The No Fly Zone will look a little different in 2017.
The Broncos on Saturday released eighth-year safety , saving the team $4.5 million in salary cap space and shifting its focus to the future.
“This was a difficult decision to part ways with T.J. after everything he’s done for our football team,” general manager John Elway said. “He was a respected teammate whose physical mindset played a big part in our success, especially during our Super Bowl run.
“We thank T.J. for his contributions as a Bronco and wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
Ward arrived in Denver in 2014 as the first piece of Elway’s revamped defense. He signed a four-year deal, awaited the arrival of cornerback and outside linebacker , then quickly morphed into a force in the defensive backfield. A hard-hitting safety who split his time at weakside linebacker in subpackages, Ward was a tone-setter, on the field and off.
His release comes on the heels of what he described as his best season yet, with 87 tackles (second-most on the team), a sack, an interception, eight pass-breakups, three forced fumbles and two recoveries. During the offseason Ward said he hoped to stay in Denver.
“You know what, if I do the things that I have to do and do them the right way, everything will handle itself,” he said in April.
But Ward is soon to be 31, was in the final year of his contract and coming off a hamstring injury, which kept him from playing in any preseason games. Over the years he’s watched take a pay cut, DeMarcus Ware restructure his deal and defensive starters and both accept significantly less money to stay in Denver. Elway has always drawn a hard line and has made it clear he will make roster decisions with the singular goal of trying to win another title.
Although there were discussions with Ward’s agent, a pay cut was never broached. The Broncos will eat about $1.3 million in “dead money” from Ward’s prorated signing bonus, but the team had a long-held plan to move on. It was “a football decision,” coach Vance Joseph said, based not on money, but on the team’s depth and youth.
And the Broncos have plenty of both in their secondary.
In 2016, the Broncos drafted Boston College safety in the third round and Arizona safety in the sixth. Both were viewed as key pieces of the team’s future.
The “Baby” No Fly, they called themselves.
Simmons, the Broncos believe, is ready for the true No Fly.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder posted a 40-inch vertical at the 2016 NFL combine, besting all in his position that year. He put it to use with his extra-point block at New Orleans last year and he’s continued to grow more comfortable in the Broncos’ scheme that has since been tweaked by defensive coordinator and Joseph.
“Thatap the biggest thing, is that year one to year two, making that big leap and those big strides and going into that, so really looking forward to it,” Simmons said. “You are what you put on tape, and so it doesn’t really matter what I say. What matters is that I put on Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, you know, moving into the season. I’m excited for it. I’m excited for the challenge.”
News that the Broncos were considering trading or releasing Ward left the locker room in disbelief last week, with many players still hoping it was untrue even as reality set in.
“It was shocking just to come out of nowhere toward the end of camp,” Parks said. “But at the end of the day it’s a business. He’s been through it once already, so I’m pretty sure he knows how to handle it.”
Von Miller argued for Ward to stay:
“I don’t think he should be going,” he said. “Thatap a cornerstone of the No Fly Zone.”
Safety Darian Stewart did, too:
“I don’t know if they are going to listen to us, but I think it is going to impact a lot,” he said. “He is the key leader and a good teammate.”
Elway understood how the players felt, and he knew the decision wouldn’t be fully embraced, at least initially.
“It’s always hard. I will tell you I was in that locker room and I didn’t agree with every move that management made,” Elway said. “You create those relationships in that locker room and it’s important. T.J. was a big part of that, but I can tell you how many friends and people I had cut over my career and didn’t agree with all of them but that’s part of it. I think that they understand, at least I hope they understand, we had to do what we believe is best for the Denver Broncos. … When you make tough ones like this, they’re not always going to be popular. But I think the young guys will step up and play well and fill those shoes very well.”
Ward posted a Thank You to fans Saturday evening, saying he’s “looking forward to my next chapter.” As a vested veteran, he is free to sign with another team immediately.
Denver is moving on, but the team’s — and especially Elway’s — insatiable quest for another title has them feeling optimistic about their decision and their future.
“It’s a combination of everything,” Elway said. “Anytime you have a guy like T.J. that was such a big part of the championship year we had and the last three years that he’s been here — he’s led that defense and plays with an attitude and a chip on his shoulder. We give him a lot of credit for how we’ve played defensively the last few years. But it always comes down to football decisions. The young guys, they were playing well. It really wasn’t anything to do with T.J. It was just the fact that the young guys played well and we thought that was the best football move for us.”
