The Broncos claimed that they were not going to be too active in free agency shopping this offseason, and at this point, it appears they may not even enter the supermarket again. Their one trip to the grocery store resulted in them putting Keary Colbert in the shopping cart. If I were the Broncos, I would keep the receipt, just in case they find damaged goods and need to get a refund on their new $7 million man.
The idea that they are paying more than $2.3 million a year for this guy is astounding. Stephen Colbert? Worth every penny. Keary Colbert? Huh? Not so much.
Well, speaking of not so much, how about Keary's numbers. He has never caught more than 47 passes in one season. That output came in his rookie year of 2004. He dipped to 25 catches in 2005. In 2007, his season came to an end early due to a knee injury. Not exactly the most stellar track record for somebody competing to be the second receiver in an offense that has the potential to be highly productive.
The last thing the Broncos need is another wide receiver with knee problems. They just got rid of one of those guys after they signed him to a $40 million contract after one good season wearing orange and blue. However, you could at least make the argument that when healthy, Javon Walker could have been worth that that pay
Other than upside, there is no reason to think that Colbert and his medicore career should be financially valued at such a high rate by any team, much less a franchise that has to be judicious in how they spend their free agent money, considering their 2007 spending spree hasn't exactly paid big dividends yet.
I know the cap room is available, but just because you have $16 million available, doesn't mean you have to spend it recklessly.
Full well realize that reclamation projects are nothing new in the NFL these days, but this just seems so much like their philosophy of "they will become better players here." How did that work out with Jake Plummer? Or Sam Adams? Or Gerard Warren? Or Courtney Brown? At least, those guys had something to bring to the table before they got to Denver and eventually underwhelmed. Colbert brings very little to Dove Valley----and his numbers prove it.
In my opinion, with $16 million to spend, why not go after an upper echelon wide receiver? Instead, they have spent it on a guy who they hope, but don't know, can be an impact player. So what is four years in the NFL with little buzz worth these days? About $7 million.
The big winner, no matter what happens, is Colbert. If it doesn't work, Mike Shanahan, Jay Cutler, and Brandon Marshall will be wondering the same thing the Panthers do today: Why didn't Colbert ever pan out to be the player we thought he could?
-"z"
