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April 16th, 2007

Release Al Wilson? You Gotta Be Kidding Me!!!

The Broncos released Al Wilson relatively unceremoniously, ending his nine-year tenure in Denver as the team’s starting middle linebacker. This is one of the worst decisions ever made by Mike Shanahan and the team’s front office. Al Wilson is a god in this town. He plays hard every down and is the leader in the locker room.

The move was apparently made to save cap room, more specifically, to save $1.63 million of cap room. $1.63 million, you gotta be kidding me! If we were so concerned about saving cap room, then why did up we just sign perennially disappointing back-up QB Patrick Ramsey for $2.5 million a year?

I am so angry about this move that I can barely think. I understand that this is a business and NFL players come and go, but this move is just plain stupidity. The Broncos either released Wilson because they didn’t want to pay him, or because he is too injured to continue to play in this league. Either way, this move is at minimum completely void of class or intelligence and at most it is whole-heartedly immoral.

If Al Wilson is too injured to play, then let him retire as with the Broncos. All that means is that they will have to continue to pay for his health insurance policy, but doesn’t he deserve that for all that he has done for this team and this town? And hell, the team would save even more cap room if they let him retire because they won’t have any penalties for releasing him.

If they released him for monetary reasons, then this move is just plain stupidity. Find me another middle linebacker entering the prime of his career (Wilson is only 29) for the $1.63 million dollars that the team will save next year.

I am a true believer in the divinity of Mike Shanahan, but this is a HUGE mistake. I hope that most Broncos fans will agree with me, because I am sure that the “Mastermind” will after Al Wilson knocks Travis Henry out of the game when the Broncos play the Raiders next year, ‘cause that’s probably where’s he’s headed.aHHa