Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Broncos Tender Marshall, Dumervil, 3 others

Starting Friday the fun will start, free agency will be in full swing. To prepare for that the Broncos have tendered 5 players.

Elvis Dumervil has been tendered with a first and third-round draft choice. Chris Kuper, Brandon Marshall and Kyle Orton each have been tendered with a first-round draft choice. Tony Scheffler was given an original round tender (second-round draft choice).

This bascially means any team can make an offer to any one of the 5 players, and Denver can match the offer. If Denver opts not to match the offer, the other team gets the player, but has to give Denver the Tendered draft pick, e.g. a team would give the Broncos their first round draft pick for Brandon Marshall. (Click here for more info on what "Tender" means.) If I was an NFL team I'd jump at the opportunity to get Dumervil for a 1st and 3rd, as would Columnist Frank Schwab. I also think a 1st Rounder is a steal for Brandon Marshall - a Huge steal.

While ESPN and everybody else is now stating "We told ya so! Brandon is out the door", I still believe the Broncos and Marshall will work out a new contract.
Broncos' General Manager Brian Xanders had this to say; "These are all high-quality football players, and we look forward to their contributions during the 2010 season and beyond."
Although Dumervil is the only one with more than just a 1st Rounder, he is not a lock-in to stay in Denver. Believe me teams will be calling, he has a Miami backround, and Mike Nolan is the Dolphins new DC, Steven O'Reilly has put 2-and-2 together. Yet, expect the Broncos to match any offer for Dumervil, he's the most likely to stay in Denver. I don't think any teams would be willing to give a first round pick for Orton, so expect him to stay as well. As far as Brandon Marshall, many teams will be calling, but like I stated above, I believe Denver will match all offers for him. I can see a team like the Redskins (Mike Shanahan) going after Chris Kuper, but a first rounder may be a bit steep for him. The only player of the 5 that I could picture Denver not matching an offer for is Tony Scheffler.

It will be interesting to see what happens, check back at The Zone for Free Angency updates.

3 comments:

Jon Heath said...

It should be noted, that teams can negotiate with the Broncos about all five "Tendered" players. The Tendered draft pick is a starting point for a discussion.

jason heyward said...

I think most teams over-value draft picks value. You have to pay large, guaranteed contracts to unproven players that may or may not reach their potential. Brandon Marshall has already proven his talent on the field, and he is certainly more valuable than any of the wr's you could find in the 1st round of the draft.

Jon said...

Jason, I totally agree! I said the same thing on my facebook status!