Broncos QB Case Keenum says on podcast he was “definitely shocked” by trade By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post Feb. 22, 2019

Broncos Case Keenum said he was “definitely shocked,” by last week’s agreed-upon trade to acquire Baltimore’s Joe Flacco.

Keenum and his wife, Kimberly, appeared on the “The Sports Spectrum” podcast, a faith- and sports- based website, that aired Thursday.

“(General manager John) Elway called me that morning and we had a great conversation, which he didn’t have to do — I appreciated that,” Keenum said. “It was definitely a shock. It was a surprise for us … For us, we’re definitely disappointed. It’s not something we wanted to happen. I know everybody is doing their job and John feels like it was a chance to help the Broncos out.

“It’s another chapter in our lives and we’re going to roll with it.”

Flacco will replace Keenum as the Broncos’ starter. In one year for the Broncos (6-10 record), Keenum had 18 and 15 .

Keenum signed a two-year, $36 million contract in March 2018 and remains on the Broncos’ roster although it is unlikely he returns. He is scheduled to count $21 million on the salary cap.

If Keenum is cut, the Broncos will save $11 million and have a $10 million “dead” cap hit. According to the industry website Over The Cap, if the Broncos are able to trade Keenum, they will save $18 million and have only a $3 million “dead” cap charge. A veteran of 54 regular season starts (26-28 record), Keenum could be attractive to a team looking for a quarterback who can be a bridge to them playing a rookie or as a tested backup who can serve as a mentor.

“It’s really open-ended right now,” Keenum said of his future. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. This is still very fresh. A lot of these emotions we’re talking about are still going on and still happening. Who knows what’s going to be in store. I don’t, for sure.”

If Keenum does move on, he will be playing for his fourth team in as many years, having spent 2016 with the Rams, ’17 with Minnesota and ’18 with the Broncos.

“I know my time with the Broncos has been really special,” Keenum said. “I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I have absolutely been so proud to wake up every day and walk into that building and call myself to represent the Broncos as their quarterback. I know the tradition and history the Broncos have at quarterback especially. It was an honor to represent them.”

Broncos not expected to re-sign veteran nose tackle Domata Peko By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post Feb. 22, 2019

The Broncos will be in the market during free agency and the draft for a new starting nose tackle.

Veteran Domata Peko, an unrestricted free agent next month, is not expected to return, a source confirmed Thursday.

Peko, 34, played the last two seasons ($7.5 million contract) for the Broncos after spending the first 11 years of his career with Cincinnati. He had 69 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks in 30 games for the Broncos.

Peko played 522 of 1,077 snaps in 2018. Per the Denver Post’s game charting, he had 11 run “stuffs” (gain of three or fewer yards). His eight penalties were tied for second on the team.

Minus Peko, the Broncos could lean on restricted free agent Shelby Harris (assuming he returns) and Zach Kerr (who is a free agent) or address the position in the draft.

Domata Peko to become a free agent as Broncos seek his replacement By Mike Klis 9NEWS Feb. 22, 2019

Veteran nose tackle Domata Peko has been informed by the Broncos they will not try to sign him back during the early stages of free agency, sources told 9News.

It means Peko most likely will not return as he will become an unrestricted free agent when the negotiating window opens March 11, while the Broncos seek a younger alternative at his position.

The team and Peko’s representative never entered contract negotiations. The team did leave open the slight possibility that if they can’t find a defensive lineman in free agency, they could reconsider Peko at a later date.

Peko, who turned 34 in November, recently completed his 13th NFL season – all but one as a starter. After playing 11 years with the Cincinnati Peko became a free agent and signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Broncos prior to the 2017 season.

He started 30 of a possible 32 games for the Broncos and while Peko was a good value – he brought energy and leadership to the team’s day-to-day environment and did his job in the middle of the team’s defensive front, as evidenced by him playing 52.9 percent and 48.5 percent of the defensive snaps the past two years – NFL teams are always trying to get younger.

The Broncos’ defensive line currently consists of Derek Wolfe, Adam Gotsis, Shelby Harris and DeMarcus Walker with Zach Kerr also eligible for unrestricted free agency.

"They expressed interest in bringing me back, but no offer or anything like that," Kerr said.

Harris is a restricted free agent.

Broncos coach sought 'good, good teachers' to fill staff By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com Feb. 22, 2019

Vic Fangio said he wanted "good, good teachers" to populate his coaching staff and that aspect was "nonnegotiable."

In the weeks that have followed Fangio's formal introduction as the new coach, he has filled out his staff with a former Broncos coach in (), a Hall of Famer in Mike Munchak (offensive line coach) and a first-time NFL playcaller in Rich Scangarello ().

Below is a look at the offensive and defensive assistants:

OFFENSE

Zach Azzanni (wide receivers): Azzanni is one of the two assistants on offense who were retained from 's staff, but he's no stranger to Fangio. Azzanni was on the ' staff in 2017 when Fangio was the team's defensive coordinator. Azzanni spent almost two decades as a college assistant, including stops at Tennessee, Wisconsin, Western Kentucky and Florida, before joining the Bears' staff in '17.

Rob Calabrese (quality control/offense): Scangarello reached into his collegiate background to hire Calabrese for his first job as an NFL assistant. Calabrese was the offensive coordinator at Wagner for the past two seasons and was Wagner's running backs coach when Scangarello was the school's offensive coordinator.

Wade Harman (tight ends): Harman has been a longtime NFL assistant, including a 15-season run with the , as well as the past four seasons with the . He coached tight ends in 19 of his 22 previous seasons as an NFL assistant coach. Broncos Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe was one of the Ravens players coached by Harman during his time in Baltimore.

Chris Kuper (assistant offensive line): Kuper spent eight seasons as a Broncos player and has quickly developed into a young coach with a bright future. He will enter his fourth season as a coach in 2019 having spent the past three years on Adam Gase's staff with the . Kuper played 90 games with the Broncos.

T.C. McCartney (): McCartney was on the 49ers' staff the past two seasons with Scangarello. A graduate of Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado, McCartney is the grandson of former University of Colorado coach Bill McCartney and the son of former Colorado quarterback Sal Aunese.

Curtis Modkins (running backs): Modkins is the other assistant on offense who was retained from Joseph's staff. This past season became the fourth 1,000-yard rusher Modkins has worked with during his time in the league (C.J. Spiller, Reggie Bush and Jordan Howard were the others). Like Azzanni, Modkins was on the Bears' staff during Fangio's time in Chicago. Modkins has also been the offensive coordinator for the 49ers and Bills during his time in the NFL.

Mike Munchak (offensive line): Munchak is one of the most respected coaches in the league and was a Hall of Fame player -- class of '01. Including his playing career, Munchak has been in the NFL for 37 years. He has been an offensive line coach for 19 seasons and was the ' from 2011 to 2013. He has coached seven different offensive linemen who have been named to the Pro Bowl and spent the past five years with the .

Justin Rascati (quality control/offense): Rascati is the former offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Rascati won a national championship as a player at James Madison and played two seasons in the Arena Football League before beginning his coaching career.

Rich Scangarello (offensive coordinator): Scangarello spent the past two years on 's staff as quarterbacks coach and has called Shanahan an important mentor in his career. He brings plenty of college coaching experience with 17 years overall -- 14 of those years he was his team's quarterbacks coach, passing game coordinator or offensive coordinator.

DEFENSE

Chris Beake (defensive assistant): Beake has been on the Broncos' staff since 2013, meaning he's been through three different head coaches in John Fox, and Joseph before Fangio's arrival. His father, John, was a longtime Broncos general manager. He has 21 years of NFL experience.

Ed Donatell (defensive coordinator): Donatell enters his third stint with the team. He was previously on the staffs of Broncos head coaches Mike Shanahan and Josh McDaniels. Donatell was on Fangio's defensive staff for each of the past eight years in both San Francisco and Chicago.

Reggie Herring (linebackers): Herring was retained from Joseph's staff and has been with the Broncos since Kubiak's first season as head coach in 2015. Herring coached the team's inside linebackers for each of the past three seasons.

Mike Hiestand (assistant to the head coach/quality control): Hiestand's father, Harry, is the current offensive line coach for the Bears and worked with Fangio in Chicago. Mike Hiestand was the defensive coordinator at Ave Maria University in southwest Florida the past three seasons and also worked on Notre Dame's coaching staff. He is in his first season as an NFL assistant.

Renaldo Hill (defensive backs): Hill, who spent two seasons as a Broncos safety during his 10-year playing career, has named Donatell as one of the major influences in his coaching career. Hill was on the Miami Dolphins' staff last season and started his coaching career at the University of Wyoming in 2012.

Bill Kollar (defensive line): Kollar is considered one of the best defensive line coaches in the league and is another of the coaches retained from Joseph's staff who also worked on Kubiak's staff with the Broncos. He has spent the past 29 years as a defensive line coach.

Brandon Staley (outside linebackers): A former college quarterback, Staley spent the past two seasons with Fangio as the Bears' linebackers coach. He has been a defensive coordinator in the college ranks -- at both John Carroll and James Madison. Nathaniel Willingham (quality control/defense): Willingham, whose father, Tyrone, was Stanford's head coach for seven seasons, spent the past four years with the Cardinal's program -- two as a defensive assistant, one as a recruiting assistant and one as a volunteer assistant coach. He spent one year on Menlo College's staff just north of Palo Alto before going to Stanford in 2015.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Tom McMahon (special-teams coordinator): After his first season with the Broncos in '18, McMahon was retained from Joseph's staff. The Broncos led the league this past season in blocked kicks with four -- two blocked field goals, one blocked extra point and one blocked punt. McMahon came to the Broncos after five years as the ' special teams coordinator and has spent the past 12 seasons in the NFL.

Chris Gould (assistant special teams): Gould has been with the Broncos since 2015 and has worked with the Broncos' kickers extensively. He's a former kicker and at the University of Virginia. Gould's brother, Robbie, is poised to be an unrestricted free agent and has kicked in the NFL since 2005.

Case Keenum has talked to Broncos GM , still 'shocked' by Joe Flacco trade By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com Feb. 22, 2019

After one season as the starter, Denver Broncos quarterback Case Keenum said he was "definitely shocked" and "disappointed" that the team has the framework of a trade in place with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire Joe Flacco.

The Broncos signed Keenum to a two-year, $36 million deal last March to be their starting quarterback. Denver then went 6-10 in 2018, which led to the dismissal of head coach Vance Joseph and the hiring of Vic Fangio to replace him.

The proposed trade for Flacco was Denver's first significant roster move of the offseason. Neither the Broncos nor the Ravens, or even Flacco, can formally acknowledge the trade until the start of the new league year on March 13, when the deal can be filed to the NFL.

"[Broncos general manager John] Elway called me that morning and we had a great conversation, which he didn't have to do, and I appreciated that," said Keenum, who, along with his wife, Kimberly, was a guest on Jason Romano's Sports Spectrum podcast.

"I was definitely shocked. It was a surprise for us; you know, I think probably for the first day or so that's kind of what it was. You know, for us, we're definitely disappointed. It's not something we wanted to happen. I know that everybody's doing their job and John feels like that was a chance for him to help the Broncos out.''

Behind a battered offensive line -- three starters were placed on injured reserve -- Keenum was inconsistent, as was the Broncos' offense as a whole. He finished with 3,890 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. He threw 15 interceptions, tied for the second most in the league.

Keenum finished among the bottom 10 in the NFL in Total QBR.

Elway has said since season's end that a significant improvement "on the offensive side" was one of the biggest items on the team's offseason to-do list. The Broncos have the No. 10 pick in the draft.

The Broncos will try to shop Keenum in a trade in the coming weeks, but team sources have said keeping Keenum as a backup or releasing him are also options.

Keenum, 31, was the fourth different starting quarterback for the Broncos over the past two seasons. And while they are considering all options with Keenum, he believes his time with the team is over.

"For us, it's another chapter in our lives and we're going to roll with it," Keenum said on the podcast. "We're going to approach this like I do everything in my entire life, and that it's not by accident this has happened. It's just another chapter and another opportunity to overcome some adversity in my life.

"My time with the Broncos has been really special. I have enjoyed every second of it. I have absolutely been so proud to wake up every day and to walk into that building to represent the Broncos as their quarterback. ... It was an honor."

Keenum is currently slated to count $21 million against the Broncos' salary cap for the 2019 season, which is actually more than Flacco's $18.5 million cap charge for the coming year. The Broncos must pay Keenum $7 million of his $18 million base salary, whether he's on the roster or not. The salary-cap savings if Keenum is released ($11 million) and the "dead money" hit -- a salary-cap charge for a player no longer on the roster -- of $10 million are roughly the same.

Elway expressed high hopes a year ago that Keenum could be a solution to the Broncos' quarterback question. Keenum said several times this past season that he hoped to be with the Broncos "for a long, long time."

"You know, really, it's really open-ended right now," Keenum said. "We don't know what's going to happen. There's still a lot up in the air; this is very fresh. So a lot of these emotions that we're talking about are still kind of going on, still happening. So who knows what's going to be in store. I don't for sure; God does. But we'll be ready for whatever God has in store for us next."

Terrell Davis’ life changed dramatically about a year ago. Now he’s trying to spread the word By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic Feb. 22, 2019

Cramped behind a small table inside a high school in Canton, Ohio, Terrell Davis looked out among a crowd of reporters, all eager to ask about his favorite memories, about his road to the Hall of Fame and about his brief but compact career as a Denver Bronco.

For nearly an hour during that rainy afternoon in August 2017, Davis reminisced, recalling the tackle on special teams that all but earned him a spot on the roster in 1995, his 2,000-yard rushing season three years later, his signature Mile High Salute, the ACL injury that cut his career short, and, of course, that infamous migraine that couldn’t keep him out of XXXII or from earning the game’s MVP award.

“I think about that moment a lot because if they had the rules in place then, I don’t go back into that game,” Davis said at the time. “And that changes a lot. Am I here? Thank God it didn’t happen like that.”

What he didn’t know then, as he waited to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, was that a life-altering solution to his ailments would also spur his latest venture. For years, Davis’ NFL career was defined by what he overcame to produce record numbers and Super Bowl victories, and what ultimately cut it short. But his on-field triumphs left him with persistent pain in retirement, to go along with the migraines he had experienced since he was 9 years old.

“I was constantly taking anti-inflammatories — Naprosyn and Toradol shots — and doing these things to kind of mask and help with the pain and to manage that stuff,” Davis told The Athletic last week. “… You leave football and it becomes almost like a twilight zone. It’s like this fog and haze that, not only did it hit me, but players that I’ve spoken to. It’s just weird. You just find yourself having a different level of anxiety.

“People might look at me and think that my life is all perfect. But no, I’ve dealt with that and I remember I got diagnosed and they said, ‘Well, you have a bout of social anxiety’ and they wanted to put me on medication again. I was like, ‘Nah, I’m gonna pass on that.’ Every time there’s something that’s going on, the first answer to it is to put you on meds.”

After football, Davis’ balky knee would swell up, sometimes limiting his extension to only about 45 degrees. His joints hurt, his workouts were painful and the anxiety that had built up since leaving the game failed to dissipate.

About a year ago, Davis was able to ditch anti-inflammatories he used to take daily to prevent the onset of his migraines and replaced them with cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive compound in cannabis found to reduce inflammation, ease anxiety and provide a host of other benefits experienced by athletes and nonathletes alike.

Davis says he’s now down to his playing weight and no longer has the chronic pain and inflammation that hindered his everyday life. What’s more: After nearly two years of research and planning, he is a co- founder of a Colorado-based company, Defy, that will soon launch a string of products with CBD. The company’s first product line — CBD-infused sports drinks — are expected to launch in the spring and will be sold in Colorado before making their way across state lines.

“Once I tried it, it was a game-changer,” he said. “It started to improve my body, started to feel better, the inflammation in my knee and my body started to go away and I just couldn’t believe the results of it. Once that started happening, my thing just became, ‘Hey, listen, we have to share this people. We have to get the word out.’”

Davis’ foray into CBD usage was borne out of research. He and his fellow co-founders of Defy have tested various CBD products, each providing varying degrees of success and some failing to live up to the billing.

“For us, as a group, we weren’t going to do this unless we could do it in the utmost appropriate and efficient way,” Defy’s CEO and co-founder Beau Wehrle said. “We weren’t going to take any chances with inconsistencies. A lot of the industry is still new and emerging, so there’s not a lot of regulation around it and people are doing it in ways that I wouldn’t deem appropriate.”

Davis and his team say their product is unique because of the science they’ve installed on the back end. The CBD used in Defy’s products is grown in Colorado and their drinks are developed through a local lab to ensure they contain a consistent quality and quantity of CBD — 20 mg of CBD per beverage, with no tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis.

“That is unique in the marketplace,” Wehrle said. “I would say that 99.9 percent of (CBD products) have traces of THC, and what people don’t understand is that if you take enough of it, that can affect you. So we wanted to eliminate that aspect.”

That zero percent is critical, especially in marketing its products to current NFL players, who are still beholden to the league’s strict drug policy. Although the NFL and its players’ union have said they would consider amending their drug policies when science warrants it, they currently prohibit players from having more than 35 nanograms of THC per millimeter of urine. It’s unlikely players could consume enough THC from CBD products that contain traces of the psychoactive compound, but any amount could be a concern in a league in which contracts are typically not fully guaranteed and careers are generally shorter.

The NBA, by comparison, has a more stringent THC limit (15 ng/mL), but the structure of NBA contracts (fully guaranteed) and the length of its season (82 games) result in a much more lax penalty system. Major League Baseball players have a 50 ng/mL limit and are tested only when there’s reasonable cause, while the NHL doesn’t even test for marijuana and the World Anti-Doping Agency last year changed its policy to remove CBD from its list of banned substances. Years earlier it raised its THC limit to 150 ng/mL. And last July, the BIG3 became the first U.S professional sports league to allow its players to consume CBD.

“As a testament to our relationship with our players, we listened to their feedback on CBD, as well as feedback from professionals in the regulatory and CBD industry, and decided to take this major step to support their health,” BIG3 co-founder and co-CEO Jeff Kwatinetz said in a statement.

While more than half of the United States has legalized marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational purposes, the confusion over cannabis and, specifically, CBD’s place in the legal spectrum has been muddied.

Marijuana is not the same as hemp, a distinction that was emphasized last December when the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation of hemp, defined as having no more than 0.3 percent THC.

The 2018 Farm Bill was critical in validating the booming hemp-based CBD industry and is expected to open up avenues for more research and clinical trials.

But a gray area remains: CBD can be found in both hemp and marijuana, and the latter remains a Schedule I drug, a classification that also includes heroin and LSD. So CBD derived from marijuana remains federally illegal, while CBD derived from hemp is not, by association, a scheduled drug.

“People get confused because they think that the Farm Bill had blanket legalization for everything hemp. But really what the Farm Bill did is just legalize the production and cultivation of hemp,” explained Shawn Hauser, a partner with Vicente Sederberg LLC, a Denver-based marijuana law firm. “The sale of any consumable product or cosmetic or device has always been and will continue to be under the purview of the FDA. It’s their job to regulate anything in interstate commerce that humans or animals can consume.

“So even though we can grow hemp and hemp-derived CBD legally now because the Farm Bill removed hemp from the (Controlled Substances Act), the sale of consumable CBD beverage products still have to comply with (the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act), and that’s true of any other cannabinoid, any other food product.”

It’s the position of the FDA that CBD cannot be legally sold as a food, which includes beverage or dietary ingredient. But some states, including Colorado, have amended their food and drug laws to make sure that hemp-derived ingredients are allowed.

Defy will begin its jump into the industry in the state where Davis became a Broncos legend, creating an online presence while first selling its products in Colorado grocery stores, fitness centers and supplement chains.

“In terms of national distribution, we’re keeping our fingers closely to the pulse of what’s happening on a national level as each state develops their own regulations around CBD,” said Defy COO and co- founder Megan Bushell. “We do intend to eventually make our product available to consumers across the nation. However, we do so within compliance of each state’s regulations.”

While CBD is in its infancy with regards to regulation, it has spurred a flourishing market that continues to rise at jaw-dropping rates. Brightfield Group, a cannabis market research firm, predicted that the hemp-derived CBD market could reach $22 billion by 2022.

But research has been limited, resulting in very few clinical studies on CBD. The anecdotal evidence, however, is overwhelming and seemingly growing by the day — especially for athletes seeking non- habit-forming alternatives to treat their sport-related injuries.

“As the years went on, especially when I was getting near retirement age and I was having to take anti- inflammatories twice a day, yeah, I was concerned about my kidneys,” Davis said. “I was concerned about the long-term effects of just taking it. So sometimes I just wouldn’t even take it because I didn’t feel like it was healthy for me, and that would trigger a migraine.”

In 2016, Colorado Springs-based Realm of Caring, the nonprofit arm of local cannabis producer CW Hemp, partnered with a group of former NFL players, including former Broncos quarterback , to drum up interest and fundraising for clinical studies of players’ cannabis usage and the plant’s potential health benefits.

Months earlier, the NFL Players Association formed a pain management committee with players past and present, as well as medical experts and researchers, to study the issue of chronic pain. The potential benefits of marijuana and its derivatives were said to be on their long list of topics it would look into, but the union’s and the league’s stance on CBD remains unchanged.

“Whether it’s other substances, in addition to marijuana, we want to make sure that we have done the research to support a player’s use of that if that is indeed the only safe and position recommended therapy for that player,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told The Athletic last year.

“So where we are right now, we’re looking at the issue of CBD — which, in its purest form doesn’t contain THC, which is the only thing that would run you afoul of the drug policy — but also looking at a lot of other therapies.”

But others believe CBD’s benefits could go well beyond the day to day pain management.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a Harvard psychiatry professor, penned an open letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to urge him to eliminate marijuana testing of its players. He also encouraged Goodell to support research of the potential benefits of cannabinoids in preventing concussion symptoms and maybe even the onset of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a disease Davis has said “we’re all scared” of in retirement from the NFL.

Maybe CBD, which is found to have neuroprotective properties, could be a help. But until then, Defy is looking to join the push for research and commission clinical trials and studies with collegiate athletes to learn more about its potential benefits.

“We want to work with the NFL. That’s my dream,” Davis said. “That’s my goal, to make this mainstream and to make this available to professional sports and be the advocate for that, to make it known that CBD is a safe and a natural ingredient.”

Until the trials produce concrete evidence, the NFL may not change its stance. But Davis plans to reach out to the league because he believes his NFL story might have ended a little differently had CBD been available to him during his time with the Broncos.

“There’s no question I believe that it would have helped that,” he said. Perhaps his career would have lasted longer.

Perhaps it can still extend the careers of others.

Matt Paradis recovering well from injury as free agency beckons By Troy Renck KMGH Feb. 22, 2019

Matt Paradis is an Iron Man. But will he still be The Man on the Broncos offensive line?

Paradis played 3,850 consecutive snaps before fracturing his right fibula on Nov. 4 against Houston. It was an ugly injury with poor timing. Paradis, who has consistently graded out as one of the league's top centers by Pro Football Focus, is an unrestricted free agent. The former sixth-round pick from Boise State continues to recover ahead of schedule. He no longer requires a boot, and is walking well, he told Denver7 on Wednesday.

"Honestly, it feels great," said Paradis, a team captain and former Ed Block courage award winner for playing through hip pain two years ago that was relieved with surgery. "I am making some great strides."

Paradis boasts elite football IQ and draws high marks as a technician and leader at the line of scrimmage. Denver wants him back but is willing to let him test free agency that begins next month. The sides talked prior to the season but no deal was struck. Ryan Jensen, a former CSU-Pueblo and Fort Morgan star, set the center market last spring, signing a four-year deal with Tampa Bay averaging $10.5 million per season with $22 million guaranteed.

If Paradis finds similar interest on the open market, it appears unlikely the Broncos would get into a bidding war. When Paradis went down with injury, Connor McGovern took over. He played well in spurts, but admittedly struggled with calls in a loss at San Francisco.

The Broncos face uncertainty at several offensive line positions with right tackle Jared Veldheer a free agent along with the versatile Billy Turner. The Broncos have talked with Turner's agent recently, and would like to sign him before he hits free agency. Veldheer could return, but the Broncos could gauge his market as well. Guard Ron Leary ruptured his Achilles, and will not pass a physical. He will return as his contract his guaranteed for injury, leaving Denver to hope he recovers fully this offseason.

Kubiak missed coaching too much to resist job with Vikings By Dave Campbell Associated Press Feb. 22, 2019

The allure of the gameday atmosphere was simply too strong for Gary Kubiak to ignore, having spent the past two years in a non-coaching role for Denver following another health scare.

He found his place in Minnesota, with this natural opportunity to add an experienced leader and accomplished strategist to a fluctuated offensive coaching staff .

"As a first-time coordinator, I would have been foolish not to go do everything in our to bring in a guy who has been in seven Super Bowls as a player and a coach," Vikings offensive coordinator said.

Though Kubiak was the play-caller for the 2015-16 champion Broncos, his ninth of 10 seasons as an NFL head coach, that responsibility will rest with Stefanski, who has given the Vikings their own millennial- generation offensive guide in a league that has fast filled up with them. As an assistant head coach to and offensive adviser, though, Kubiak will bring a long history of supervising productive offenses and a low-ego, laid-back personality set up to mesh well with the staff.

The Vikings also hired his son, (quarterbacks), and two of his longtime colleagues, Rick Dennison (offensive line) and Brian Pariani (tight ends), to try to help support Stefanski and give the offense a lift after lagging below the league average in the first season with quarterback . Gary Kubiak will be in the booth during games, with Stefanski on the sideline. Dennison will also hold the title of running game coordinator.

"I like to be surrounded by smart people," Stefanski said.

After serving as Denver's backup quarterback behind Pro Football Hall of Fame member John Elway on three AFC title-winning teams, Kubiak broke into the NFL coaching ranks as quarterbacks coach for the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers in the 1994-95 season. He was offensive coordinator for the Broncos for the next 11 years, winning two more Super Bowls along the way, before becoming head coach of the .

Kubiak suffered a mini-stroke during a game there in 2013, leading to his departure. He returned to the Broncos as head coach in 2015 and promptly won another Super Bowl. He was hospitalized again in 2016 due to a complex migraine condition that caused extreme fatigued and declared his retirement at the end of that season.

Elway, now Denver's president of football operations, then assigned Kubiak as a personnel adviser. The first year he did the job from his farm outside Houston, before working full time at Broncos headquarters in 2018. That's when Kubiak realized he wanted back in the coaching game. He was widely expected to serve as new Denver head coach Vic Fangio's offensive coordinator, but the two sides weren't able to agree on the schematics .

"I missed it. I really did. There's just something about it at the end of the week: 'Did we get a 'W' or not?' Just that feeling," Kubiak said, adding: "I love being around players. I love to teach. This gives me an opportunity to get back and do that."

For the 57-year-old Kubiak, the high-stress job of a head coach won't work anymore, but other than his recovery from a recent hip replacement surgery he said he's feeling good. The focus with Stefanski, Dennison and the rest of the staff this winter has been to revamp the playbook in a way that utilizes the type of zone-blocking runs and play-action passes the Broncos enjoyed success with during Kubiak's tenure there but strives to avoid predictability.

Cousins started his career with Washington under head coach Mike Shanahan, who was Kubiak's boss on those late-1990s championship teams in Denver, so there's a solid philosophical connection from which the Vikings to build.

"We need to do everything we can to help him out. I look forward to that relationship," Kubiak said. "Hopefully being in there a little bit — well, what little bit John let me play in my career — I can recall some of those things."

“That’s what coaching is all about”: Former assistant sheds light on Vic Fangio’s greatest strengths By Ryan Koenigsberg BSN Denver Feb. 22, 2019

It was Week 14, and the high-flying 11-1 Rams were heading to an icy-cold Soldier Field to take on the 8-4 Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football.

Despite the Bears boasting the league’s best defense, led by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the Rams were as high as 3.5-point favorites throughout the week. The over-under, leaning towards the Rams explosive offense, was set at 51.5. The only time the Rams had lost was when the outscored them in a 45-35 shootout. Most of the NFL world expected L.A. to keep it rolling.

What they got on that early December night was a wakeup call to all who thought the offensive explosion of 2018 was going to roll all the way through the playoffs.

Final Score: 16-5, Bears.

Jared Goff: 20-44 for 180 yards and four interceptions.

Todd Gurley: 11 carries for 28 yards.

Sean McVay: Outmatched.

An absolute beatdown.

It was Vic Fangio’s Magnum Opus in 2018, the game that started the “elite defense” talk around the Bears, the game that really put Fangio on the radar as a head coach candidate. He countered the new wave of NFL offense to perfection.

On the Rams’ sideline that night was safeties coach Ejiro Evero, who was on the San Francisco 49ers staff from 2011 to 2014, the exact timeframe that Fangio served on the same staff.

Of course, the Rams took the loss on the chin and went on to make the Super Bowl, and shortly before they got clamped once again by the Patriots, who appeared to use Fangio’s plan as a blueprint, BSN Denver caught up with Evero to find out what Fangio did in Week 14 and much more.

“He’s always going to have a good plan, he’s always going to be well prepared,” Evero said of that night. “The years I was with him, he never fell short in that respect. Sometimes guys get their guys to play and execute at a higher level than others, you know? I think they had a really great day against us and that’s a credit to him and what kind of coach he is.

Fangio’s plan was a stroke of genius. He used variations of the vintage 6-1 defense to bring pressure on Goff, then later confused the QB by dropping the edge players into coverage, negating McVay’s strategy of reading the defense for the QB before the play. He used the impressive speed of his linebackers to take away the middle of the field, even using as a weapon in that respect, taking away a favorite area for Goff and McVay. He committed to stopping the run and forced LA to throw the ball far more than they would like, taking away their deadly play-action game in the process.

“His strength as a defensive guy is taking advantage of people’s weaknesses from the offensive perspective and attacking those weaknesses,” Evero told BSN Denver.

That was evident as Fangio targeted Goff’s ability—or lack thereof—to diagnose coverages without the help of McVay in his ear.

When John Elway hired Fangio as the new head coach of the Denver Broncos, he certainly envisioned Fangio using that ability to suffocate offenses in Denver, but Evero brought up another quality that will be important in the new head coach’s learning curve.

“He’s an excellent teacher, very knowledgeable. He does a great job relating to the players and always gets the players to buy in for him because he truly cares about them,” he explained. “He’s just a true, true football coach who does a great job of taking care of his guys… He does such a great job of connecting and finding ways to connect with his guys. Even though he’s a lot older than all of them, he bridges that gap, and that’s what coaching is all about, connecting with your guys.”

If Fangio can combine that ability to exploit weaknesses with the ability to connect with his players, he’s going to have his guys buying in quickly, and that’s great news for the Broncos.

The Chronicles of Champ: Bailey's collegiate head coach, Jim Donnan, shares defining stories By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com Feb. 22, 2019

Broncos fans certainly know what made former cornerback Champ Bailey a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

His lock-down defense. His 12 Pro Bowl selections. His famous 100-yard return in the playoffs to help beat the Patriots.

But Bailey’s story began long before he arrived in Denver in 2004.

The Folkston, Georgia, native began to show flashes of greatness long before that, and there may be no better person to explain Bailey’s brilliance than the man who coached him in college.

Jim Donnan’s first season at Georgia was 1996 — the same year that Bailey started playing for the Bulldogs — and he racked up plenty of memories with the UGA great.

As Bailey approaches enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, take a moment to relive some of the finest moments of his collegiate career. These stories, as much as what he did in his pro career, help explain why Bailey was destined to earn a place in Canton, Ohio.

Because, as Donnan said in Athens during Super Bowl week, “if you’re going to have a Hall of Fame, it’d be hard to have it without Champ Bailey in it.”

A SURPRISE PHONE CALL

“I don’t know if a lot people know about his background, but he grew up in Folkston, Georgia, which is right across the border from Florida — very close to the Florida line — so the University of Florida was recruiting him extremely hard. He had an older brother, Ronald, who was already on the team [at Georgia] who was a corner, and I hadn’t recruited him at all for Marshall [where Donnan was previously head coach], but when I got here, one of the first things I did was go down to watch him play a high- school game. The family was very pro-Georgia, so that helped a little bit. But he wanted to know what our situation [was] going to be, where we’re going to play him and all that.

“An interesting kind of scenario: We’re eating dinner there at the house, and he’s got this sister named Danielle — whose nickname is ‘Doll’ — and Boss Bailey, his other brother who ended up playing in the pros [but] was just a 10th grader, [who were both there and] the phone kept ringing. And sometimes coaches know you’re there and they try to disrupt the recruiting process a little bit, and it was [Florida] Coach [Steve] Spurrier. I didn’t know at the time, but ‘Doll’ would go over there and whisper to her mother. It rang about three times, and finally, the last time, Ms. Bailey picked up the phone and said, ‘Coach Spurrier, this is Ms. Bailey, and I just want to tell you you’re worrying me, and I’m going to tell you right now, Champ’s going to Georgia.’

“Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard that. So of course I jumped up and grabbed his hand and everything. That’s one of the best commitments I ever had, while Steve Spurrier is on the other line. The mother was just so strong from the standpoint of she was sold on Georgia because of the academics that her other son had been going through here and the support system. She was really strong academically. You know, you just don’t normally get three brothers from one family. It was just tremendous how they represented us.”

STAYING ON THE FIELD

“We talked about him playing both ways, and we played over at Auburn and one of the things our trainer used to say is we wanted to monitor the amount of snaps he had. You do that with everybody, but when a guy is playing both ways and you add special teams and everything, [it’s really important]. … The trainer kept coming over and said, ‘Coach, Champ’s getting close to 100 plays here now. You’ve gotta watch him.’

“So I told Champ, I said, ‘Hey, we really need to probably cut you back a little bit on offense.’ Because he was playing on special teams and playing every snap on defense. He said, ‘Coach, don’t take me out. I’m ready to go.’ He played 120 snaps in that game. You talk about guys now playing in a game, the way they substitute and all, it’s a big game if you play 70 snaps. Just incredible the way he played that night, and it was a big win for us. Just shows you what he’s like as far as wanting to be part of a winning game.”

LIKE A PRO

“The pro scouts and GMs, they go and, particularly the big players, they come in for their pro day. When Champ had his pro day, everybody was here. A lot of head coaches, too. And I’ll never forget, right outside here, they did some cover skills and timed him and vertical jump and all. They told him, ‘Well, we want you to run the 40[-yard dash]. We want to get a couple of times on you.’

“He said, ‘I’m not going to run it but once.’

“I thought that was pretty cool, but what was great about it [was], he lined up down there at the end … of this building here on the track. He had everybody around him for a couple hours weighing [him], measuring, jumping, talking to him — and he ran the 40 and ran right out of the building. He said, ‘I’m tired of this. I’m leaving.’ Nobody even saw him. He just showed you his tail lights and ran right out. It was great.

“I’ll never forget everybody just looking going, ‘Hey, that guy knows what he’s doing. He didn’t need but one time.’”

Broncos QB Case Keenum 'ready for whatever God has in store' after learning Joe Flacco trade news By Jon Ackerman Sports Spectrum Feb. 22, 2019

In his first public comments since learning that the Denver Broncos plan to trade for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, current Broncos quarterback Case Keenum spoke to Sports Spectrum and said he was “definitely shocked.” Keenum has played just one season in Denver after signing a two-year, $36 million deal with the team in March 2018.

The reported trade for Flacco cannot become official until the new league year begins March 13.

“(Broncos GM John) Elway called me that morning and we had a great conversation, which he didn’t have to do, and I appreciated that,” Keenum said this week on the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “I was definitely shocked, it was a surprise for us and I think probably for the first day or so that’s kind of what it was. But for us, we’re definitely disappointed, it’s not something we wanted to happen. I know that everybody’s doing their job and John feels like that was a chance for him to help the Broncos out.”

Keenum, 31, started all 16 games for the Broncos in 2018, the most games he has ever started in one season. Denver finished the year 6-10 while Keenum threw for 3,890 yards (a career high; 14th in the NFL), 18 touchdowns (23rd) and 15 interceptions (tied for second).

“For us, it’s another chapter in our lives and we’re going to roll with it,” Keenum said with his wife, Kimberly, by his side. “We’re going to approach this like I do everything in my entire life, and that it’s not by accident this has happened. It’s just another chapter and another opportunity to overcome some adversity in my life.”

Prior to signing with Denver, Keenum went 11-3 as a fill-in starter for the in 2017, when the Vikings advanced to the NFC Championship Game. Keenum threw for a career-high 22 touchdowns that season, and posted a career-high 98.3 quarterback rating. It helped him land his first surefire starting gig in the NFL. But after a disappointing season in Denver — the Broncos missed the playoffs for the third straight season after winning — Keenum may be on the move again, or at least in a QB battle with Flacco.

“You know, really, it’s really open-ended right now. We don’t know what’s going to happen, there’s still a lot up in the air; this is really fresh. So a lot of these emotions that we’re talking about are still kind of going on, still happening. So who knows what’s going to be in store? I don’t for sure, God does. But we’ll be ready for whatever God has in store for us next,” Keenum said.

Kimberly also expressed her reaction to learning the news of a Flacco trade.

“At first I definitely was really surprised, I was not expecting it,” she told Sports Spectrum. “And I think instantly you’re kind of mad a little bit too. I’m protective of my husband so part of that emotion happens too. Then next it kind of sets in and it’s like, ‘Welp, here we go again.’

“I feel like my whole motto in this whole NFL experience is just having peace in the unknown. And we keep having the unknown and not sure what’s going to happen next. So I’ve really had to cling to that. I’m a natural planner. I like to know everything going on and I’ve been put in a situation for the last now eight years of not having any control.

“I think the Lord has put us there to just constantly be on our knees just praying and trusting and constantly trusting His plan.”

The Keenums elaborated on their lives of uncertainty in Football Sunday 2019.

As he awaits next step, Broncos QB Case Keenum shares thoughts on Joe Flacco trade By Frank Schwab Yahoo.com Feb. 22, 2019

A year ago at this time, quarterback Case Keenum was a hot commodity.

Keenum was coming off a fine season with the Minnesota Vikings. He ended up getting a two-year, $36 million deal from the Denver Broncos. The $18 million average was tied for 20th in the NFL last season. Keenum had a larger average contract than elite players like Fletcher Cox, Antonio Brown. J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins.

And now he’s likely going to be cast aside.

The Broncos weren’t impressed with Keenum last season, so they agreed to a trade for Joe Flacco. Flacco will likely be the latest quarterback to fail to impress the Broncos and their fans, but GM John Elway is desperate.

Keenum is reportedly being shopped in a trade and if the Broncos can’t swing a deal, either he’ll be cut or stay as a very expensive backup. It’s a great example of how fast life can change in the NFL, and Keenum said he’s dealing with it the best he can.

Case Keenum was ‘definitely shocked’ Keenum said he was surprised to hear that the Broncos were basically replacing him with Flacco.

“Elway called me that morning and we had a great conversation, which he didn’t have to do, and I appreciated that,” Keenum told the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “I was definitely shocked, it was a surprise for us and I think probably for the first day or so that’s kind of what it was. But for us, we’re definitely disappointed, it’s not something we wanted to happen. I know that everybody’s doing their job and John feels like that was a chance for him to help the Broncos out.”

Keenum understands how the business of the NFL can go. He was undrafted despite a record-setting college career at Houston. He has bounced around; the Broncos are his fourth team. He finally got a great shot in a good situation in Minnesota two years ago and played very well, helping the Vikings make the NFC championship game.

And now, he’s basically back at Square One.

“For us, it’s another chapter in our lives and we’re going to roll with it,” Keenum said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “We’re going to approach this like I do everything in my entire life, and that it’s not by accident this has happened. It’s just another chapter and another opportunity to overcome some adversity in my life.”

Keenum’s future up in the air If Keenum is not traded and then gets released, he’ll be an interesting name on the market. His strong 2017 season wasn’t that long ago, and while he wasn’t good enough for the Broncos, he also wasn’t absolutely incompetent with a bad roster around him.

Yet, most teams aren’t dying for a starting quarterback. There should be as many as four more quarterbacks drafted in the first round, will be on the move and will be a free agent, too. Keenum seems likely to sign somewhere as a backup, and then wait for another shot like he got in Minnesota.

That can be the rough life of the NFL. Keenum knows it well.

Broncos' Case Keenum 'shocked' by Joe Flacco trade By Kevin Patra NFL.com Feb. 22, 2019

The Denver Broncos' agreed upon trade to acquire veteran quarterback Joe Flacco surprised not only most of the football world, but also the incumbent starter.

Appearing on the Sports Spectrum Podcast this week with his wife, Kimberly, quarterback Case Keenum said he was stunned by the move.

"[Broncos general manager John] Elway called me that morning and we had a great conversation, which he didn't have to do, and I appreciated that," Keenum said. "I was definitely shocked, it was a surprise for us and I think probably for the first day or so that's kind of what it was. But for us, we're definitely disappointed, it's not something we wanted to happen. I know that everybody's doing their job and John feels like that was a chance for him to help the Broncos out."

The trade for another veteran signals the end of Keenum's run as Denver's starter after just one season. For the career-long , it's just the latest hurdle to conquer.

"For us, it's another chapter in our lives and we're going to roll with it," Keenum said. "We're going to approach this like I do everything in my entire life, and that it's not by accident this has happened. It's just another chapter and another opportunity to overcome some adversity in my life."

Keenum signed a two-year, $36 million deal last year and is set to count $21 million against the Broncos' salary cap. Cutting the 31-year-old would save Denver $11 million with $10 million in dead money.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Broncos plan to shop Keenum. If they can't find a taker, Denver will either ask Keenum to take a massive pay cut or cut the quarterback.

Keenum said his time in Denver was "really special" and spoke knowing his departure seems imminent.

"You know, really, it's really open-ended right now," Keenum said. "We don't know what's going to happen, there's still a lot up in the air; this is really fresh. So a lot of these emotions that we're talking about are still kind of going on, still happening. So who knows what's going to be in store? I don't for sure, God does. But we'll be ready for whatever God has in store for us next."

For a quarterback who has played for four organizations in six NFL seasons, the unknown has become the norm.

AFC free agency fun: Le'Veon Bell to Jets? Nick Foles to Jags? By Marc Sessler NFL.com Feb. 22, 2019

The new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 13. This also marks the official opening of something you might care about a bit more ... 2019 NFL free agency! With the frenzy still a few weeks off, Marc Sessler perused the list of players set to hit the open market, reviewed team-by-team offseason needs and concocted one fun free-agent fit for each organization. Let's start with the AFC.

Baltimore Ravens: Mark Ingram, running back

Baltimore's pound-the-rock-down-your-throat attack was exposed in January's playoff loss to the Chargers. With at the controls, though, the Ravens aren't about to ditch their devotion to the run. I like the idea of new play caller unleashing a hammer-dropping ball-carrier like Ingram alongside Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon.

Buffalo Bills: Mitch Morse, center

The Bills were dragged down last season by one of the league's ugliest run-blocking units. The pass protection wasn't much sunnier, forcing rookie arm Josh Allen to run for his life inside a weapons-free offense. Assuming he bolts Kansas City, Morse would give Buffalo an anchoring presence at the pivot after finishing as the sixth-best pass-blocking center in football last season, per Pro Football Focus.

Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'Wuan James, offensive tackle

"Two linemen out of the gate? That's no fun," you moan. Also unfun: Watching your cowed quarterback get crunched to the godless turf. Bolstering Cincy's line remains a top priority for newbie coach Zac Taylor. James, despite some past injury issues, would give the Bengals a reliable presence at right tackle. He's ripe to be overpaid, but bookends are rare gems in today's NFL. It's a necessary expense.

Cleveland Browns: Frank Clark, edge

The Browns could use a tackle, too, but equal need exists for a havoc-spinning pass rusher to pair across from quarterback destroyer . A bull-rushing powerhouse, Clark boasts the speed and strength to cast off blockers and crumble the pocket. Seattle wants him back -- "I'm counting on it," said coach -- but the Browns are flush with piles of cash.

Denver Broncos: Jamison Crowder, wide receiver

After landing their quarterback in Joe Flacco, the Broncos still have plenty of work to do on offense. The line is a mess and the defense could use corner help, but I'm suggesting a buy-low add at wideout in Crowder, a unique physical talent coming off a campaign sideswiped by injuries. Redskins coach Jay Gruden insists Crowder remains in Washington's plans, but the lightning-quick pass catcher would fill a need in the slot for Denver.

Houston Texans: Matt Paradis, center

After the Texans allowed a league-high 62 sacks, finding better protection for franchise quarterback is nothing short of a burning priority. Less-disastrous tackle play is a must, but issues extend to the interior line, where Nick Martin ranked as the AFC South's worst center, per PFF. Paradis was off to a strong start in Denver last season before a broken leg killed his campaign. He's expected to be all systems go for camp and would help this line become something more than a full-blown disaster.

Indianapolis Colts: Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle

If the Rams let him walk, Suh could help turn the middle of Indy's defense into a rough neighborhood. General manager Chris Ballard has built the roster off draft picks and economical free-agent adds, but why not use some of your league-high $108 million cap space on a blue-chip centerpiece? The idea of Suh and Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard operating as teammates is beyond juicy.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Nick Foles, quarterback

You've undoubtedly endured a flood of Foles-to-Jacksonville blurbs by now, so I won't linger. With whispers of "mutual interest" between the Jaguars and Philly's Super Bowl-winning backup, the bigger question is whether the Eagles will franchise Foles to control this process and keep the division rival Giants and Redskins out of play.

Kansas City Chiefs: Kareem Jackson, cornerback

Bags of money will go toward retaining , but the defensive to-do list runs deeper, as the Chiefs shift to a 4-3 scheme under . Kansas City could use help at every position, but free agency is a good spot to find cover-man help in the form of Jackson, a reliable defender against the pass and a top-tier talent against the run for Houston in 2018. He turns 31 in April, but has plenty left for a win-now team like the Chiefs.

Los Angeles Chargers: Anthony Barr, linebacker

The Chargers' defense will continue to swirl around the nightmare tandem of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. The Bolts, though, could use a do-everything, versatile linebacker who plays all three downs. Barr's stock has fallen after a brilliant campaign in 2015, but he gives you a reliable tackler who can blitz the passer. Still squarely in his prime with his 27th birthday coming up in March, he's worth a look inside Gus Bradley's 4-3 scheme.

Miami Dolphins: Clay Matthews, edge

I'm throwing darts here, but this feels like a 2019 Dolphins move to me. Amid whispers the club plans to shy away from its history of dropping mega-millions in free agency, look for the Fins to pad both sides of the ball with more affordable talent. Turning 33 in May and coming off a 3.5-sack campaign, Matthews is no lock to return to Green Bay.

New England Patriots: Golden Tate, wide receiver

The Patriots are paper-thin at wideout. Beyond and special teams ace , the remaining pass catchers under contract are humans named , and Darren Andrews. ('s a restricted free agent and he's currently suspended indefinitely by the NFL.) How about adding the wily and hyper-productive Tate to a Patriots squad just 12 months away from winning Super Bowl LIV?

New York Jets: Le'Veon Bell, running back

Close your eyes and imagine the following: A watchable -- nay, intriguing -- Jets offense. Gang Green houses the requisite dough to make a run at the level of player who rarely reaches the open market. The cost will be massive -- "100 M's!" Bell told TMZ when asked what it would take to sign with -- but general manager Mike Maccagnan is running out of time to flip the switch on this still-in-progress roster.

Oakland Raiders: Ezekiel Ansah, edge

Anyone fits the Raiders. After trading away homegrown stars in Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, and new general manager Mike Mayock oversee a franchise with a thousand needs. Part of the team's $71 million in cap space (according to Over The Cap) must go toward a pass rusher who can lift an Oakland outfit that notched a league-low 13 sacks last season -- 17 fewer than the closest competitor. Ansah comes with question marks, but it's not hard to imagine Gruden falling for the former Lion.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Pierre Desir, cornerback

The Steelers require linebacking help and -- suddenly -- a reliable wideout, with Antonio Brown set to be shipped out of town. For this exercise, though, I'm choosing to pad the Steelers at cornerback. Former first-rounder Artie Burns has massively underwhelmed, while Joe Haden turns 30 in April. The 28-year- old Desir was Indy's top cover man in 2018 and would give Pittsburgh a solid presence against the run. After missing on countless corners in the draft, free agency feels right for the Steelers.

Tennessee Titans: Za'Darius Smith, edge

Smith generated plenty of rough-and-tumble tape for the Ravens last season. PFF credited him with 61 pressures, a breakout leap from his 40 in 2017. The Titans need help pressuring the quarterback -- just like every team in the NFL -- and would hope to grab Smith just as the 26-year-old hits his prime.

Case Keenum was shocked by trade for Joe Flacco By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk Feb. 22, 2019

Many people were surprised by Denver’s decision to trade for quarterback Joe Flacco. None were more surprised than quarterback Case Keenum.

Via the Denver Post, Keenum explained on The Sports Spectrum podcast that he was shocked by the news.

“[G.M. John] Elway called me that morning and we had a great conversation, which he didn’t have to do — I appreciated that,” Keenum said on the podcast, with his wife next to him. “It was definitely a shock. It was a surprise for us. . . . For us, we’re definitely disappointed. It’s not something we wanted to happen. I know everybody is doing their job and John feels like it was a chance to help the Broncos out.”

It means that Keenum will be out of Denver, but it’s still not clear where he’s going to go.

“It’s really open-ended right now,” Keenum said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. This is still very fresh. A lot of these emotions we’re talking about are still going on and still happening. Who knows what’s going to be in store? I don’t, for sure.”

However it plays out, Keenum will make at least $7 million this year. Which means that, if Keenum is released, a new team could sign Keenum for at or near the six-figure league minimum, putting the Broncos on the hook for the rest.

That dynamic makes a trade even less likely, unless the trade includes the Broncos eating the amount that the new team would save by signing Keenum for the minimum.

It’s still not clear who will want Keenum. He has shown flashed of high-level ability in stints with the Texans, Rams, and Vikings, taking the 2017 Minnesota team to the final four.

However it plays out, it’s a stunning decline for Keenum, who signed a two-year, $36 million deal with the Broncos last year as a free agent.

Broncos will not try to re-sign Domata Peko By Charean Williams Pro Football Talk Feb. 22, 2019

The Broncos have informed nose tackle Domata Peko they will not attempt to re-sign him, Mike Klis of KUSA reports.

Peko, 34, becomes a free agent next month, his two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Broncos having expired.

He started 30 of a possible 32 games during his two seasons with Denver, playing 52.9 percent of defensive snaps in 2017 and 48.5 percent in 2018.

In 13 NFL seasons, Peko has started 186 games and made 589 tackles and 20 sacks.

The Broncos have defensive linemen Derek Wolfe, Adam Gotsis, Shelby Harris and DeMarcus Walker under contract for 2019. Zach Kerr is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

Matt Paradis is ahead in rehab as free agency looms By Charean Williams Pro Football Talk Feb. 22, 2019

Matt Paradis played 3,850 consecutive snaps before fracturing his right fibula Nov. 4 against Houston. His Iron Man streak is a reason he is among PFT’s top-20 free agents and expected to have a strong market.

The Broncos center said his rehab is ahead of schedule, having shed the boot.

“Honestly, it feels great,” Paradis told Troy Renck of Denver 7. “I am making some great strides.”

The Broncos want Paradis back, Renck reports, but are willing to let him test the market. That means there is a good chance Paradis doesn’t return.

Ryan Jensen signed a four-year deal with Tampa Bay last spring, getting $22 million guaranteed with a $10.5 million per season average.

Connor McGovern replaced Paradis last season.