Denver Broncos Could Bring Back Champ Bailey After Week One

Jan 12, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) against the San Diego Chargers during the 2013 AFC divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

This is the longest of longshots, and will probably never happen, but the Denver Broncos technically could bring back Champ Bailey this season if they wanted to.

I don’t think they want to, but with guys like Quintin Jammer and Michael Huff having been signed midseason, we’ve clearly seen worse in John Elway’s tenure with the Broncos.

The rules are as follows:

• Vested veterans’ contracts are guaranteed if not terminated prior to week one.
• Vested veterans’ contracts are not fully guaranteed if agreed upon after week one.

It’s the reason why the Broncos have not brought in any other kicker, and it’s also the reason why the Broncos have been able to go out and sign veterans after the start of the season with little consequence.

In the case of Champ Bailey, it’s clearly not about the money at this point. He wants a title.

He was released by the New Orleans Saints after the preseason somewhat surprisingly, though most people think he should have probably hung up the cleats.

Bailey disagrees, and I’m not going to disagree with him. He had a workout with the Lions this week and it reportedly went well, but no deal is imminent. It’s likely Bailey won’t find a deal until after the first week of the season, at which point I think there may actually be a decent bit of demand for him.

Right now, the Broncos have a guy in Tony Carter who doesn’t provide much value on special teams and is very sporadic in his ability as a cornerback, but he made enough plays in the preseason to earn a roster spot I suppose. If the Broncos saw Bailey as an upgrade over Carter, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea for them to make that move.

But like I said, I doubt it will happen. I’m just trying to get all your hopes up by letting you know that the reasons against it diminish after the first week of the season.