Rule No. 2 in covering the NFL, right behind always wear a raincoat when traveling to Seattle: Don’t get too close to the players.
You do that, you can get burned. One minute, you’re tight with a guy. The next minute, he drops a pass or misses a block or lands in a jail cell, forcing you to write some nasty stuff about him.
The answer is to write what you see. The good, the bad and, now that the Broncos officially are out of playoff contention, the ugly. No agendas, just the facts mixed in with a few opinions and the occasional typo.
Which brings us to Javon Walker. I don’t have any agenda or any reason to go to bat for the guy, but I’m going to do it.
This notion that the Broncos somehow would be better off putting their money somewhere other than Walker’s pocket? While improving the defense has to be Priority One, having a healthy Walker on the same field as an emerging Brandon Marshall wouldn’t exactly hurt the Broncos’ cause, either.
Contract negotiations go back and forth every day in the NFL, so maybe he’ll take a small pay cut. But any thought of the Broncos cutting ties with Walker to save a bundle against the salary cap is preposterous.
Yes, his injury issues have been frustrating for everyone. But come on now. Let’s not forget how good Walker can be when he’s running downfield on two healthy legs.
In a tumultuous year in which the Broncos switched quarterbacks after 11 games, Walker caught 69 passes last season for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns. The mere thought of Walker and Marshall, another big, physical receiver with big-play potential, in the same lineup had the whole town excited going into training camp.
No, it hasn’t happened. Walker’s persistent knee problems are high on the list of biggest disappointments in 2007. But there’s no reason to think he won’t be healthy and productive next season.
At the moment, the Broncos’ world is far from perfect. But if it ever gets there, it would include Marshall and Walker split wide with newly re- signed Brandon Stokley in the slot.
And, of course, Jay Cutler at quarterback. Just as soon as he could wipe the smile off his face.
