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Standoff of Lelie, Broncos drags on
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
August 1, 2006
ENGLEWOOD - The Broncos have fined receiver Ashley Lelie $70,000 for missing five days of training camp - a mandatory team meeting followed by four days of practice through Monday - and the dispute doesn't appear any closer to a resolution.
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has said he would not speak about Lelie until the receiver reported or a trade was worked out.
Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist said only he "liked the receivers we have in camp at this point."
Lelie's agent, Peter Schaffer, did not respond to requests for comment Monday, and there has been little contact between Schaffer and the Broncos since training camp began Friday.
While no team has offered enough to pry Lelie from the Broncos - Denver wants a first- or second-round pick or a front-line starter "of equal value," Shanahan has said - the Broncos' leverage might increase as injuries occur around the league.
The Atlanta Falcons have lost receiver Brian Finneran for the season because of a left knee injury. He has been placed on the reserve injured list.
And the Philadelphia Eagles are battling depth problems in camp. Todd Pinkston is struggling to recover from a right Achilles' tendon injury he suffered last season and Reggie Brown has had left hamstring trouble that has limited his participation.
The Eagles are one of the teams Schaffer and the Broncos had discussed a trade with before training camp. The Bears, 49ers and Titans were among the others.
There is increasing financial pressure on Lelie, who is being fined $14,000 a day until he reports. If he stays out until the regular season, that total would top $600,000, close to his base salary for the 2006 season.
If he stays out after the start of the regular season and no trade has been worked out, the Broncos are expected to try to recover part of the $3.3 million signing bonus he received when he signed the contract in 2002.
Lelie has one year left on his deal, having already voided the sixth year because he has been a starter. It is unclear how much of the original bonus the Broncos could recover.
PRESSURE KICK: Stefan Fatsis, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who has spent some of minicamp and training camp as a kicker with the Broncos as he works on a potential book, was given a chance to make a field goal in the morning practice.
To add a little spice to the 30-yard kick, Shanahan told the players he would shave 30 minutes off the team's meetings Monday night if Fatsis made the kick. Fatsis missed, but Shanahan called an "offsides penalty" and he was given another chance from 25 yards that also missed.
"It went great on the practice field," said Fatsis, who made a 40-yarder warming up. "It was a little different kicking for something."
"Now he knows what those kickers go through," Shanahan said.
MEADOWS IN: Adam Meadows, who signed a three-year deal with the Broncos on Saturday that included a $400,000 signing bonus, arrived at camp in the afternoon and attended the night meetings.
Meadows is expected to practice for the first time this morning.
Meadows has been out of football since he retired during the Carolina Panthers training camp in 2004 because of right shoulder troubles.
Meadows, after sitting out the past two seasons, was reinstated last month by the NFL. Because he had repaid his signing bonus to the Panthers, he was allowed by the team to become an unrestricted free agent.
Several teams, including the Packers and Saints, were interested in Meadows. A former starter with the Indianapolis Colts, he is expected to compete with George Foster for the right tackle position.
ETC.: Broncos guard Ben Hamilton had X-rays on his right leg that were said to be negative. He walked out of the complex and was expected to be evaluated more today . . . Cornerback Darrent Williams (ankle) and receiver Nate Jackson (ankle) did not participate in the team's afternoon special-teams practice, but neither injury was expected to be serious . . . Dallas signed kicker Tyler Fredrickson. Fredrickson had been released by the Broncos just before the start of camp.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_4884811,00.html
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
August 1, 2006
ENGLEWOOD - The Broncos have fined receiver Ashley Lelie $70,000 for missing five days of training camp - a mandatory team meeting followed by four days of practice through Monday - and the dispute doesn't appear any closer to a resolution.
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has said he would not speak about Lelie until the receiver reported or a trade was worked out.
Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist said only he "liked the receivers we have in camp at this point."
Lelie's agent, Peter Schaffer, did not respond to requests for comment Monday, and there has been little contact between Schaffer and the Broncos since training camp began Friday.
While no team has offered enough to pry Lelie from the Broncos - Denver wants a first- or second-round pick or a front-line starter "of equal value," Shanahan has said - the Broncos' leverage might increase as injuries occur around the league.
The Atlanta Falcons have lost receiver Brian Finneran for the season because of a left knee injury. He has been placed on the reserve injured list.
And the Philadelphia Eagles are battling depth problems in camp. Todd Pinkston is struggling to recover from a right Achilles' tendon injury he suffered last season and Reggie Brown has had left hamstring trouble that has limited his participation.
The Eagles are one of the teams Schaffer and the Broncos had discussed a trade with before training camp. The Bears, 49ers and Titans were among the others.
There is increasing financial pressure on Lelie, who is being fined $14,000 a day until he reports. If he stays out until the regular season, that total would top $600,000, close to his base salary for the 2006 season.
If he stays out after the start of the regular season and no trade has been worked out, the Broncos are expected to try to recover part of the $3.3 million signing bonus he received when he signed the contract in 2002.
Lelie has one year left on his deal, having already voided the sixth year because he has been a starter. It is unclear how much of the original bonus the Broncos could recover.
PRESSURE KICK: Stefan Fatsis, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who has spent some of minicamp and training camp as a kicker with the Broncos as he works on a potential book, was given a chance to make a field goal in the morning practice.
To add a little spice to the 30-yard kick, Shanahan told the players he would shave 30 minutes off the team's meetings Monday night if Fatsis made the kick. Fatsis missed, but Shanahan called an "offsides penalty" and he was given another chance from 25 yards that also missed.
"It went great on the practice field," said Fatsis, who made a 40-yarder warming up. "It was a little different kicking for something."
"Now he knows what those kickers go through," Shanahan said.
MEADOWS IN: Adam Meadows, who signed a three-year deal with the Broncos on Saturday that included a $400,000 signing bonus, arrived at camp in the afternoon and attended the night meetings.
Meadows is expected to practice for the first time this morning.
Meadows has been out of football since he retired during the Carolina Panthers training camp in 2004 because of right shoulder troubles.
Meadows, after sitting out the past two seasons, was reinstated last month by the NFL. Because he had repaid his signing bonus to the Panthers, he was allowed by the team to become an unrestricted free agent.
Several teams, including the Packers and Saints, were interested in Meadows. A former starter with the Indianapolis Colts, he is expected to compete with George Foster for the right tackle position.
ETC.: Broncos guard Ben Hamilton had X-rays on his right leg that were said to be negative. He walked out of the complex and was expected to be evaluated more today . . . Cornerback Darrent Williams (ankle) and receiver Nate Jackson (ankle) did not participate in the team's afternoon special-teams practice, but neither injury was expected to be serious . . . Dallas signed kicker Tyler Fredrickson. Fredrickson had been released by the Broncos just before the start of camp.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_4884811,00.html