So close to the Super Bowl. So much talent available.
Perhaps all that stands between the Broncos and taking that next step from the AFC championship game is money.
Do they have enough?
When the free-agent signing period opens Saturday, the Broncos will have roughly $12 million in cap room. Some of that will go toward re-signing four of their potential free agents: Gerard Warren, Keith Burns, Ron Dayne and Mike Leach.
Once those contracts are done, the Broncos will have about $7.5 million to spend on free agents. Virtually all of their spending power came Wednesday night when NFL owners and the players union agreed on a collective bargaining extension that raised the 2006 salary cap from $94.5 million to $102 million.
“I’m very happy with the guys we have kept, and I hope we can keep a few more of our guys,” Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said when asked about his team’s expectations in the free-agent market. “But we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Somewhere near the top of the Broncos’ wish list is John Abraham, a free-agent defensive end who has been slapped with the franchise tag by the New York Jets.
Abraham would fill the void left by Trevor Pryce, one of the best defensive linemen in Broncos history, who was cut last week because of his $10.3 million salary.
To land Abraham, the Broncos would first have to satisfy the Jets with a trade and then satisfy the premier pass rusher with some creative financing. The trade may be the easier of the two because the Broncos have two first-round draft picks to dangle.
The money could be a tougher challenge. As a franchise player, Abraham already is guaranteed a one-year, $8.3 million deal.
To stay under the salary cap, the Broncos would have to renegotiate a long-term deal with Abraham so they could amortize his money.
About 25 teams have more cap space than the Broncos, however, so at some point the team may need to sell the mountains and coach Mike Shanahan’s track record. As for the future free agent who has generated the most debate in Denver, Terrell Owens never has seemed like the type who would make mountains his top priority.
In-house, the Broncos continue to discuss whether Owens is the missing weapon who can boost them to the Super Bowl, or the malcontent who can destroy three years of steady progress.
The Philadelphia Eagles are not expected to release Owens until March 16, five days after the free-agency period opens. At this point, it appears one of the Broncos’ biggest AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, are the front-runners for Owens.
“I’ll save you the trouble,” said Drew Rosenhaus, Owens’ agent. “I’m not going to have any comment on Terrell Owens during the free-agent period.”
It has been a mixed offseason for the Broncos. They were able to re-sign or restructure contracts for center Tom Nalen, left tackle Matt Lepsis, safeties John Lynch and Sam Brandon and defensive ends Courtney Brown and John Engelberger.
But they released three significant contributors from their team that just won the AFC West title: Pryce, running back Mike Anderson and tight end Jeb Putzier.
Besides Abraham and Owens, the Broncos also may pursue one of two top running backs, Jamal Lewis or Edgerrin James; tight end Chris Baker; and linebacker Willie McGinest.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
Labor deal
Highlights of the deal approved by the NFL owners Wednesday:
Duration: 2006-11, six years in all, replacing the contract that would have expired in 2008.
Salary cap: $102 million for 2006; $109 million for 2007. To be determined in future years by revenue. Owners’ contribution to salary pool starts at just under 60 percent.
Ratification: Union proposal approved by owners 30-2. Must be formally ratified by players and approved by U.S. District Court Judge David Doty in Minneapolis, who still has jurisdiction over the antitrust suit filed by players following the 1987 strike.
Revenue sharing: Top 15 revenue-generating teams contribute, with the top five teams giving the most. The bottom 17 teams don’t contribute to the pool, expected to add $850 million to $900 million over the life of the contract.
Rookies: Players drafted in the first round of the draft can sign contracts longer than five years. Those drafted in rounds 2-7 can sign only four-year deals, to prevent teams from locking up players who prove to be worth more.
Franchise players: Discontinues the practice of some teams of protecting a player with the “franchise” tag for more than two years. In the third year, “franchise” player becomes “transition” player, making it easier to leave.
