Denver Broncos re-sign Champ Bailey to four-year contract
Cornerback Champ Bailey’s return to the Denver Broncos had been the subject of a great deal of speculation and rumour mongering. On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos Executive Vice President John Elway put an end to the uncertainty, and announced that Bailey had
been signed to a four-year deal with the franchise.
Bailey’s return to Denver had been questionable to say the least. The Broncos finished the season with a losing record of 4-12. Their current model has clearly failed and now they are going into rebuilding mode. It has been suggested that the Broncos might
not have enough room for an expensive long-term contract with a 33-year old cornerback, who will probably be at the end of his career before the Broncos start winning again.
Bailey said, “I really don’t think it takes that long to turn a football team around if you have the right pieces. We’ve been through a rough two years and there are a lot of players that are still going to be here, so I know a lot of guys want to get that
taste out of their mouths. (Winning) is going to happen a lot sooner than people think.”
The fact that Bailey had already put his home up for sale fuelled the rumour mill and suggested that Bailey himself didn’t expect to get a contract from the Broncos. Obviously everyone who doubted the cornerback’s return proved to be wrong, and that includes
Bailey.
“We are thrilled to announce that the Broncos have agreed to terms on a new four-year contract with cornerback Champ Bailey,” Elway said on twitter. He praised Bailey’s commitment and loyalty to the Broncos and to the Denver fans. There is one main reason
why Bailey’s commitment should be praised. Although an official number has not been released, unconfirmed reports say that the four-year contract is worth anywhere between $40 and $44 million.
If those reports turn out to be true, it would mean that Bailey actually took a significant pay cut to stay with the franchise. Despite his age, Bailey is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league and would have become one of the most sought after
players in free agency. The 10-time pro-bowl cornerback could have gone for something in the vicinity of $15 million per year given the scarcity of cornerbacks on the market this year.
Even at $44 million, his contract will still be worth nearly $2 million less than his previous contract with the Broncos. The contract is said to offer $15 million guaranteed over the next two years. In the first year of the contract, $11 million will be
guaranteed and in the second, $4 million will be guaranteed.
“We're fortunate to have Champ with the Broncos for a long time,” Elway said. “This is a great day for our entire organisation and our fans.” The Broncos had offered Bailey a contract back in 2010, before Elway had joined the Broncos. That offer was hurriedly
pulled off the table citing his age and the uncertainty surrounding the labour dispute. In January, Elway came to the Broncos, and soon afterwards the team began negotiating once again with Bailey.
Denver’s newly appointed coach, John Fox has a mammoth task ahead of him. He has to rebuild a team which had one of the worst defensive statistics in the league. With Bailey on board, Fox’s job becomes easier. Bailey, a veteran of 12 NFL seasons, is a leader
in the locker room and offers a sense of stability to players. The Broncos have been coached by six different defensive coordinators in as many years, New Orleans’ Dennis Allen being the latest.
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