ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When trade reports begin to surface that a topflight NFL player could be on the move, it doesn’t take long for the word to spread like wildfire.
On Tuesday, that’s just what happened when news broke that the Denver Broncos have “received calls and had trade conversations” in regards to veteran safety T.J. Ward.
To say the least, Broncos Country was not happy about the news that Denver may be trying to ship the three-time Pro Bowl safety.
That included his fellow teammates.
Almost instantly, teammates took his back on social media, doing their best to force John Elway and the Broncos’ brass to keep Ward in Denver for the final year of his contract.
Tuesday evening, linebacker Brandon Marshall took to twitter, saying “We better not trade the homie,” presumably talking about Ward. Then, on Wednesday morning, Marshall tweeted “#NobodyisSafe” presumably in reference to the fact that Ward’s day in Denver may be limited.
Hours later, at the Broncos Kickoff Luncheon—an annual fundraising event in which every Broncos player, including Ward, was in attendance—linebacker Von Miller didn’t believe what he was hearing.
“I thought it was fake news. I mean I didn’t think—it’s serious like that? It can’t be that serious,” he said. “T.J.’s been a great player for us, but it’s the National Football League. You always get blindsided by stuff. T.J.’s been great for us, so I don’t see any reason to [trade him].
While there’s no doubt the Broncos would be losing a great safety in Ward, there are many reasons why Denver could look to trade him. First, Ward is entering the final year of his deal, and with over $30 million already invested in the secondary next year, it could be difficult to resign another top-priced player in this group. If Denver will lose Ward next year in free agency for nothing more than a compensatory draft pick in return, they could look to get more value in a trade now.
Denver could also save $4.5 million in salary caps space by moving on from the 30-year old safety before 2017. Although the Broncos already have $11.2 million in cap space this season, it would free up more money which they could carry over to 2018.
Ward’s health is also a concern. He missed the final two games of last season with a concussion and missed all three of the Broncos preseason games this year dealing with a hamstring injury.
Finally, if the Broncos do move on from Ward, they feel comfortable with the deep and talented group of young safeties they currently have behind him including second-year players Justin Simmons and Will Parks as well as undrafted rookie free agent Jamal Carter.
But to a team, specifically the defense, that has a mentality to “win now,” the thought of losing a key player doesn’t sit well. As Miller tried to make sense of the Broncos moving on from an integral part of the vaunted “No Fly Zone” he stopped himself and reverted back to disbelief.
“Mr. Elway and the guys upstairs they push this organization in a great direction and are going to go continue to make championship moves for us,” he said. “I don’t really—it has to be fake news; I really can’t believe in that too much.”
In a town and organization that has used the phrase “In Elway We Trust” since he took over the organization in 2011, moving on from Ward would be one of the hardest pills that not only the fans, but the players will have to swallow in this time period.
To say Broncos Country wouldn’t be pleased with moving on from Ward would be an understatement. To say his teammates wouldn’t be happy with the move would be an even bigger understatement.
0 Comments (2 conversations)
I’m with Von. I don’t think it’s fake news, though. I suspect someone inquired about him, and true to John Elway’s nature, he was willing to listen and to weigh the options. But to make such a drastic change to the starting line up on the cusp of the regular season seems almost like throwing in the towel. This is a defense that is greatly improved, so why tinker with one of its key parts. I mean, KEY. And I suspect if there was any serious consideration to moving him now, JE would have had a discussion with Coach Joseph before it hit the media. I just wish he would come out and deny the story as adamantly as he did the one about the Broncos trying to sign another QB. Maybe he just can’t or decided he doesn’t want to refute every rumor out there. Because, the truth is, when you refute error, you also tell your opponent something about your team that you may not wish them to know. But still . . . I expect TJ to be on the 53.
The point is Justin Simmons has been terrific and we also need a spot for UDFA Jamaal Carter.
Of course Justin has been terrific and I suspect he will have an expanded role, but I don’t think he’s ready to replace the guy who is the glue to the defense. I think we’re more likely to see Jamal Carter go to the practice squad. Or Shelby Harris, who everyone loves. I don’t think John Elway would make this move without discussing it first with his coach!
Von Miller’s contract is the number one reason they’re shopping Ward. C’mon Von- you can’t expect to make that much money and get to keep all the homies around also….