Most fans and members of the media who follow and cover the Denver Broncos on a daily basis were surprised at the announcement that the team had signed free agent All-Pro guard Evan Mathis to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million, with the chance to earn up to $4 million total after incentives.
The deal was a surprise to some because the team signed Mathis, apparently sight unseen. Mathis had been rumored to be in serious talks with Kansas City and visited Seattle on Saturday, but Denver was never on the radar, other than in wishful thinking sports columns and discussions on sports talk radio.
To others, though, the deal was a surprise because of the possible financial implications of the deal. Mathis was released by the Eagles earlier this year after being unable to trade him through more than a year of contract tensions. Mathis was slated to make $5.5 million in Philadelphia this year and $6 million next year before being released. As a result, it was believed Mathis was going to command north of both of those numbers on any deal he signed this year.
Before knowing the numbers behind the deal, some members of the media and fans were already expressing their shock. And others had to set them straight.
James Merilatt, heard every Wednesday with Gil Whiteley on Mile High Sports AM 1340 from 11a-12p, says that the narrative from some of the beat writers around town about the Broncos salary cap is just plain wrong, and that it only takes simple addition and subtraction to figure out what’s really going on.
@TroyRenck – Why do people keep saying they have cap issues? In what way?
— James Merilatt (@jamesmerilatt) August 25, 2015
Heading into today, the Broncos had $8.417 in cap space. But some people continued to insist they had "cap issues." #Groupthink
— James Merilatt (@jamesmerilatt) August 25, 2015
Merilatt, who has been openly critical about some of John Elway’s moves (especially in the draft), was quick to praise the GM for his “phenomenal job of keeping the Broncos out of ‘dead cap’ situations,” something other members of the media don’t seem to understand or don’t care to research.
Merliatt addressed this, and a bevy of Broncos personnel issues, on his weekly appearance with Whitley…
Listen to Gil Whiteley every weekday from 11a-1p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or Listen Live any time online for the best local coverage of what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.
