Rams News

By Adam Schefter
Denver Post Sports Writer

March 23 - ORLANDO, Fla. - The team that won last season's Super Bowl now is trying to ensure it will have a shot to win another.

The Broncos are one of a handful of teams that have made blockbuster offers for Washington free-agent defensive tackle Sean Gilbert, Denver coach Mike Shanahan confirmed as NFL officials kicked off the annual owners meetings in Orlando on Sunday.

And, Shanahan also admitted the Broncos' initial offer apparently will not be their last offer.

"When you make an offer, you make an offer and that's usually the starting point,'' Shanahan said. "It's not that you're finished with that offer. But before you go on and make a decision, you want to know what's at stake relative to compensation, relative to the number of years on the contract, what they're looking for from a signing bonus standpoint. So there's so many factors. This is just a starting point for us.''

After hearing 11 hours of testimony from both sides last week, special master Jack Friedenthal is expected to announce today or Tuesday whether Gilbert can become an unrestricted free agent or whether Washington can leave its "franchise'' tag on him, entitling the Redskins to some form of compensation.

One Redskins source said Sunday that the three teams most interested in trading for Gilbert - should Washington win its case against the player - are the Broncos, Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs. The Redskins source said Washington already has held extensive trade talks with each of those teams. In exchange for Gilbert, the Redskins are seeking first- and third-round choices, which is what Washington surrendered to Cincinnati for defensive tackle Dan "Big Daddy'' Wilkinson.

About the trade talks, Shanahan said: "I'm not going to comment on that until we see what the ruling is. I'm not going to go through 10 scenarios. We've already made an offer (to Gilbert). It's all predicated on compensation. Now we just have to wait and see.''

Even though the Broncos have been active in pursuing Gilbert, bringing him to Denver for a visit earlier this month and holding trade talks with the Redskins, the Broncos still must be considered longshots to sign him. The undisputed favorites are the Carolina Panthers, whose off-season has been a nightmare.

Their front office already has botched up negotiations with free-agent safety Chad Cota and linebacker Andre Royal, losing both players to New Orleans. Then quarterback Kerry Collins criticized the Panthers this weekend for not showing him more of a commitment. The Panthers need a public-relations boost, and Gilbert would give it to them.

But the Broncos face other obstacles besides the Panthers' desperation. Teams such as Carolina, Kansas City and Jacksonville all have higher first-round draft picks than the Broncos, which would make them more desirable dealing partners to Washington. The Panthers own the 14th overall choice, the Jaguars own the ninth and 25th overall picks, the Chiefs the 27th and the Broncos the 30th.

Then there is the matter of need. No one needs defensive linemen any more than the Panthers, Chiefs or Jaguars. The Panthers' No. 1 off-season need is defensive line help. The Panthers' only returning defensive linemen are Mike Fox, Les Miller and Shawn King. All are marginal players at best. Gilbert would be moved from defensive tackle to right defensive end in the Panthers' 3-4 defensive front.

The Chiefs still are searching for a defensive tackle to replace Keith Traylor, who left after last season for Denver, and Joe Phillips, who was cut after this season. The Jaguars still are reeling from allowing Denver to run for 310 yards in an AFC divisional playoff game at Mile High Stadium in December. Meanwhile, the Broncos defensive tackles include Traylor, Maa Tanuvasa and last year's first-round pick, Trevor Pryce.

The final issue in question is money. Gilbert will be seeking a deal in excess of $6 million per season - slightly less than what defensive tackle John Randle got from Minnesota ($6.5 million per-year average) and slightly more than what Warren Sapp got from Tampa Bay ($6.05 million per year). The Panthers are believed to be willing to spend whatever it takes. The question is, are the un il,6p7,24p2 derdog Broncos?

"I'm sure what the agent's going to do, just like I would do if I were an agent, is he'll take a look at the five or six teams interested, talk to each team and tell them where the next team's at and try to get it up as high as possible,'' Shanahan said. "Until we know the ruling (today or Tuesday), it's a little presumptuous. We're interested in the guy, we've made an offer for him. But it all depends on what the salary structure is going to be and what the compensation's going to be.''

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