Gut Reaction: What the Todd Davis Cut Really Means for Broncos
I — and I’m sure most of Broncos Country — did a triple-take when the news came down on Friday. Todd Davis caught plenty of flak, much of which from yours truly, but he’s a well-respected veteran, one of three remaining links to the Super Bowl 50 squad, and nails in run support.
No, his pass coverage left much to be desired. No, he didn’t have a long-term future in Denver. Yes, he was replaceable. But to replace him now? To unceremoniously dump your leading tackler days before the season opener?
I don’t like it. At all.
This reminds me of the Patriots cutting Lawyer Milloy prior to the 2003 season. And to Broncos fans trying to rationalize the move by pointing to Bill Belichick’s success, there’s only one Belichick, and he already had a Super Bowl ring by that point.
Vic Fangio doesn’t. For a defensive-minded coach to sever ties with a locked-in (or so we thought) starter, when your first opponent boasts an elite rushing attack? Baffling. The Broncos made a ton of great decisions this offseason. This isn’t one.
What it Means
GM John Elway pinching his pennies, is what it means. Davis’ release saves the Broncos roughly $4.5 million of salary cap space, giving the club over $30 million of available funds. Think that’s enough?
What are they saving for? (And don’t give me the tinfoiled 'they’re broke' theory.) Davis admittedly was not amenable to a pay cut; resistance that facilitated his departure. I mentioned Milloy; this also smacks of Elway chopping T.J. Ward in 2017.
The fans didn’t approve. Ward’s teammates certainly didn’t approve. But who cares, because The Duke doesn’t. He severed his nose to spite his face just to save a few shekels. We all thought we were past this modus operandi. Alas…
Next Man Up
As of this writing, the Broncos are planning to trot out Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell as the starting inside linebackers, with recently-signed Mark Barron inserted into nickel packages. Inspires such confidence.
Denver also added new blood, acquiring Austin Calitro from the Bengals in exchange for defensive lineman Christian Covington. Somewhere in Tennessee, Derrick Henry is salivating.
It’s possible, of course, Denver scours the free-agent market with final roster cuts spamming the league landscape or perhaps swing another trade. For now, this is far and away the Broncos' weakest area on defense — and opposing coaches know it.
Bad Message
The Elway-led front office continues its aversion to its homegrown linchpins. They didn’t lock down safety Justin Simmons. They wouldn’t reward Phillip Lindsay (and instead handed a rival running back $8 million per year).
Davis being kicked to the curb furthers a dangerous precedent and an even worse narrative: If we draft you, we probably won’t pay you, and if you play well, we probably won’t pay you, either.
When is the last time a Broncos player got a second contract? If you have to rack your brain … enough said. There’s a reason why Elway is universally disliked by NFL agents, and you’d be naive to think that preceding reputation doesn’t trickle into the locker room.
Devil’s Advocate
In the effort of fairness, I’ll toss on my contrarian hat and try to spot the silver linings here.
Here’s what I came up with: 1.) Davis’ axing allows the Broncos more financial flexibility to retain in-house talent (lol, right), 2.) The combined powers of Johnson and Jewell cancel out Davis’ prowess against the run, and 3.) Draft busts like Barron and JAGs like Joe Jones get a clearer path to the roster and/or meaningful snaps. That’s it. That’s the optimism.
Future Davis Reunion?
One (unlikely) scenario I could envision is Davis re-signing after Week 1, when his salary would no longer be guaranteed. Don’t hold your breath, however. Not only does Elway rarely bring back ex-contributors, it appears as if Davis genuinely prefers to permanently part ways.
"It was definitely fun. I'm excited for what's next," Davis told KUSA's Mike Klis. "The last time I was cut (by New Orleans in '14) it led to a pretty good run and a Super Bowl ring. So when it's time to move, it's time to move. And it's time to move.''
Follow Zack on Twitter @KelbermanNFL and @MileHighHuddle.
