ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting via league sources that the Denver Broncos have traded two-time All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady (and a seventh round draft pick) to the New York Jets for a fifth round draft pick in this year’s draft.
Denver has agreed to trade four-time Pro-Bowl OT Ryan Clady and a 7th-round pick to the Jets for a 5th-round pick, league sources told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 9, 2016
As Schefter noted, the trade came on the heels of the announcement that D’Brickashaw Ferguson was calling it a career after 10 years, all with the Jets.
And so on the same day D’Brickashaw Ferguson, announced his retirement, the Jets already have found his replacement in Ryan Clady.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 9, 2016
New York will be trading the pinnacle of reliability for a player who has struggled to stay on the field through the prime years of his NFL career.
Ferguson did not miss a start for the Jets during his entire career, an astounding stat considering the wear and tear offensive linemen suffer in a single season, let alone over a decade of NFL service.
Clady, meanwhile, missed the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL – his second season in three years in which he missed more than 15 percent of the year. A lisfranc injury ended his 2013 campaign just two games into the season.
In the first five years in the league, Clady was on the same path as Ferguson, not missing a single start. But he did suffer a knee injury in April 2010 playing a pickup basketball game.
Denver now frees itself $8.9 million in badly-needed salary cap space.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Clady has already agreed to a new deal with the Jets, reworking a salary that would have paid him $19.5 million over the next two years.
Ryan Clady's new deal with #Jets: 1-year deal for $6M base value with $3M guaranteed. Clady has 1 option year for $10M escalating to $13M
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 10, 2016
Clady had previously said he’d be willing to rework his contract to stay in Denver, but after the Broncos signed Russell Okung to an extremely team-friendly contract it was clear they would have to either cut or trade Clady. It’s the best-possible outcome for the Broncos, who now have the money they need to acquire another veteran quarterback to compete with Mark Sanchez (or replace a variety of departed players on the defense).