Denver Broncos Free Agency Wish List: Tight Ends
Dec 28, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron (84) runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
The (Somewhat) Sad Impending Departure — Julius Thomas, Broncos
Julius has made it clear over the last two seasons that he deserves a nice pay day. He has also made it clear he doesn’t really care if that’s with the Denver Broncos. Thomas has battled ankle injuries since coming to the Broncos, so perhaps their current cap situation is a blessing in disguise. Perhaps being essentially forced to let Orange Julius go could help the Broncos, because his injuries haunted the team in 2014.
The scenario for keeping Julius that makes some sense is figuring out a way to get Demaryius Thomas locked in to a long-term deal before the franchise tag deadline has passed, and you have to wonder if the Broncos will exhaust all options there since Peyton Manning loves Julius so much. All that said, what if the Broncos just shock us all and re-sign Julius to a long-term deal anyway?
After all, he reportedly has already turned one down…
I don’t see it likely that he comes back, but I’d be a fool if I said it wasn’t a possibility.
The Sneaky Exciting Move — Jordan Cameron, Browns
Cameron, like Julius, has had plenty of injury issues. That being said, his price tag is expected to be significantly less than Thomas’s, and the Broncos have made surprise moves every year Elway has been here.
Stealing away T.J. Ward from the Browns a year ago, the Broncos have also brought in Browns players like Mike Adams (started in Super Bowl 48) and with Tom Heckert in the front office, the Broncos have brought in a number of Cleveland players in the last couple of years.
Heckert drafted Cameron in the fourth round of the same draft the Broncos took Julius Thomas out of Portland State in, but financially this time around, it makes more sense for the Broncos to go after Cameron on a two or three-year deal that involves little guaranteed money. Some team might be willing to overpay for the talent of Cameron, and that’s a reality we have to face, but if the Broncos can do similarly what they did with T.J. Ward and get with Cameron’s representatives early, they might be able to make him an offer he can’t refuse.
And I’d be okay with that. Injury issues aside, Cameron is — outside of Thomas — the best playmaker at the tight end position available this offseason.
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