When the Denver Broncos induct Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning into the franchise’s Ring of Fame, during halftime of their October 31 matchup with the Washington Football Team, it’ll likely conjure happy flashbacks for Broncos Country.
Fans of the Football Team may have differing flashbacks, though, since they once helped another member of the Broncos’ 2019 Ring of Fame class find greater pastures at their expense.
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The Champ was Here
The Broncos and their October 31 opponent share a long, winding road that is tied to a shocking transaction, that, to this day, is still rather unheard of.
Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey was an up-and-comer in the cornerback ranks when Washington traded one of its defensive cornerstones to the Broncos. Bailey, who was inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame, nearly two years ago to the day, on October 13, 2019, was sent to the Mile High City for Denver’s star running back Clinton Portis. The Broncos also received a second-round draft pick in the deal.
It was such a shocking deal in 2004, but there were publications that didn’t see that transaction as lopsided as it now appears, because Portis was coming off back-to-back 1,500-yard rushing seasons — in his first two NFL seasons. Bailey, meanwhile, was also making a name for himself, as he was an annual post-season visitor to Hawaii, earning Pro Bowl nods in four out of his first five NFL seasons. But in early 2004, Bailey was heading into the final year of his contract and seeking a significant raise. Instead, Washington franchise-tagged Bailey, and soon found a taker for the electric cornerback.
Portis was on his way to a significant career as a Bronco, as he was already one of the league’s best rushers. But according to the Denver Gazette’s Woody Paige, trouble was on the horizon between running back and then-Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. Paige noted that during a game with divisional rival Kansas City Chiefs, on December 7, 2003, Portis drew the ire of his coach when he strapped on a boxing-type heavyweight championship belt on the sideline.
Supporters of Portis likely couldn’t have blamed the running back for displaying such pride and flare, as he had just tallied 218 rushing yards, and tied the NFL single-game record with five rushing touchdowns, in a 45-27 blowout win.
Paige noted that Shanahan told then-Denver Post reporter Adam Schefter, now of ESPN, that Portis was on the trading block. Not too long after the 2003-04 season ended, Shanahan pulled the trigger and moved his star running back to Washington just before both players participated in that season’s Pro Bowl.
The Bell Tolls
That second-round pick that Shanahan managed to wrangle from Washington was later used on running back Tatum Bell, in the 2004 NFL draft.
Bell, a star out of Oklahoma State, was a freak of nature — and even donned Portis’s former No. 26 jersey upon arrival — but never reached Portis’s lofty levels in Denver. During his NFL Combine, the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Bell was clocked at 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash, pushed up 25 reps of 225 pounds, and also had a 39.5 inch vertical jump.
The 41st pick in that draft, Bell had immediate success with the Broncos, as he led all AFC rookie running backs in rushing yards with 396 yards. The following season, Bell platooned with veteran Mike Anderson, but still managed 921 rushing yards to Anderson’s 1,014 yards. Bell also averaged 5.3 yards per carry, while totaling eight rushing touchdowns. The 2006 campaign was Bell’s best — and only 1,000-yard — rushing season, as he notched 1,025.
Ironically, Shanahan ended his coaching career in Washington (2010-13), and was recently immortalized in Broncos’ lore when he was inducted in the team’s Ring of Fame during halftime of the October 17 matchup with the hated Las Vegas Raiders. Bailey was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019, the same year he was honored with the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. Bell now coaches high school football in Texas. And Portis, meanwhile, recently pleaded guilty to his role in a health care fraud scheme.
Looking back at the trade now, it’s obvious which team won that transaction. But in 2004, the tale of the tape was a lot closer. Either way, Broncos Country is thrilled to have done business with the team from Washington.
Follow Tony Williams on Twitter: @TBone8
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Broncos and Washington Football Team Forever Have Ties That Bind