Denver Broncos

Free-agent offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James is reportedly "strongly considering" filing a grievance against the Denver Broncos following his release Friday.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, James would file the grievance through the NFL Players Association in an effort to recoup lost wages the Broncos may not pay him after he tore his Achilles while working out away from the team facility.

Since the injury did not occur during a team event, the Broncos were able to designate it as a non-football injury, meaning they are not obligated to pay James the $10 million in salary he would have been owed if he'd suffered the injury in practice or a game.

After placing James on the NFI list, the Broncos designated him as a post-June 1 cut on Friday.

Per ESPN, the NFL's management council sent a memo to team executives and head coaches after James' injury, which included the following passage: "Clubs are encouraged to remind players of the significant injury-related protection provided if they choose to work out at the club facility and the risks they undertake in choosing to train at a non-NFL location.''

In response, the NFLPA sent an email to players that read: "It was gutless to use a player's serious injury as a scare tactic to get you to come running back to these workouts.''

Multiple teams have been informed by their players that they will not attend in-person voluntary workouts this offseason amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 28-year-old James signed a four-year, $51 million contract with the Broncos in 2019 after spending the first five years of his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins.

After starting 62 games with the Dolphins, James was limited to just three games with the Broncos in 2019 because of a knee injury. He then opted out of the 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With James now set to miss the entire 2021 season, it will be four years since he last played a full NFL slate should he return to play in 2022.

Following the release of James, the Broncos are likely to start Garett Bolles and Bobby Massie at the offensive tackle spots next season.

After tearing his Achilles while working out away from team facilities, offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James has been released by the Denver Broncos. 

Per ESPN's Field Yates, the Broncos announced James' release Friday.

ESPN's Jeff Legwold reported May 4 that James suffered a season-ending injury during a workout, but since it occurred away from the Broncos' facilities, the team could designate it as a non-football injury and release him without having to pay any of his $9.85 million base salary. 

After James' release became official, the 28-year-old took to Twitter to criticize the NFL Players Association for not properly protecting players despite encouraging them to stay away from team facilities during the offseason:

@NFLPA if your gonna advise all of us we need you to have our backs on the other end of this. https://t.co/TCwxSJqfms

— wuan (@JawuanJames70) May 14, 2021

Last month, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that NFLPA president JC Tretter told his fellow players on a conference call that the union was pushing "for an all-virtual offseason—and would urge players to boycott if teams conduct in-person OTAs this spring."

Tretter said on the call that the NFLPA has been telling owners "we’re not gonna go” to any voluntary workouts. 

The call came as the union and owners were negotiating an offseason program amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes was among the notable players who was critical of the possibility of the Broncos cutting James: 

https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes/status/1389699255129022473?s=20

The league sent a memo to all 32 teams April 14 to remind them that players are only protected under the CBA if they get injured while working out at their club's facilities. 

An injury that occurs at an off-site location without authorization from the team is deemed a non-football injury, clearing the team of any financial obligation to pay the player. 

James signed a four-year, $51 million contract with the Broncos as a free agent in March 2019. The deal included a $12 million signing bonus and $32 million guaranteed. 

A knee injury limited James to three games in his first season with the Broncos. He opted out of playing last year because of the pandemic. 

Denver Broncos wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton reportedly suffered a torn ACL, according to NFL Network's Taylor Bisciotti.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Thursday that the Broncos received trade calls on Hamilton after reports that they planned to waive him, which led to Denver holding off on parting ways with the wideout.

Garafolo added Friday that a trade started to come together Thursday night and was expected to be completed in the coming days before Hamilton reportedly tore his ACL.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the injury was suffered away from the team facility, and the Broncos are waiting to make a determination regarding what to do with Hamilton until they gather more information.

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Denver selected Hamilton in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft out of Penn State, and there were high hopes for him to become a key part of the Broncos receiving corps.

That hasn't happened, though, as Hamilton has registered just 81 receptions for 833 yards and five touchdowns in 46 NFL games over three seasons.

In 16 games last season, including two starts, Hamilton recorded 23 catches for 293 yards and two scores. That is despite the fact that starting wide receiver Courtland Sutton missed all but one game due to injury.

Hamilton is currently buried on the Broncos' depth chart behind the returning Sutton, 2020 first-round pick Jerry Jeudy, 2020 second-round pick K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick, who had a career-high 51 grabs for 742 yards and six touchdowns last season.

The Broncos also selected Auburn wide receiver Seth Williams in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Rather than trading or waiving Hamilton, the Broncos will likely have the option of placing him on the non-football injury list.

Denver recently made a similar move with offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James after James tore his Achilles while working out away from the team facility. Since the injury occurred away from the team facility, the Broncos are not obligated to pay James' 2021 salary.

Hamilton could be facing the same dilemma if the Broncos place him on the NFI list following his injury.

The Denver Broncos are reportedly releasing wideout DaeSean Hamilton, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. 

Per Garafalo, "the team had trade talks involving the former fourth-rounder recently but couldn’t finalize a deal." He also noted there's a "strong possibility" Hamilton will be claimed off waivers.

He added that the Broncos "got calls on Hamilton later this afternoon, sources say. So he hasn’t been officially waived yet and don’t close the door on a trade. Stay tuned."

Hamilton, 26, was a fourth-round pick out of Penn State by the Broncos in the 2018 NFL draft. While he's never emerged as one of the team's top receiving threats he's been a solid depth piece, with 81 receptions for 833 yards and five touchdowns in his three seasons. 

But he had chances to carve out a bigger role for himself and never capitalized, namely last season when Courtland Sutton was lost for the year with a torn ACL in September.

The Broncos are loaded at wideout, led by Sutton's return. Both Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler showed promise as rookies, while Tim Patrick emerged as a legitimate No. 2 receiver last year. 

Add in Tyrie Cleveland and 2021 sixth-round pick Seth Williams, and Hamilton's future in Denver logically ran its course. As Mike Klis of 9News noted, the team's receiver depth pushed Hamilton "too far down the depth chart at $2.3 million" to justify keeping him on the roster. 

Hamilton's contract may have made him tough to trade, but it seems likely the wideout will attract suitors as a free agent. At the very least, he'll be a nice upgrade for a team as a third or fourth option at wide receiver. 

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton was faced with a major task atop the to-do list in his first offseason: figure out who will be the team's quarterback in 2021. 

Free agency saw some additions and returns on defense, notably the team's decision to pick up the option of Von Miller, and the offense was hit by the departure of Phillip Lindsay. Then the NFL draft rolled around, with the team deciding to pass on a quarterback in the selection period after securing Teddy Bridgewater—who was edged out of a job by the arrival of Sam Darnold—in a trade from Carolina. 

Doing so didn't necessarily put Drew Lock in for a second go as the team's starting signal-caller, as head coach Vic Fangio said the players will split time 50-50 in the preseason. 

That could all be complicated, as the team is reportedly a real possibility to land a disgruntled Aaron Rodgers if the Green Bay Packers decide to trade him. 

Regardless of who is under center, the Broncos look to contend in a tough AFC West that includes the defending conference champions and two new-look offensive lines. 

Here's a look at what the Broncos will be facing in 2021. 

            

2021 Schedule

GiVe ThE sOcIaL mEdIa InTeRn A rAiSe.

Our 2021 schedule brought to you by Peyton, the greatest summer intern of all time: pic.twitter.com/3G5KqTsTCa

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 12, 2021

Let's get it‼️ pic.twitter.com/jST8w90PXY

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 12, 2021

 

             

Analysis

Lock made a case for himself in the second half of 2021, when he halved his interception total from his first seven starts and threw two more touchdowns in his last six games than he did in his first seven, per Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. 

Bridgewater is also a viable option, as he will head to Denver fresh off of a 3,733-yard, 15-touchdown campaign. 

With the quarterback situation seemingly sorted, the Broncos added to their defense, with free-agent cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby joining a group that includes the returning Miller, Shelby Harris and Justin Simmons. 

The additions should provide a decent upgrade for a unit that ranked in the middle of the league in total yards allowed per game. 

The Broncos should also benefit from the league's new 17-game slate, as the AFC will host the additional 17th game in the coming season. 

One interesting note about the Broncos' home games is that most of the opponents have a different quarterback situation heading into 2021.

The Baltimore Ravens are set with Lamar Jackson, and the Cincinnati Bengals will return Joe Burrow, who should be fully recovered from his injury by the time they meet in Week 15. But the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions all have a different signal-caller, which could be an advantage for the Broncos. 

        

Key Matchups 

The Broncos could hardly do worse than they did in 2020, when they finished at the bottom of the AFC West at 5-11. 

Both the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers made major changes to their offensive line, with the Raiders moving on from Trent Brown and Gabe Jackson and the Chargers adding Matt Feiler, among other changes.

The Chargers also had a significant offensive loss when tight end Hunter Henry joined the New England Patriots, while the Raiders added Kenyan Drake and a pair of wide receivers in John Brown and Willie Snead IV. 

Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs moved on from veteran offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz and cut running back Damien Williams.

Suffice to say these divisional matchups have the potential to be interesting. 

Denver will play the two worst teams from the 2020 campaign in the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, though both should look significantly different after the NFL draft.

The Jaguars selected Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick, while the Jets decided to move on from Sam Darnold in favor of BYU's Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall. 

The Denver Broncos are reportedly gaining increasing traction in potential trade discussions for Aaron Rodgers. 

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter on Sunday that Rodgers is "dug in" on his trade request, and a move to Denver has become a source of intrigue:

The Packers are still actively looking for solutions here; they're trying to keep an open line of communication with Aaron Rodgers and his agent, Dave Dunn. So, no traction in the short term. But many people around the league believe Aaron Rodgers is indeed 'dug in,' and there's a belief by some that he wants to be out West. Denver is a team that's buzzing in league circles. I was told by a source that Denver is 'monitoring' that situation right now. But they're also coming out of the draft days, and they're in the team-building mode. They really like Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, so they're not committed or tied to anything. Talking to people around the league, they say about 60-40 they think that Rodgers is dealt.

Rodgers' push to exit Green Bay has become the biggest story in the NFL over the last two weeks, even as the Packers continue to publicly say they have no interest in moving the reigning league MVP. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has made several public comments since news of Rodgers' trade request became public, all of which reaffirm the team's commitment to the quarterback.

"I had no [trade] discussions with any team. I received one call from a team Thursday night after all the news came out. I said no. That was the end of the conversation," Gutekunst told Peter King of NBC Sports.

A breakup between Rodgers and the Packers has been more than a year in the making. Rodgers was angered by the team's seeming lack of urgency in the 2020 NFL draft, with the Packers loading up on backups in the first three rounds rather than focusing on instant-impact talent. The most notable of those picks, first-round quarterback Jordan Love, also sent a signal to Rodgers that he may no longer be in the team's long-term plans.

Rodgers admitted he wasn't "thrilled" by the pick at the time, and the decision seemingly severed any chance he and Gutekunst had of a working relationship. Bob McGinn of The Athletic reported Rodgers called Gutekunst "Jerry Krause" in team group chats last season. Krause, the late Hall of Fame general manager of the 1990s Chicago Bulls, is largely blamed for the dissolution of the team amid a falling out with coach Phil Jackson and contentious relationship with Michael Jordan.

It's unclear if Rodgers would return to Green Bay with Gutekunst still serving as the team's general manager.

The Broncos are a seemingly natural fit because they've done what Green Bay has not in recent seasons: invested a significant portion of their draft resources to young skill-position talent. Denver has added Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler and Javonte Williams in high-leverage rounds since 2018. 

Their biggest roster issue is arguably at quarterback, with Drew Lock failing to develop in his first two NFL seasons and Bridgewater being a below-average starting QB.

Trading for Rodgers would catapult Denver instantly into the playoff—and perhaps Super Bowl—conversation. 

In light of Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James suffering a torn Achilles during a workout away from the team facility, the NFL sent a memo to teams regarding the financial implications of such setbacks.

Reporter Aaron Wilson shared the memo in which the league made clear teams are not "obligated to provide salary continuation during the year in which the injury was sustained" if it happened away from the team facility:

NFL memo outlining rules regarding Ja'wuan James torn Achilles injury and contractual ramifications for his salary, and that teams are not 'obligated to provide salary continuation during the year in which the injury was sustained.' pic.twitter.com/aYKLxapDUI

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 5, 2021

As for Ja'Wuan James, ESPN's Adam Schefter explained his "contract tolled last year, so he was playing under his 2020 contract this year, which had $10 million guaranteed for skill and injury, and another $10 million in 2021. So it’s a $20 million potential torn Achilles injury today."

James opted out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was among those who reacted to the developments:

So they are going to take his contract for working out in the off-season??? https://t.co/rJK7xrqpv6

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) May 4, 2021

The NFL did not include any new information that was unknown in Wednesday's memo. In fact, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported such a rule has been in place since 1977 and suggested the memo was more of a message to the league's players' association as it fights for virtual activities this offseason.

The majority of teams have already made clear they will not participate in voluntary offseason workouts in person this offseason.

Such workouts were virtual last season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported the NFLPA said there was a 23 percent decrease in missed-time injuries and 30 percent decrease in concussions last year without the workouts and preseason games.

NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith suggested in that same report that there shouldn't be a mandatory minicamp.

However, the league's memo underscores the risk for players when it comes to working out away from team facilities. If they suffer injuries away from the facilities, it could have significant financial implications.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took to Twitter on Tuesday to stand up for an AFC West divisional rival.

According to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, the Denver Broncos "privately were pleased" that offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James' season-ending Achilles injury occurred during a personal workout rather than at the team facility since it will allow the Broncos to avoid paying him $9.85 million in guaranteed money this season.

In response to the Broncos potentially not having to pay James, Mahomes tweeted:

So they are going to take his contract for working out in the off-season??? https://t.co/rJK7xrqpv6

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) May 4, 2021

Florio noted that the Broncos were also privately pleased that James opted out last season since it prevented them from having to pay the $9.85 million owed last year. Now, they can get out of it again in 2021 since an injury away from the facility means they aren't obligated to pay it.

The Broncos' willingness to forgo paying James his guaranteed money stems from the NFL Players Association pushing for a boycott of voluntary in-person offseason workouts. Per Florio, the NFL reminded teams that any player who gets injured away from team facilities this offseason risks losing their salary.

Given the savings the Broncos stand to get, it seems likely that they will take advantage of the situation presented to them.

The 28-year-old James was originally the No. 19 overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2014 NFL draft. He spent his first five seasons in Miami before signing a four-year contract with the Broncos in 2019.

James appeared in and started just three games for the Broncos in 2019 because of a knee injury. Overall, he has made 65 regular-season starts during his NFL career.

The Broncos had James penciled in as their potential starting right tackle for the 2021 campaign, but that job will likely go to 2019 second-round pick Dalton Risner now.

Risner spent his first two NFL seasons as the Broncos' starting left guard. However, it was long assumed he would eventually kick out to tackle, and the James injury could give head coach Vic Fangio that option.

The Denver Broncos and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater reportedly agreed to a restructured one-year, $11.5 million contract that will allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported details of the deal Wednesday after the Broncos acquired the 2015 Pro Bowl selection from the Carolina Panthers in a trade before the 2021 NFL draft:

#Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater’s revised contract:

$7,062,500 signing bonus (paid by #Panthers)
$4,250,500 salary ($3M fully guaranteed)
$187,000 in per-game active bonuses

Total: 1 year, $11.5M (Denver pays $4,437,500)

2022 deleted, so Bridgewater can be a free agent in March

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 5, 2021

Bridgewater signed a three-year, $63 million contract with Carolina in March 2020 to take over as the team's starting quarterback following a successful two-year stint as Drew Brees' backup with the New Orleans Saints.

The former Minnesota Vikings starter was merely average in his return to a starting role. He tallied 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions across 15 games in 2020. He ranked 17th in ESPN's Total QBR (64.2) and received a similarly mediocre 66 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

In turn, the Panthers decided to move on in the offseason. They made a trade with the New York Jets to acquire Sam Darnold, the No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft who's yet to meet expectations, and subsequently dealt Bridgewater to Denver in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

The 28-year-old Miami native will now have the opportunity to compete with Drew Lock for the top spot on Denver's depth chart for 2021.

"It will be something that at the end of the day, maybe not at the end of every day but over the course of OTAs and training camp, it'll be 50-50," Broncos head coach Vic Fangio told Mike Klis of 9News about the team's quarterback competition.

Lock, 24, showed some promise across five appearances as a rookie in 2019, but he finished with 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 13 games last year.

A blockbuster trade for the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers could bring an end to Denver's quarterback battle in a heartbeat.

ESPN's Dianna Russini reported Tuesday the Broncos are the team "most interested" in Rodgers, and they'll continue to make an effort to pull off a deal despite the Packers saying the three-time MVP is staying put.

"We're not going to trade Aaron Rodgers," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters last week after the first round of the draft.

If Green Bay holds firm in that stance, Bridgewater is a slight favorite over Lock to win the starting job, but both players will probably end up making some starts before year's end.

Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James' 2021 season is reportedly over before it started.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, James suffered a torn Achilles during a workout away from the team facility on Tuesday.

"James' $10 million salary for the upcoming season now is in jeopardy being that Denver no longer is obligated to pay him with him working out off site," Schefter wrote.

Schefter provided more details:

Broncos' OT Ja'Wuan James’ contract tolled last year, so he was playing under his 2020 contract this year, which had $10 million guaranteed for skill and injury, and another $10 million in 2021. So it’s a $20 million potential torn Achilles injury today. https://t.co/jj10uOm298

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 4, 2021

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported there's hope James won't miss the entire season with the injury.

James Palmer of NFL Network noted James was expected to be the Broncos' starting right tackle during the upcoming season even though he has played just 63 snaps over the past two years.

Denver signed the Tennessee product to a four-year, $51 million contract prior to the 2019 campaign after he played his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins. However, he played just three games in 2019 and opted out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

James also played just seven games in 2015 and eight games in 2017 when he was a member of the Dolphins.

Miami selected him with a first-round pick in 2014, and he was a key part of its offensive line when he was healthy. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall player grade of 72.4 during the 2018 season, which was his last healthy one.

Look for the Broncos to turn toward Quinn Bailey at right tackle following this setback.