Darrell Jackson Inked to One-Year Deal

The Rocky Mountain News reports a one-year deal with Darrell Jackson is imminent assuming he passes his physical. The 29-year-old receiver has reached the 1000-yard receiving mark 3 times in his career, has surpassed the 60-reception mark 5 times, and has scored 50 touchdowns in an 8-year career. Jackson was lost to the black hole in San Francisco in 2007 before being cut earlier this spring. He's had some durability issues, but a healthy D-Jack is among the premier wide receivers in the NFL today. The terms of his deal have not yet been disclosed.

Restricted Free Agent Period Ends

On Friday, the restricted free agent period ended with Dominique Foxworth, Karl Paymah, and Hamzah Abdulla still wearing Broncos uniforms. Paymah and Abdulla are going to need solid training-camp performances to keep their jobs. Foxworth is a lock to make the team. As you may recall, I'm a card-carrying member of the Dominique Foxworth fan club. He'd be a huge loss to the team, both on the field and in the locker room. I'm glad we managed to keep him for at least another season.

Its worth noting that only 4 out of over 100 restricted free agents switched teams this year. Among them: Center Chris Myers in a trade from Denver to Houston.

CORRECTION! Kyle from BroncoTalk.net kindly informed me that I missed the boat on this article! Apparently the RFA period ends this Friday rather than last Friday. Let's hope my article is prescient rather than just plain incompetent!

Broncos Evaluating Several Free Agents

According to the Denver Post (here and here), the Broncos are considering a number of free agents to fill roster needs. Here's a list:

• Mike Vanderjagt, K: The infamous choke artist and locker room cancer from the Colts who also happens to be the most accurate of all time is seeking employment. After being unceremoniously dumped by the Colts, Vanderjagt couldn't last one season with the Cowboys. I doubt you'll find a more enigmatic player at a more mundane position in NFL history. I've made no secret about my disdain for Vanderjagt in the past. At 38, why deal with this guy? I'd rather take my chances with the 23-year-old Prater.
  
  
• Darrell Jackson, WR: Set to turn 30 this season, Darrell Jackson is perhaps a hamstring injury shy of putting together a dominant NFL Career. After finally playing to his potential in 2003 and 2004, Jackson has missed 30% of his games to injury the last 3 years. After 2 injury plagued seasons, Seattle finally gave up on Darrell Jackson who then journeyed to division rival San Francisco. Despite appearing in 15 games last year, Jackson narrowly ousted RB Frank Gore for the teams 3rd leading receiver, behind Arnaz Battle and Vernon Davis. In his defense, San Francisco was awful last season; however, I'm unconvinced that Jackson's asking price will be commensurate with his value as a 4th receiver. My guess is that this doesn't happen and that we are better off as a result.
  
  
• Samie Parker, WR: In 2 years as a starter in Kansas City, Parker failed to log more than 72 receiving yards in any game and had only 3 touchdowns. He's a small receiver with great speed, but he never developed into an elite route runner and he doesn't have great ball skills. After 4 years in Kansas City, the Chiefs dumped him. To his credit, Herm has run every Vermeil-type speedy receiver out of down in favor of 6'3" behemoths. Parker doesn't strike me as a guy who makes any teams 53-man roster, but he's an inexpensive player who has some intriguing athletic capabilities. If he signed a near-minimum deal with nothing guaranteed, he'd add some competition at training camp with the possibility of making the team.
  
  
• Mitch Berger, P and Mike Barr, P: Both are journeyman punters; both are 30 or older; both played for the Cardinals last year; and both are decidedly average. This looks like some training camp competition for Paulescu. I don't expect either to be wearing a Broncos uniform in September.

That's everything!

Denver Considering Vanderjagt

BroncoTalk is reporting that Denver is considering bringing in amazingly-accurate, locker-room-cancer Mike Vanderjagt. I think the fact that Denver isn't pursuing Vanderjagt more aggressively is portentous. My thoughts on the matter are well documented. I'd like to give this Prater kid a shot and take a flier on a 7th rounder to give us an option. While we're rebuilding, we may as well experiment with some long-term prospects.

The Unfolding Elam Melodrama

I haven't read much Brian Lincicome, but this article earned him a spot on my list of sports analysts who don't think before they speak (chief among them: Len Pasquarelli). What a diatribe! In it, Lincicome makes the following obtuse statement:

"Considering, it is not so strange then that since Elam is responsible for the Broncos appearing better than they are that he should be kissed off.

A fine bonus for 15 years of loyal, effective and consistent service, always there, always ready and nearly always accurate. There will remain a space among the Ring of Fame for Elam eventually, up there with Jim Turner whose kicking records Elam eradicated.

This was Elam’s choice, but only in the Corleone sense of things. Atlanta made Elam an offer he could refuse if Denver had been in any way interested, and if Elam were five years younger, could still kick off the ball into the end zone, the Broncos would have been much less shortsighted."

Had Lincicome read his own newspaper's content, he'd have figured this out sooner:

"One of the Falcons’ fears was that Elam would use them as a pawn in negotiations with the Broncos, who’d eventually get an opportunity to match. But Elam made it clear to Denver as far back as January that he wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that, no matter what team he might consider once free agency started."

Thus, Denver made Elam an initial offer--a very lucrative offer at that--and Atlanta simply made him a better offer. This was essentially a double-blind auction for Elam's services and Denver was outbid. Now Atlanta has their prize (winner's curse?). I think Atlanta overpaid. That's business.

Please Lincicome, if you are going to write a melodrama, at least get your facts straight.

Filling Elam's Shoes

The Denver Post reports that 23-year-old kickoff specialist Matt Prater is the incumbent front runner for Jason Elam's former job. Prater joined Denver last year as a kickoff specialist after being dismissed by the Falcons. He is expected to have some competition for the job. Free agents John Carney and Olindo Mare are likely to compete. Mike Vanderjagt--in an attempt to resurrect his career--could also emerge as a competitor. Tennessee's Rob Bironas--fresh off a pro-bowl year--is a restricted free agent; however, Bironas was given a second round tender by Tennessee, which probably prices him out of the market. There is no question that Prater has a powerful leg: his 45.5% touchback percentage last year was twice that of the next best player in the NFL; however, in four career attempts, he's only made one field goal. In 2006 he showed both accuracy and range as a walk-on for the Detroit Lions but was unable to oust incumbent John Hansen to secure the job. Was Prater prematurely cut by the monomaniacal Bobby Petrino? Only time will tell.

Ultimately, I expect Prater to win the job. Even if his accuracy is a concern, Prater's leg on kickoffs is a distinctive competency on special teams in an era of game-breaking kick returners. Also, Prater is very young; his upside is huge when compared to more expensive options like John Carney or the corrosive prima donna Mike Vanderjagt.

While Elam will most certainly be missed, I commend Broncos management for making a shrewd management decision. When calculating Elam's true cost, most analysts have failed to site the implicit value of the extra roster slot garnered by his departure. I thought his contract offer was more than generous; when you consider the intrinsic value of the extra roster slot, he was arguably overcompensated at $2.33 million guaranteed.

Nevertheless, I'd like to thank Jason Elam for a great career in Denver. We have just parted with the greatest kicker in Broncos history--a distinction he'll likely carry for decades to come. Happy trails.