Once regarded as a potentially dominant interior force and a player who was supposed to emerge as a star in the league, Denver Broncos defensive tackle Gerard Warren is about to be discarded for the second time in three seasons.
The Broncos are attempting to trade Warren, with a goal of relocating him within the next few days, and the six-year veteran did not accompany the team to San Francisco for Monday night's preseason game with the 49ers. Denver is said to be seeking just a low-round draft choice for Warren, and if the Broncos cannot find a trade partner, they might release him.
Sources close to Warren, whom the Cleveland Browns selected with the third overall pick in the 2001 draft, said the veteran tackle has been apprised by high-ranking Denver officials of the trade efforts.
Warren, 29, was acquired by Denver from Cleveland in a 2005 trade. In two seasons with the Broncos, the former University of Florida standout started in 31 of a possible 32 games and registered 93 tackles and 5½ sacks. That included 51 tackles and 2½ sacks in 2006, when Warren appeared in 15 games, all as a starter.
But while Warren was still listed Monday as the starter at right tackle on the unofficial depth chart, his playing style no longer dovetails with the Denver defense and that, in part, has made him expendable. New coordinator Jim Bates prefers two-gap tackles, interior players who are anchors more than penetrators, and Warren has always been a one-gap defender, a guy who likes to get upfield.
To suit Bates' design, the Broncos have dramatically revamped their tackle corps, adding four players in the offseason. Denver signed classic two-gap tackle Sam Adams and Alvin McKinley as unrestricted free agents and added Jimmy Kennedy in a trade with the
St. Louis Rams. In addition, the Broncos chose Marcus Thomas in the fourth round of the 2007 draft.
League sources said the Broncos have spent the past two days phoning teams in an attempt to gauge interest. Among the clubs to whom the Broncos have spoken are Washington, Miami and New Orleans. Although Indianapolis is in need of a tackle, given the season-ending knee injury sustained last week by starter Anthony McFarland, the Colts have not demonstrated interest yet in acquiring Warren.
Any team seeking Warren would almost certainly want to rework his existing contract. This spring, Warren accepted a dramatic reduction in his base salary for 2007, to the veteran minimum of $595,000, to remain with the Broncos. But his current contract includes base salaries of $4 million for 2008, $4.63 million for 2009 and $4.68 million for 2010, and those numbers might be considered steep even by teams in need of tackle help.
In stints with the Browns (2001-04) and Broncos (2005-06), Warren has appeared in 91 games and started 90 contests. He has 340 tackles, 22 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 15 pass deflections. His 22 sacks are the eighth most in the league by a tackle since he entered the NFL in 2001.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.