Champ Bailey Contract Situation (Summer 2010)

Cornerback Champ Bailey, already named to the Broncos’ 50^th Anniversary team, is seeking a contract extension this offseason, as he approaches his 12^th year of NFL service. Though Champ is getting up there in years, he has so far showed few signs of slowing down. While he might not be on the elite first tier consisting of only Darrelle Revis or Nnamdi Asomugha, Bailey is still one of the top cornerbacks in the league, as evidenced by his 9 consecutive post-season trips to Honalulu (figuratively of course thanks to the Pro Bowl’s misstep in Miami). As long as he is performing like a true lockdown cornerback, a luxury he has given the Broncos for the last 6 years, he is going to go after 1 corner money, and they never come cheap.There are only a limited number of guys in the league who can take away a receiver for the duration of a game like Bailey has proven to do over the course of his days in Denver. The realist will point out, however, that Champ is already 32 years old and will soon enter the twilight of his career. The Broncos plan on shifting Bailey to a safety position in a few years, a move which he is okay with, but for his remaining 3 or 4 years at cornerback he is still asking for a top corner salary. He has already come out and said that once his transition to safety actually takes place (and only after that happens), he will take an appropriate salary reduction. After all, he is at a point in his career where this is likely his last contract and since NFL contracts are not guaranteed, it is better for the player’s long term financial viability for deals to be frontloaded. So far in negotiations, the Broncos want to reduce his pay from the beginning of his new contract, allowing flexibility for other roster moves to better the team. In doing so, the Broncos are playing a dangerous game, throwing up the type of risky pass Bailey has intercepted 46 times in his career. Honestly, without one of the few heartbeats and leaders on an already porous defense, how much better can this team get?