Stokley: Cravens ‘put to rest’ early concerns about Broncos trade

When rumblings of trade talks between the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins regarding safety Su’a Cravens first surfaced, Brandon Stokley had his doubts.

At the time, in late-February, the “Stokley and Zach” co-host called giving up a sixth- or seventh-round pick too much of a “gamble,” while also calling into question Cravens’ love for football.

“I don’t know where his heart is at,” Stokley said at the time. “A lot of his teammates questioned that last year. And, I think it’s safe to say a lot of his teammates thought he quit on them last year.”

Cravens, who spoke to the Denver media for the first time as a member of the Broncos on Monday, said he “most certainly” thought he was done with football when he reportedly told some within the Redskins organization he wished to retire — before being talked out of it.

What he didn’t know then was that he was suffering from a concussion, and when looking back at that time he feels like he was almost a “stranger.”

“It was just crazy that I didn’t realize that I was in a predicament that I was completely unaware of. So yeah, there was a point that where I was like, you know, I’m done with football,” Cravens said. “But that love for it, that need to compete, that need to be on the field and just want to be with your brothers, that never went away.”

To those who doubted him, Cravens said he’s “not a quitter,” that he’s “not a guy who lacks love for the game.”

“When it came to last year, it wasn’t really about what I wanted. It was about what I needed to do,” Cravens said. “The fact that I have the chance to play football and give it my all, that will never be taken for granted.”

And that reassurance, Stokley said, “answered a lot of questions.”

“Listening to him talk today, he’s a different person,” Stokley said. “But his love for football never changed, which, to me, says the Broncos might have gotten a steal …”

Stokley’s co-host, Zach Bye, echoed the statements, lauding general manager John Elway for the deal should it work out.

“For as critical as we’ve been about John Elway in the NFL Draft, and it’s been warranted, if he hits on this one, it’ll be a big-time feather in his cap,” Bye said.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.