Lammey: Charles remarks result of season-long Broncos ‘identity crisis’
Dec 27, 2017, 12:00 AM | Updated: 1:05 pm
Jamaal Charles’ remarks to the Denver Post, wherein he says he “might as well” be released because he “ain’t playing” are indicative of the Denver Broncos lack of identity throughout the 2017 season, Fan Football Insider Cecil Lammey said on Tuesday.
Charles, who joined the Broncos this offseason after being released by the Kansas City Chiefs, said there’s “no reason” for him to “just sit around and look at people play.”
And to Lammey, the “good guy thing to do” would be to release Charles if Denver won’t use him.
“… Let him get picked up by a team like the Steelers, like the Patriots, that would be making that playoff push,” Lammey said.
But Charles’ situation serves as just one example of the “identity crisis that has played this Broncos team all year,” Lammey said.
“On a weekly basis, they go from being a run-heavy team and winning to trying to fill the air with footballs and losing,” Lammey said. “So, you have to first have that identity and then have a plan.”
It’s a question, Lammey said, that could be asked regarding a variety of different players on the Broncos roster.
“What was the plan for Isaiah McKenzie? What was the plan for Paxton Lynch? I think Jamaal Charles fits in that category, and it makes you shrug your shoulders like, ‘I don’t know what the plan was,’” Lammey said. “Because the plan should have been to use him, especially if he’s active.”
A release, however, doesn’t appear to be in Charles’ future, as head coach Vance Joseph reiterated on Tuesday.
“That has not been a thought for us. Has not been,” Joseph said.
Charles signed an incentive-laden one-year contract with Denver during the offseason worth a reported $2.5 million.
According to Spotrac.com, Charles earns a base salary of $900,000 with roster and workout bonuses totaling nearly $600,000 combined.
In addition, the twice All-Pro could earn bonuses on a variety of benchmarks in terms of playoff appearances and yards from scrimmage, though it’s unlikely he’ll hit any of the milestones.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.
