The Denver Broncos free agent offensive tackle Russell Okung to a five-year deal, the team announced Thursday. The deal is expected to be worth up to $53 million, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Broncos agree to terms on 5-year, $53 million deal with LT Russell Okung
The former Seahawks offensive lineman is headed to Denver.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Initially, there were reported guarantees in the deal, but after new contract details were revealed it became clear the contract is incredibly team friendly for the Broncos, containing no guaranteed money and multiple outs for the team.
Okung, 28, was a first-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2010, and has been a starter ever since. A strong tackle who can play on either the left or right side, Okung would never have hit the open market in the first place if not for a significant injury history.
In six seasons in the league, Okung has never played a full 16-game season. He has started all 72 games he’s played in, but he missed three games this past season and two games the year before that. In 2013, he played in just half of the regular season games after sustaining a season-ending injury.
The closest he’s come to a full season was when he missed just one game in 2012. Still, 24 missed games since 2010 is a huge red flag and that’s why Okung was allowed to make it to free agency.
Okung decided to act as his own agent, and started off free agency with a blunder when he emailed all 32 teams before the negotiation period began. In the end, a $53 million deal is a huge payday for a player with his injury history.
The Super Bowl champions have already lost two offensive linemen, Ryan Harris and Evan Mathis, in free agency. They are now reportedly in talks to trade left tackle Ryan Clady, according to Rapoport. Clady was set to make $9.5 million over the 2016 season, but the Broncos have been working to restructure his contract. Reports suggested that the Broncos wanted to reduce Clady's cap figure to under $5 million. The decision to sign Okung signals the end of Clady's time in Denver.
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