A good man is gone, and it’s a good thing.
How’s that? The trade that sent Keary Colbert to Seattle on Tuesday is good for Colbert and the Broncos.
Colbert will get a chance to play in Seattle, where the wide-receiver corps has been decimated by injuries. And the Broncos will add to their stockpile of draft picks in 2009, giving them flexibility in their never-ending attempt to upgrade the defense.
Colbert said the deal came as a shock, but it makes a lot of sense. He wasn’t going to play in Denver. Not that he wasn’t impressive after signing a three-year, $7.2-million contract that included a $2.5-million signing bonus. It’s just that Eddie Royal was more impressive.
Some people will look at Colbert’s signing and scream bust. But he would have contributed if Royal hadn’t knocked everyone’s socks off in training camp.
These things happen in the NFL. Just because Royal beat out Colbert doesn’t mean Colbert couldn’t play. It means Royal was better than even the Broncos’ personnel people thought. It means he has a chance to be special.
The key in the aftermath of the trade is for the Broncos’ receivers to do something the Seahawks” receivers couldn’t: stay healthy.
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He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
