Mark Sanchez not worried about possible competition from Colin Kaepernick for Broncos QB job By Troy Renck DenverPost.

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1 Mark Sanchez not worried about possible competition from Colin Kaepernick for Broncos QB job By Troy Renck DenverPost.com Mark Sanchez wastes no time worrying about whether the Broncos will trade for San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Early Wednesday morning, he was too busy throwing punches, roundhouse kicks and performing tuck jumps while wearing a 40-pound weighted vest near his offseason hometown. From the moment the Broncos acquired Sanchez "I still can't believe it," he said he has watched film and trained relentlessly to put himself in the best position to secure the starting quarterback job. "Listen, I don't care who is there, what is going on right now. They are going to give me a fair shake, that's all I can ask for, a fair shot. I am good. Let's go. I will bet on myself and compete my butt off," Sanchez said before his workout. "I will be friendly and professional with whoever is there. But I want this bad. Really bad. I want what they experienced last year." Sanchez, 29, has attempted to microwave his transition by spending time at the Broncos facility, even though he's not allowed to talk with the coaches. With the help of receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, Sanchez put together a passing camp Broncos Beach at Mission Viejo High School to gain familiarity with his teammates. He knows nothing is guaranteed, but he wants to maximize his opportunity. "One, it's just to be around each other. That's important. It sounds like they have that family atmosphere in Denver. They talk about the locker room and it sounds fun. It's because of stuff like this," Sanchez said. "They get together in the offseason, and make sacrifices with their time and their money and travel to do that. Emmanuel and Demaryius were awesome, saying, 'Let me call so and so.' They've been great."

2 Broncos agree to two-year deal with defensive end Jared Crick By Cameron Wolfe DenverPost.com There's nothing quite like chasing familiarity and the lure of success. That's what led former Texans defensive end Jared Crick to sign a two-year contract with the Broncos Wednesday, aligning forces with three of his former coaches from Houston. Crick, 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, spent his first two seasons with Broncos coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in Houston, so he should be familiar with their scheme. He also spent three years with Broncos defensive line coach Bill Kollar in Houston. "It was pretty much between here and Houston," Crick said about his free-agent decision. "At the end of the day, I just didn't think I could go wrong coming back and playing for coach Kubes, coach Wade and coach Kollar. Just being in a comfortable fit. I went to Nebraska, so there are a lot of Nebraska fans that are Broncos fans. I have a little bit of a fan base coming in, which will be nice. The decision, it was tough, but I think I made the right one." He will join defensive ends Vance Walker, Kenny Anunike and likely at least one rookie in trying to replace defensive end Malik Jackson, who left Denver for Jacksonville in free agency. No promises were made to guarantee Crick a starting role. He says he looks forward to working hard, putting his best foot forward and earning whatever role the Broncos give him. Crick, 26, started 31-of-32 games for the Texans over the past two seasons. The former fourth-round pick has made 5.5 career sacks, 146 tackles and 13 pass deflections over four seasons. Crick has been a strong run stopper throughout his career and helped the Texans rank in the top 10 in total defense, pass defense and rushing defense this past regular season. He credited Kollar, who left Houston to become the Broncos' defensive line coach before the 2015 season, for his transition from a rotational player with no starts over his first two seasons to a key starting cog in 2014 and "He brings the best out of you. Every year I played under coach Kollar, I got better and improved as a football player," Crick said. "So I expect playing for him again, that I will continue progressing as a football player." Kubiak said at the annual NFL meetings last month the Broncos plan to draft at least one defensive end. Crick played defensive end opposite J.J. Watt during his past two seasons in Houston, but has the ability to play multiple positions on the defensive line and is known for his strong work ethic. He played 855 defensive snaps last season, ninth most among all 3-4 defensive ends.

3 Crick said he enjoyed playing with Watt. He also looks forward to playing with Broncos linebacker Von Miller and having fun on and off the field with the character that has made Miller a celebrity.

4 Defensive end Jared Crick reunites with Broncos coaches By Mike Klis 9News In the Denver Broncos quest to find the next Malik Jackson, they will have to keep looking. Jared Crick is a hard-working, overachiever type who will scrap and fight through the trenches to make the tackle. But there s a reason why Jackson got an $85.5 million contract with Jacksonville. Crick will fill Jackson s old left defensive end position in the Broncos 3-4 system after Denver signed the former Nebraska Cornhusker and Houston Texan to a two-year, $4 million contract. Crick was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 draft by the Texans at a time when Gary Kubiak was their head coach, Wade Phillips was their defensive coordinator, and Bill Kollar was their defensive line coach. Kubiak, Phillips and Kollar now hold those same positions with the Broncos. The Texans attempted to resign Crick, but he wound up signing up with old friends. It was a huge part of it, Crick said Wednesday during a press conference at Broncos headquarters. Just being with Kubes for two years, coach Wade for two years and Kollar for three years, I know the schemes, what they expect of me and I know what to expect of them. To come back and play for them again, it was a huge part of the decision. Crick had 5.5 sacks the past four years while Jackson had 5.5 in 2015 alone. But Crick does have a knack for knocking down passes, as does Jackson and Houston great J.J. Watt. Crick had six pass deflections in 2014 and 13 in his career. Crick will rotate with Vance Walker and Darius Kilgo at the defensive end position opposite Derek Wolfe.

5 Broncos notes: RB Devontae Booker visits; long snapper auditions By Mike Klis 9News C.J. Anderson is one running back. The Denver Broncos know they need at least two. The team has inquired about bringing back Ronnie Hillman, but because running back is the ultimate young man s position, the Broncos visited Wednesday with Utah s Devontae Booker. To land Booker, the Broncos would likely have to take him with either their No. 31 overall pick in the first round or No. 63 in the second. He may not last until No. 63. Like Anderson, Booker s journey included a junior college stop before he landed with a big-time program. As a junior for the Utes two years ago, Booker rushed for 1,512 yards and had 43 catches. He was having a better season last year as a senior, compiling 1,261 yards rushing with 37 receptions in 10 games before he missed the final three games with a torn meniscus on his left knee that required surgery. Booker said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February that he needed a second operation on the knee and that one corrected the irritation he was having. Booker is widely considered either the second or third-best running back prospect The Broncos also visited Wednesday with Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott. Long snapper tryouts After they participate in the 40th Annual Boys Scouts of America Sports Breakfast on Thursday morning at the Pepsi Center, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis will hustle back to the UCHealth Training Center to watch long snapper tryouts. There will be a group of long snappers of various experience at the audition, including Christian Yount, who snapped for the Cleveland Browns from , and Sam Rodgers, a long snapper from Syracuse. The Broncos have a void at the position after they waived Aaron Brewer for behavioral reasons. Brewer has already signed with the Chicago Bears and his former coaches John Fox and Jeff Rodgers. The Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals, who lost Mike Leach to retirement, are the two teams in the hunt for a long snapper.

6 Denver Broncos agree to two-year deal with DE Jared Crick By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has said upgrading the team's defensive line was going to be a priority in this year's draft, but the Broncos didn't wait that long to make an addition. They added a potential starter on the defensive line Wednesday when they agreed to terms with defensive end Jared Crick on a two-year deal. Crick was the Houston Texans' fourth-round pick in the 2012 draft, when Kubiak was the team's coach. Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and Broncos defensive line coach Bill Kollar were on Kubiak's staff in Houston at the time. Crick said his knowing the coaches was "huge." "Just being with Kubes for two years, Coach Wade for two years and Kollar for three years, I know the schemes, what they expect of me, and I know what to expect of them," he said. " To come back and play for them again, it was a huge part of the decision." The Broncos think Crick, who has started 31 games over the past two seasons and is just 26 years old, can have significant playing time in their rotation in the defensive front. Crick played 855 snaps last season with the Texans. Among the Broncos' defensive linemen, only Malik Jackson, with 828 snaps, topped 800 snaps last season. Jackson left the Broncos in free agency and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. "Knowing Coach Wade's defense, I had a good understanding of what they're still doing, what they did before when I was there." Crick said. "It's good to see the similarities. I'm going to be coming in to a defense that I already know. I'll have to pick up some of the terminology that was different when they left, but I think I'll be able to fit in. I just need to learn my role and do whatever I can." Kubiak has said throughout the offseason, including at the recent league meetings, that the defensive line would get some attention in the draft. "Obviously we've got four guys on our roster right now that have played a lot of football for us,'' Kubiak said. "We've got to get better there in the draft and that's something we plan on doing.'' Before Crick agreed to terms the Broncos had Kenny Anunike, who was on injured reserve last season, Sylvester Williams, Darius Kilgo and Vance Walker on the depth chart in the defensive front. Crick's addition will require the Broncos to address their salary-cap situation. According to the NFL Players Association figures, the Broncos opened business Wednesday with $1.62 million worth of salarycap space.

7 Over the past two seasons, when he has played opposite J.J. Watt, Crick ranked second among the Texans' defensive linemen with 104 tackles, 5.5 sacks and eight pass breakups.

8 The Kubiaks are turning the Broncos into a family affair By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com Scan the lists, including Angie s or even the traditional Yellow Pages, and there are businesses in almost every field that have some kind of and Sons" as part of the company name. Fathers and sons working together is not a new idea. It s just not all that common when it comes to pro football. But as the Denver Broncos prepare for this year s draft, the coaching and personnel staffs grinding through the prospects, the team s war room has three Kubiaks in it. That's because coach Gary Kubiak s youngest son, Klein, has worked in the Broncos personnel department since he started as an intern in 2014, the season before Kubiak returned as the team s head coach. And Kubiak hired his oldest son, Klint, earlier this year as an offensive assistant on the team s coaching staff, where he will work directly with quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. Kubiak s other son, Klay, is a coach at a Houston-area high school, so whether it was ever the intended result or not, football continues to be the vocation of choice for all three of Kubiak s sons. And knowing what it's like to call football your job, particularly NFL football, Kubiak said adding Klint to the coaching staff this year was not a decision he took lightly, but both Klint and Gary said they felt they were ready. Absolutely, you think about it, there s a stigma that gets put on you, but at the end of the day it was too good of an opportunity to work for Rick Dennison and Greg Knapp and just learn from them," Klint Kubiak said. You get to work for Super Bowl-winning coaches so, you know, whether it s your dad or not it s just a great opportunity." I think any time as a coach there are some [reservations]," Gary Kubiak said. I told my kid when he wanted to be a coach in this league to go out there and make your way. I think he worked really hard... they both have worked really hard, paid their dues." Klein Kubiak graduated from Rice in 2013, with a degree in sports management, having also played wide receiver for the Owls. Before coming to work with the Broncos scouting staff, he had internships at Rice and with the Houston Texans (as part of the team's salary-cap management operations), as well as an internship in another of Texans owner Bob McNair s businesses. Klein has said he aspires to be an NFL general manager at some point. Klint, on the other hand, said he had no intention" of making coaching a career when his playing career was over. He played at Colorado State and went to minicamp with the Washington Redskins immediately following his time at CSU. Really I didn t want to do it, I had no intention of doing it," Klint Kubiak said of potentially coaching. I loved playing and I always thought you play as long as you can and then get a normal job after that... But I had a chance to get a master s degree [at Texas A&M] and definitely wanted to try out coaching

9 while I was there. After a year and a semester of doing it, I just wanted to keep going, it was too much fun." After he opened his coaching career as a graduate assistant on Mike Sherman s staff at Texas A&M, Klint Kubiak worked at A&M for two years, spent two seasons on the Minnesota Vikings staff and was Kansas wide receivers coach last season. He s been a little bit of everywhere," Gary Kubiak said. I ve been impressed with the job that he s done and how far he s come. I know he ll do a really good job for us." When Brian Callahan left the Broncos to be quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions, Gary Kubiak broached the topic of Klint potentially joining the Broncos staff right after the Super Bowl and it kind of took off from there," Klint Kubiak said. I never would have had the opportunity to do it if it wasn t [for my experience]," Klint said. I think I ve worked for six different head coaches and six offensive coordinators in the last seven years." Gary Kubiak has said, because of the nature of the jobs, he will see Klint far more than he'll see Klein around the Broncos complex. This time of year, however, as the Broncos continue to rank and evaluate the prospects for the April draft, the personnel and coaching staffs have spent plenty of time together. I don t get to see [Klein] very much; John [Elway] has got him on the road," Kubiak said.... It s pretty cool... [Klint s] been out there battling for the last seven years. I m excited about the coach that he has the chance to be in this field... It is nice to walk down the hall and say hello to him for a change."

10 How the search for impact draft picks has gone in John Elway's tenure By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com When John Elway describes the Denver Broncos' goals in each draft, he will often use words like "impact" or "starters" or a simply "those guys who can be Denver Broncos for a long time." Later this month the Broncos will go through their sixth draft since Pat Bowlen hired Elway in January of 2011 to be the Broncos' top football decision-maker. So using impact as the guide, here's a look at how Elway's previous five drafts have gone: 2011 Starters: Six among the draft picks, as Von Miller, Rahim Moore, Orlando Franklin, Nate Irving, Julius Thomas and Virgil Green have all been regulars. Safety Quinton Carter, before a knee injury dereailed his career, started 10 games in his rookie season. Pro Bowl players: Miller and Thomas. Bottom line: Miller, with four Pro Bowl selections to go with a Super Bowl MVP award, leads the way for a class that was a big part of the Broncos' Super Bowl team in Moore, Franklin, Thomas and Irving all left in free agency, so after cuts along the way, just Miller and Green remain Starters: Four among the draft picks, as Derek Wolfe, Ronnie Hillman, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan have all been regulars, to go with cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who made the team as an undrafted rookie. Brock Osweiler also started seven games as Peyton Manning recovered from a left foot injury. Pro Bowl players: Harris has been named to two Pro Bowls. Bottom line: Jackson and Trevathan have left in free agency, Hillman remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent, while Wolfe has signed an extension. Harris was the last undrafted rookie the Broncos signed that year and has been the most accomplished player in the group as he has turned into one of the league's elite at his position, a get-it-done player who excels on the field and does the right things off of it Starters: Two among the draft picks, as Sylvester Williams and Montee Ball have been starters to go with running back C.J. Anderson, who made the roster as an undrafted rookie in '13. Kayvon Webster has been a key player on special teams and has played in some spot duty on defense.

11 Pro Bowl players: Anderson was named as an injury replacement in the Pro Bowl following the 2014 season. Bottom line: Wide receiver Tarvarres King never made it out of his first season with the team and Quanterus Smith never quite rebounded from a college knee injury as Williams and Webster are the only players from the seven-player class who remain with the Broncos Starters: Three among the draft picks, Matt Paradis has the look of a long-time starter at center, Michael Schofield was the starter at right tackle for most of the 2015 season while Bradley Roby has been a regular on defense, having played at both cornerback and safety at times in the base defense. Pro Bowl players: None. Bottom line: The six-player class was the Broncos' smallest to this point in Elway's tenure and came to a team that had just gone to the Super Bowl. It's overall value would be aided if Cody Latimer, a secondrounder in '14, can find a way to get into the rotation in the offense. He has become a key role player on special teams, but the Broncos continue to hope he can take the next jump get regular snaps on offense Starters: Two among the draft picks as Ty Sambrailo was the starter at left tackle when he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 of the regular season and Max Garcia started five games. Pro Bowl players: None. Bottom line: This group joined a team that had won four consecutive division titles and went on to win a fifth in a row on the way to a Super Bowl win. There wasn't much room for them, but Sambrailo is in line to start at guard this season as is Garcia while tight end Jeff Heuerman, who missed his rookie season after tearing his ACL just days after the draft, figures to start as well. Shane Ray, who was the Broncos' first-round pick in the '15 draft, was a regular in the defensive rotation as a rookie and figures to start at outside linebacker in early-down situations in the coming season as DeMarcus Ware is expected to play only on passing downs for the most part.

12 Mel Kiper Jr. has Broncos looking defense in latest mock draft By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com When Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak was asked recently about some of the team s biggest needs on the depth chart, he made it clear defensive line is one position that will get a long look in the draft later this month, possibly even with the team's first pick -- 31st overall. At the time Kubiak said: Obviously, we ve got four guys on our roster right now that have played a lot of football for us. We ve got to get better there in the draft and that s something we plan on doing." In his fourth mock draft, Mel Kiper Jr. agreed as he made Alabama defensive lineman A Shawn Robinson the Broncos' selection this time around. Robinson is a powerful player who could play end in the Broncos 3-4 scheme and in addition to his quality work in the run game, he has shown glimpses of being an impactful player in the pass rush. Some scouts believe he doesn t always play with the most effort. The game video shows that at times, particularly when he has faced double-teams. But the Broncos certainly believe in the power of Bill Kollar, their defensive line coach, to wring more effort out of a talented prospect. Robinson played in 43 games at Alabama and has played at defensive tackle, nose tackle and defensive end for the Crimson Tide. Robinson is the first defensive player Kiper has projected to the Broncos in his mock drafts. In previous mock drafts, Kiper had the Broncos selecting Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State tackle Taylor Decker and Indiana tackle Jason Spriggs.

13 Restructuring Demaryius Thomas' deal could create $9M in cap space By Field Yates ESPN.com As the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos continue their offseason roster construction, it will eventually require some cap management, with the team currently carrying just $1.62 million in space (prior to signing veteran defensive lineman Jared Crick on Wednesday). Among the easiest ways for Denver to create a pile of cap space -- up to $9.18 million, to be specific -- is by visiting the contract of star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. When the team and Thomas agreed to a five-year deal last offseason, it included an automatic conversion clause that entitles Denver to convert any portion of Thomas $13M base salary in 2016 into a signing bonus, which would be prorated for cap purposes over the final four years of the deal. If Denver were to reduce Thomas base salary down to the minimum of $760,000 for 2016, the team would create $9.18 million in cap space, a sum that could well be needed as it continues to explore a trade for quarterback Colin Kaepernick and also plans for activity such as signing draft picks and other free agents. There s no downside to the conversion for Thomas, who sees precisely the same amount of money. As a matter of fact, he would get a lump of cash even sooner than currently scheduled. The Miami Dolphins included a conversion clause in the contract for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, allowing the team to create $16 million in cap space earlier this offseason. If Denver wants to create even more cap space, another vehicle toward doing so would be to trade or release veteran offensive tackle Ryan Clady, who is due $9.5 million in base salary this season. After adding Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson to a stable of tackles that also includes 2015 secondround pick Ty Sambrailo, Clady is an expensive projected back-up whose status with Denver bears monitoring. Releasing him would add $8.9 million in cap space.

14 Broncos lure Texans D-end Jared Crick to Denver By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press Defensive end Jared Crick narrowed it down to two teams when he was deciding on his football future: Houston, his home for four seasons, and Denver. He went with familiarity. That means he'll be packing up and moving to Colorado. The four-year pro signed a two-year, $4 million contract Wednesday with the Broncos, where he'll be reunited with coach Gary Kubiak, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and D-line coach Bill Kollar, all of whom he worked with in Houston. "Just being with Kubes for two years, Coach Wade for two years and Kollar for three years, I know the schemes, what they expect of me and I know what to expect of them," Crick said. "To come back and play for them again, it was a huge part of the decision." Crick is another in a long line of players who love playing for the demanding and often high-volume Kollar. "He brings the best out of you. Every year that I played under Coach Kollar, I got better and improved as a football player," Crick said. "I expect playing for him again that I'll continue progressing as a football player and improve my skill and my game." Crick started 31 of 32 games for the Texans over the last two seasons, collecting 104 tackles, sacks and eight pass breakups in that span. After playing opposite star J.J. Watt in Houston, he said he's eager to play alongside Super Bowl MVP Von Miller in Denver. "J.J. is more of a hand-in-the-dirt kind of guy. Von is kind of a stand-up guy. Both are great rushers, but they bring a lot of different things to the table," Crick said. "It was fun playing with J.J., but I think it's going to be fun also learning to play with Von." Crick, 26, will compete with Vance Walker and Kenny Anunike for playing time but he could very well end up being the primary replacement for Malik Jackson, who signed a megadeal with Jacksonville last month. "I'm just coming in and trying to put my best foot forward to start out. Wherever that takes me, it's going to take me," Crick said. Crick said he strongly considered staying with the Texans.

15 "It was pretty much between here and Houston. At the end of the day, I just didn't think I could go wrong coming back and playing for Coach Kubes, Coach Wade and Coach Kollar," Crick said. "Just being in a comfortable fit. I went to Nebraska, so there are a lot of Nebraska fans that are Broncos fans. I have a little bit of a fan base coming in, which will be nice. "I think the decision, it was tough, but I think I made the right one."

16 Mark Sanchez on winning Broncos' starting QB job: 'I will bet on myself' By Ryan Wilson CBSSports.com Based on recent events, the Broncos would very much like to have Colin Kaepernick. The hold up on a trade that would send the quarterback from San Francisco to Denver comes down to money, though we should know exactly where everyone stands by the middle of May. In the meantime, current Broncos quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was acquired via a trade last month after Peyton Manning retired and Brock Osweiler bolted for Houston, isn't worried about having competition for the starting gig. "Listen, I don't care who is there, what is going on right now," Sanchez said Wednesday, via the Denver Post's Troy Renck. "They are going to give me a fair shake, that's all I can ask for, a fair shot. I am good. Let's go. I will bet on myself and compete my butt off. I will be friendly and professional with whoever is there. But I want this bad. Really bad. I want what they experienced last year." For what it's worth (and given the time of year, "not much" is the answer), Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has spoken highly of Sanchez. "One of the things we feel really good about is we feel good about getting Mark," Kubiak said from the NFL owners' meetings several weeks ago. "Mark's got 60 starts in this league -- he's started two AFC Championship (games)... we feel really good about him, how he fits. He's got some background in what we do." Sanchez, who held a passing camp this week in California for the Broncos' skill-position players, hopes to capitalize on the opportunity while the organization sorts out the Kaepernick situation. "One, it's just to be around each other," Sanchez said. "That's important. It sounds like they have that family atmosphere in Denver. They talk about the locker room and it sounds fun. It's because of stuff like this. They get together in the offseason, and make sacrifices with their time and their money and travel to do that. Emmanuel [Sanders] and Demaryius [Thomas] were awesome." The good news is that the Broncos proved in 2015 that they can win with substandard quarterback play. The bad news is that this won't be the same dominant defense in 2016 (key contributors Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan signed elsewhere during free agency). Whomever ends up under center next season, they'd be wise to heed the advice of Broncos running back C.J. Anderson. There was times during the season it was Peyton or Brock and we didn't know who it was gonna be at that point," Anderson told PFT last month. "It doesn't matter, and at the end of the day whoever is lining up behind center, they don't have to be a hero. All they have to do is do their job accordingly. We have to do our job accordingly to make it easy on them and we'll make it easy as much as possible."

17 For now, Sanchez is the man, though that could change in the coming weeks with Kaepernick -- or lesstalked-about options Jake Plummer and Uncle Rico.

18 Broncos sure don't seem to want Colin Kaepernick all that much By Frank Schwab Yahoo.com Maybe we need to rethink the Denver Broncos-Colin Kaepernick saga. The Broncos aren't showing many signs that they're really all that into Kaepernick as their next quarterback. The Broncos, who need a starting quarterback for this season, are asking Kaepernick to take a pay cut to $7 million this year and $7 million next year to facilitate a trade, according to Mindi Bach of CSN Bay Area. Kaepernick's San Francisco 49ers contract calls for him to make salaries of $11.9 million in 2016 and $14.5 million next season. So Denver is asking Kaepernick to give up $12.9 million in base salary the next two years, and Bach reported he might be giving up as much as $16.2 million the next two years, when you count other incentives. Does that sound like a request from a team that is sold on Kaepernick as its answer at quarterback? That request in the second year is important. We already knew the Broncos asked for a pay cut to $7 million for Given Denver's salary-cap issues this year, that makes sense. Although, if the Broncos loved Kaepernick and thought he was the same player he was in 2012 and 2013, they'd make his $11.9 million salary work under the cap that's a modest investment for a good starting quarterback. But asking him in advance to cut his pay to $7 million for 2017, when there's more than enough time to rework the cap, seems to tell another story. Chase Daniel just signed on with the Philadelphia Eagles at $7 million a year to be their backup. Offering Kaepernick the same salary seems to indicate Broncos general manager John Elway isn't head over heels for him. There could be things beneath the surface that clear up the situation. Perhaps the Broncos are making it worth Kaepernick's time with more guarantees or a ton of incentives, or there's something in the final years of a reworked deal that would be beneficial to Kaepernick. But if the offer were that good, Kaepernick wouldn't still be in the Bay Area working out with the 49ers. Asking for big pay cuts is also not unprecedented for Elway, who asked Peyton Manning last year to take a huge salary reduction before both sides settled on a $4 million cut. And there's always the possibility the 49ers pay some of Kaepernick's salary to make a trade happen (and it would be one of the saddest moments in NFL in a long time if the 49ers pay to fix Elway's quarterback problem). But if you take this all at face value, Denver's extreme pay cut request to Kaepernick indicates they are fine if they get him at a price that high-end backup quarterbacks can now command, and they're also fine if it doesn't work out. Elway is in a unique spot because he doesn't need to make a desperation move. Nobody in the NFL has more job security, especially after the Super Bowl 50 win. Elway can run out Mark Sanchez as Denver's starter on opening day, and have Sanchez be a placeholder for a drafted rookie who will take the reigns at some point, and people in Denver won't even pause building a statue for Elway, no matter the results. So if Elway truly doesn't love Kaepernick, he doesn't need to take on his salary as a desperate attempt to

19 save his job. And, if you look at everything that has happened the past few weeks, he doesn't seem to truly love Kaepernick. If he did, odds are Kaepernick would be with the Broncos right now. The deal could still happen. The 49ers could pay some of the salary. Kaepernick could have a change of heart and accept a pay cut of some kind. Elway could get antsy and back off the pay cut. There's still plenty of time, and with nobody else seemingly interested in Kaepernick, this could all just be standard negotiating tactics. But once you hear that the Broncos asked that Kaepernick take a pay cut of somewhere between $12.9 million and $16.2 million over the next two years, it's worth asking: How bad do they really want him?

20 Remembering Eugene Parker: The Agent Whose Business Was People By Andrew Brandt MMQB.com It was truly heartbreaking to hear the news that longtime NFL player agent Eugene Parker died last Thursday, at 60, following a brief battle with kidney cancer. First and foremost, Eugene was a friend of mine and to so many others in the business of football, a caring colleague who was interested in far more than talking about players contracts. Beyond his personal kindness and empathy, he was as effective an agent as perhaps we have ever seen, maximizing players earnings in a career that spanned decades. I met Eugene almost 30 years ago while interning for agent David Falk. Although we were not an established football agency, Falk represented top NBA players such as Michael Jordan, which granted us the opportunity to meet with a projected top pick in the NFL draft: cornerback Rod Woodson from Purdue University. When we met Woodson in Fort Wayne, Ind., the person at his side was an impressive young attorney and Purdue alumnus named Eugene Parker. Eugene was not Woodson s agent; he was simply advising him on which agent to select (Woodson chose Marvin Demoff). It was not hard to see even back then that Parker s role in advising players would only increase. His client list over the years would include Woodson, Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Larry Fitzgerald, Curtis Martin, Stephen Jackson, Devin Hester, Jason Pierre-Paul and countless others. Eugene was trusted unconditionally by his players and respected universally by both peer agents (a feat in itself) and NFL team personnel. As a team executive, Eugene was the rare agent with whom you looked forward to doing business with. When I negotiated with him our dealings included contracts for Greg Jennings, Hardy Nickerson, Joe Johnson and Justin Harrell with the Packers, and Jason Peters when I was consulting for the Eagles I knew the talks were going to be a tough but fair. Moreover, I knew that whatever contract we negotiated, I would walk away feeling good about dealing with someone who knew his player, the market and the team. Eugene handled negotiations with true respect for his counterpart, even when he had (and rightfully used) the leverage in the situation. Speaking of which Fitz s Fortune Eugene understood value and leverage as well as any one of the hundreds of agents with whom I have negotiated. In negotiating veteran contracts and even some rookie deals his signature ask was for shorter contract lengths. Unlike so many other agents, Eugene did not want the five- or six-year deals

21 (with slightly bigger bonuses and puffed-up numbers) that offered little to no security in later years and locked players up longer. Eugene practiced his craft always mindful of an important tenet in the business of football: players only earn true value when nearing or at their leverage point of free agency. He played that card effectively and often, although always with respect. And his results speak for themselves, constantly tipping the negotiating scales toward his players in a business predominantly tilted toward ownership. There was no client of Eugene s whose contract history illustrates his savvy more than Larry Fitzgerald. Eugene negotiated not one, not two, but an astonishing three market-setting contracts with the Cardinals for Fitzgerald followed by yet another value-add last year. The second of those three contracts, in 2008, may have been as player-friendly as any veteran contract I have seen: a four-year deal worth $40 million, with $33 million (83%) guaranteed, and giving Fitzgerald another bite at the freeagency apple before the age of 28 (when he, of course, set another new standard for wide receivers with a $16 million-plus average). At this time last year, when Fitzgerald s role was being reduced with questions about his continued status on the Cardinals, Eugene negotiated a two-year, $22 million guarantee for Fitzgerald, securing him at an age (31) where most wideouts even elite ones have a year of security at best, at a much lower number. No player has maximized value in the NFL more than Larry Fitzgerald. His still-growing career earning are roughly $130 million, easily the most for any wide receiver in NFL history. That is largely due to Eugene. You Grieve for Mark Before the new CBA set the market for rookie contracts starting in 2011, first-round rookie contracts were among the most challenging and complicated negotiations in the NFL. Agents had leveraged multiple bells and whistles to these contracts, creating a second rookie pool of first-round earnings (the CBA changed all of that). There is one first-round negotiation that I will always remember; it endeared me to Eugene forever. In 2004, our first-round pick was a speedy cornerback from Arkansas named Ahmad Carroll, a client of Eugene s. We had a few early conversations about the contract with Eugene s usual ask for a shorter term but put off our conversation until a designated date two days before the start of camp (deadlines spur action). On the eve of that day, I was in my office preparing when Mark Hatley, our player personnel director and my good friend, stopped by and asked if he could help with anything. I told him I was good; he then said he was going to play golf for the last time, meaning that once the grind of camp started he would not have time to play. That was the last time I saw Mark, who was found dead the next morning after having suffered a heart attack following his last round of golf. I, as everyone, was devastated; Mark was a shining light around the Packers office in the short time that he was there. Indeed, the last thing I wanted to do was negotiate rookie contracts, let alone a first-round deal. While agents for the lower picks were relatively unsympathetic to my plight and wanted to haggle over a few thousand dollars I remember losing my temper with one of those agents, screaming at him in the hot summer Green Bay night Eugene was, as always, a cut above. He was also friendly with Mark and

22 had heard about his passing; he understood and appreciated what a loss it was. I will never forget Eugene s call that night, when he calmly and assuredly said, Andrew, don t you worry one second about Ahmad s deal. We ll get to it, and we ll do it without a moment of tension, whenever you are ready. You grieve for Mark; I ll tell Ahmad his situation is not important right now. Eugene even offered to come to Green Bay and support me through the process. After a couple of days of grieving and arranging a proper service for Mark, I returned to some sense of normalcy and negotiated our remaining rookie contracts. The negotiation of Ahmad s deal with Eugene was as pleasant a first-round negotiation as I could have hoped for; we understood each other s position and compromised on a fair contract. It was a signature Eugene Parker negotiation: he achieved maximum value for his player while treating his counterpart with kindness, respect and, in this case, unconditional friendship. Following that negotiation, I told Eugene I would never forget what he did. And I never will; that kind of compassion and fellowship is rare in the cutthroat world of professional football. What a massive loss this is for Eugene s family, his clients, and all the friends he made on both sides of the negotiating table in the NFL. He embodied a lesson for all negotiators: you do not have to be rude and unpleasant to get what you want. Eugene was one of the best negotiators in the world of sports while being one of its nicest people. The business of football will never be the same without him.

23 Mark Sanchez on winning Broncos' starting QB job: 'I will bet on myself' By Kevin Patra NFL.com The Denver Broncos beefed up their defensive line by swiping a former Houston Texans starter. The team announced Wednesday it agreed to terms on a two-year deal with Jared Crick. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports the deal is for $4 million. The 26-year-old defensive lineman started 31 games over the past two seasons for Houston as a bookend to J.J. Watt. Crick spent his first two seasons in Houston under current Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and defensive line coach Bill Kollar, giving Denver an experienced replacement in the system after losing Malik Jackson in free agency. Crick complied 81 tackles and 5.5 sacks in four seasons in Houston. He earned 27 quarterback hurries and 14 QB hits the past two seasons as a starter, per Pro Football Focus. Adding Crick gives the Broncos a capable -- if not flashy -- starter opposite Derek Wolfe as Denver once again grooms its defensive line depth. Expect John Elway to snag another lineman later this month in a draft deep in talent along the defensive line.

24 Broncos want to pay Kaepernick $14 million... over two years By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is due to make $11.9 million in fully-guaranteed base salary this season. The Broncos want to pay him $14 million. Over the next two. Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com reports that the Broncos have offered Kaepernick a deal that would pay him $7 million in 2016 and another $7 million in It s unclear whether the Denver offer would include a path to free agency after Still, with his $400,000 workout bonus and $2 million in per-game roster bonuses, Kaepernick could make $14.3 million this year, more than the Broncos are willing to pay over the next two. Currently, Kaepernick s contract pays a base salary of $14.5 million in 2017, another $400,000 workout bonus, and another $2 million in per-game roster bonuses. The salary increases by $2 million if he takes 80 percent of the snaps in 2016 and if: (1) the 49ers make it to the Super Bowl; or (2) Kaepernick is named a first-team or second-team All-Pro. As a result, he d be swapping out a maximum of $33.2 million over the next two years, with $11.9 million of it fully guaranteed, for $14 million over the next two years and with the 2017 compensation from Denver possibly not guaranteed. While a trade is still possible, the Broncos may have to transform the offer into a one-year deal, allowing Kaepernick to become a free agent next March. If the Broncos, the 49ers, and Kaepernick simply can t work out a revised contract, the question becomes whether the 49ers will simply cut him loose and pay the difference between what he makes elsewhere this year and the fully-guaranteed $11.9 million. In the interim, Kaepernick is participating in the offseason program. As he and the coaching staff get to know each other, maybe they ll decide to try to make it work in Or maybe their interactions will make a divorce even more inevitable.

25 Broncos sign Jared Crick to two-year deal By Josh Alper Pro Football Talk The Broncos saw defensive end Malik Jackson sign with the Jaguars as free agency opened, leaving them without a key starter from last year s defense and with a hole to fill up front heading into They ve added a player who can help them fill that void on Wednesday. The Broncos announced that they have signed former Texans defensive end Jared Crick to a two-year deal. Crick was a fourth-round pick by the Texans in 2012, which means he joined the team while current Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and defensive line coach Bill Kollar were filling the same roles in Houston. Crick made just one start in his 31 appearances in his two seasons, but moved into a bigger role in the last two seasons. Crick started every game in 2015 and 15-of-16 games during the 2014 season, making 104 tackles and 5.5 sacks while also forcing a fumble. With Jackson gone, he could remain a starter in Denver next season.

26 Deadline for potential Kaepernick trade may now be set By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk The NFL is a deadline-driven business. In some cases, however, it s hard to determine when the deadline really is. For the potential trade of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the deadline is coming more and more into focus. Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com reports that Kaepernick needs at least one more month to be football ready. Which means that Kaepernick should be ready to participate in Organized Team Activities, which start on May 17. If, as many believe, the 49ers truly don t want Kaepernick, they need to move him off the roster before he puts himself at risk of a season-ending injury (like the torn Achilles tendon suffered in an OTA session three years ago by former 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree). If he s cleared to participate in OTAs as of May 17, that s when the continuation of the three-way game of chicken between the 49ers, Kaepernick, and the Broncos becomes potentially much more expensive for the 49ers. If the 49ers cut him before May 17, they ll pay the balance of what he makes elsewhere in 2016 and his fully-guaranteed base salary of $11.9 million. If he suffers a season-ending injury during offseason workouts, the 49ers will pay the full $11.9 million. That s why the Broncos aren t blinking. The Broncos know that, if the 49ers truly want to move on from Kaepernick (in whole or in part due to the fact that he wants to move on from the 49ers), the 49ers eventually will agree to pay a chunk of his salary in order to facilitate a trade. The only question is whether they ll pay the full $4.9 million difference between what the Broncos want to pay and what Kaepernick is owed or whether they ll pay some of it and Kaepernick will give up the rest. Regardless of how it turns out, don t expect the Broncos to blink. G.M. John Elway routinely takes a hard line in situations like this, and that new Lombardi Trophy in the lobby has become the ultimate validation of Elway s approach. Next, the question becomes whether the 49ers and/or Kaepernick will blink in the middle of May or before the draft, when any picks obtained from the Broncos would be used to make the team better not in 2017 but in 2016.

27 For Jared Crick, Denver was his 'first choice' By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com One way or another, Jared Crick was going to be in a familiar environment. The fifth-year veteran was either going to stay with the Texans, the only team he had ever known, or join the Broncos, whose coaching staff included the three people under which he began his career: Defensive Line Coach Bill Kollar, Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips and Head Coach Gary Kubiak, all of whom held those positions win Houston. "[The choice] was tough, but I think I made the right one," Crick said after agreeing to a two-year deal with the Broncos on Wednesday that took him off the market after being available as an unrestricted free agent for a month. Crick later told Denver Sports 760 that even before the 2015 season ended, he knew he "either wanted to go to Denver or stay in Houston." Denver was his "first choice," Crick also noted. "At the end of the day, I just didn't think I could go wrong coming back and playing for Coach Wade, Coach Kubes and Coach Kollar, being in the comfortable fit," Crick said. Kollar, in particular, was a draw for Crick, who played under his guidance for three seasons, since Kollar remained with the Texans for the 2014 season under Bill O'Brien before reuniting with Kubiak and Phillips in Denver last year. "He brings the best out of you," Crick said. "Every year that I played under Coach Kollar, I got better and improved as a football player, so I expect in playing for him again, that I will continue progressing as a football player, and just improve my skill and my game." The Broncos will be counting on that, as they hope Crick assumes at least part of the job of replacing free-agent departure Malik Jackson. Vance Walker, Kenny Anunike and George Uko will also compete for playing time as the Broncos look to cement their plan opposite Derek Wolfe. "I think I'll be able to fit in. I just need to learn my role and do what I can," Crick said. "I'm just coming in and just trying to put my best foot forward when I'm starting out. Wherever that takes me, is where it's going to take me. I'm just trying to do my part to help the team right now."

28 Broncos bolster D-line by adding Jared Crick By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com Experience in the scheme mattered in formulating the depth on the Broncos' defensive line last year, and with the addition of five-year veteran Jared Crick on a two year-deal, it will be relevant again. Crick joins the Broncos after four years with the Texans -- three of which came under Defensive Line Coach Bill Kollar, who jumped from Houston to the Broncos in the 2015 offseason. Crick's first two seasons also saw him work under Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips and Head Coach Gary Kubiak, who added Crick as a fourth-round pick in the 2012 draft. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive end is expected to compete with Vance Walker and Kenny Anunike for playing time as the Broncos seek to replace Malik Jackson, who departed in free agency. If Crick is to succeed, he will need to use his size, length and quickness. With 32-inch arms, he has the ability to rise and deflect passes at the line of scrimmage, a trait Kollar prizes in his defensive linemen. Crick will not be the final piece of the defensive end puzzle. Kubiak said at the NFL Annual Meeting last month in Boca Raton, Fla. that he expected the Broncos to draft at least one defensive end. A deep class of three-technique ends makes that a continued likelihood from the Broncos' 2016 draft class. But with Crick in place, the Broncos have five defensive ends on the roster with regular-season experience, as he joins Derek Wolfe, Walker, Anunike and George Uko, a practice-squad player last year who played briefly for the Buccaneers in Sylvester Williams, Darius Kilgo and Phil Taylor are set to compete on the inside at nose tackle. Crick was credited with 27 quarterback hurries and 14 quarterback hits in the last two seasons, according to the statistics compiled by ProFootballFocus.com. Those go along with 5.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, 47 tackles and one forced fumble he accumulated in 31 starts as the Texans finished with 9-7 records in back-to-back years. He played 31 of 32 games his first two seasons as he worked on a rotational basis under Phillips and Kollar. In those years, he was also working to overcome a knee injury and a torn pectoral muscle that cost him most of his senior season at Nebraska.