It's one thing to coerce a player currently on the roster to take a pay cut, particularly in the NFL where contracts aren't guaranteed anyway. It's another to try and coerce a player who isn't even on the roster to take a significant pay cut from a guaranteed contract to come to Denver and compete for the starting job. The Clady situation is another example. He is due $10 million this year, is coming off of multiple injuries, yet Denver is trying to trade him. The fact that they just signed Okung for essentially half that amount as a free agent (ie, no compensation involved) should speak to Clady's trade value, but Elway can be quite stubborn.How so? With limited cap space and a player he feels can be his starter, this all seems like Elway is trying to ensure the team has a starter not named Mark Sanchez. If Elway is able to get Kaep to restructure, everyone wins.
If all GM's do this every year, how is Elway entitled?
Perhaps a more appropriate term would be that Elway "overvalues" his franchise and the way it is perceived around the league. Clearly Denver is a winning franchise and well structured in many ways, but just because they took advantage of the Okung situation (no agent) doesn't mean a player like Kap should take $5 million less to come, or that another team should give up value for an overpaid, injured player.