Jake Plummer pact near, say the Denver Broncos

By Hugo Guzman  |   Wednesday, February 16, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Denver Broncos
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Mike Shanahan, Pat Bowlen and the rest of the Denver Broncos brain trust months ago verbally committed to keeping Jake Plummer around for the long term. The Broncos are on the verge of putting their money where their mouths are, closing in on a restructured contract for the franchise's starting quarterback the past two seasons. "It's very close," Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist said Tuesday. "It could be finished this week."

Plummer could become a free agent March 2 if the Broncos choose not to exercise a $6 million option/buyout. By exercising that clause, the final three years of the quarterback's deal through the 2009 season are scheduled to kick in. Instead, the two sides are closing in on a compromise agreement.

Sundquist didn't give details on the pending restructure, but it's likely the new deal will pay Plummer about the same amount he's currently owed, with the upfront payout spread over a longer period. The revised contract should provide the club some short-term salary-cap relief. "It's not a punishment," Sundquist said.

Plummer is scheduled to make $3.3 million in base salary, a figure that likely would be lowered significantly and converted into bonus form, allowing the team to spread out the salary-cap hit over several seasons. But firm details won't be known until all sides sign off on the deal. Plummer's agent, David Dunn, did not return a phone message Tuesday.

Plummer broke John Elway's single-season team record for passing yards last season, finishing with 4,089, and tied the Broncos legend for most TD passes in a season (27). But Plummer's 20 interceptions tied two others for most in the NFL. He often has been criticized outside the organization for his decision-making and inconsistency throwing from the pocket.

Inside Dove Valley, though, Plummer's mobility and play-action ability are seen as perfect fits for the Broncos offensive scheme. "He can make plays other people can't make," Shanahan said after Denver's playoff loss in Indianapolis in January. "If you take a look at the big picture and what he's accomplished, he's done some incredible things."

Finalizing the Plummer contract will eliminate one of the biggest items on the team's offseason to-do list.

The Broncos already have agreed to cap-saving deals with center Tom Nalen and wide receiver Rod Smith, and are talking to the agent for tight end Dwayne Carswell about the same thing. The team also hopes it can work out a contract extension with left tackle Matt Lepsis that should provide further cap relief. Besides that, representatives for running back Reuben Droughns and Trevor Pryce are seeking trades.

Even without those deals getting done quickly, Sundquist predicted the Broncos will be able to be somewhat active in free agency beyond re-signing their own players. "I think we'll have an opportunity to be fairly aggressive, but the priority is getting our own guys done first," he said.

Safety Kenoy Kennedy, defensive end Reggie Hayward and guard Ben Hamilton are the top in-house priorities, and the team will try to sign each of them before the March 2 start of free agency. None of the three is expected to receive a transition or franchise designation by the Feb. 22 deadline.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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