Well, the other shoe was a doozy. Champ Bailey gets $18 million in guarantees and $27 million in the first three years and replaces Ty Law as the highest paid cornerback in the NFL. Bailey is the cornerback that the Broncos have been looking for ever since Louis Wright retired. But with the salary cap just over $80 million, this contract scares me.

The Rocky Mountain News reports that Bailey’s cap number this year is only $1.5 million. And the Broncos had better win the championship - with $27 million in the first three years, Bailey’s cap number in years two and three must be huge. Success under the salary cap is all about roster management. It’s telling that the Patriots are trying to renegotiate the Ty Law’s contract. It’s just too much money in one player.