Broncos Offseason: Could Okung Visit Impact Clady?
By Tylor Walden
With reports surfacing on the Broncos hosting Seattle Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung, could this mean the end of Ryan Clady in a Denver Broncos uniform?
Well, if you want to play hardball in John Elway’s court, expect to find some competition in order to speed up the process of this cat and mouse game.
With reports surfacing that the Broncos are hosting Seattle Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung, as reported by Mike Garafolo, this could mean one of two things for Ryan Clady.
OT Russell Okung expected to visit Broncos, source says. Denver looking to bolster OL after losing Ryan Harris. Clady situation fluid too.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 16, 2016
It could be the visit needed for Clady to restructure his deal in order to remain in orange and blue. Another situation is that the Okung visit could go well that they decide to sign him and release Clady.
It was said that Clady was willing to restructure his contract in order to stay with the Broncos early last month. But it appears as if the talks to restructure have been visited multiple times without a clear resolution. This is disappointing.
If the Broncos did decide to move on from Clady, it would only cost them $1.2 million in dead cap money. Not to mention the move would save the team nearly nine million dollars.
For a guy that has been hit with season ending injuries two of the past three years, paying him what he is making will not cut it for the Broncos. You earn your money with hard work, and Clady hasn’t been to work for the majority of his huge deal.
The Okung visit could also force Clady’s hand. It could be the move the Broncos need in order to do restructure talks with the left tackle. While Okung is not the healthiest person, he could get the job done for the Broncos. He has dealt with injuries as well, but it does not mean Elway won’t make a change for the benefit of the franchise.
Next: Russell Okung to visit the Broncos
For the moment, it appears that the ball is now in Clady’s court. If he truly wants to remain with the team, he will negotiate in order to get a restructured deal. If not, there could be a chance that Elway is prepared to move on.
Elway said it best, “We only want players that want to be Denver Broncos.” Clady, if you are serious about what you said about a month ago, take the pay cut. If not, it appears as if it will be another Bronco player looking for a spot on an NFL roster.