chip on his shoulder and maybe needs some more time. He said a couple of stupid things. But Marshall’s said a couple of dumb things as well. Heck most players eventually say something dumb, the media’s really good at picking that stuff up and reporting on it because at any given time, some journalist needs a story, and then other journalists start repeating it. He may or may not play well next year.

But I don’t see that we gain squat by cutting him unless he actually can’t play.

I don’t see that the team has anything to gain by cutting Walker, and it has everything to gain by giving him another shot. Marshall is the #1 wideout, but I remember Rod, Eddie and Terrell all on the same team, and I seem to recall they put up some pretty awesome numbers together. There’s clearly room for two stellar receivers. And a good running game.

So the Broncos should cut Walker because he got cornered and put out a bad interview?

They’d better have better reasons than that if they cut him. Please, let’s not make the mistake we did with Warren.

If we cut Walker, we will miss him. Please, Shanahan, Sundquist. Don’t do it. Walker will play another season. Give him a chance and give him the ball.

Rod Smith still has aspirations to play in the NFL. Despite two hip surgeries in the last year and his recent placement on the Reserved/Retired list, the Broncos franchise record holder has his mind set on returning to the playing field to finish a potential Hall of Fame career.

The team recently offered Smith a coaching job as a wide receivers coach, according to the Denver Post. Smith respectfully declined.

Rod Smith is likely retiring, but he isn’t ready to go full time into coaching. Smith turned down an opportunity to coach Denver’s receivers but will stay with the team in a consultant role when he officially retires. He still hopes to play again, despite two hip surgeries in the last two years. The Broncos put Smith on the reserve/retired list last week.

The door is still open for Smith’s return in a Broncos jersey, but it’s comforting to know that, either way, the Broncos staff is insistent he’ll be wearing blue and orange in some form for years to come.