KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Denver Broncos have certainly made mistakes in a 1-4 start.
And over the last seven days, they've admitted they certainly made expensive mistakes.
Last week they told outside linebacker Randy Gregory, who had signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the team in March 2022, he would be released if the team could not trade him.
They then traded Gregory to the San Francisco 49ers, with the concession they would pay most of Gregory's salary for the remainder of the season -- just over $10 million. That means Gregory still has the fourth-highest base salary for the season without being on the roster.
Thursday, just hours before the Broncos would lose for the 16th consecutive time to the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium on "Thursday Night Football," ESPN's Field Yates reported outside linebacker Frank Clark's days with the Broncos were "numbered.'' On Friday, the Broncos released him. Clark has two tackles and zero sacks and has missed three games this season with a hip injury.
Clark, who signed a one-year deal with several voidable years tacked on for accounting in the offseason that guaranteed him $5.45 million, had agreed to a restructured deal that would negate $1.68 million of that guaranteed money.
Sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN in August that team officials, including coach Sean Payton, were concerned about Clark's performance in training camp and discussed his status when the roster was cut to 53 players.
Clark, 30, did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday with what the Broncos listed as an "illness'' on the injury report and designated him as "out'' for Thursday night's game.
Asked after Tuesday's practice what Clark has brought to the team, Payton said: "He's a physical player with experience. He's played in a lot of big spots. He's played a lot of big games and had production. Those are the first things that I can think of.''
Payton said the team made the decision to part with Gregory because it "was just best for our team right now timing-wise'' and "we just felt like these other guys were playing better. It happens in this league, shoot we want the best players possible.''
That's a long way, from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's summertime declaration of hope Clark and Gregory could "be elite pass-rushers for us.''
Six games into the season, it already it has played out in ways Payton or controlling owner/CEO Greg Penner could not have expected.
Payton said publicly this summer that he would be "pissed'' if the Broncos weren't a playoff team.
Whether the two home losses to open the season, the 10-touchdown avalanche by the Dolphins or an embarrassing loss to the Jets and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, the Broncos hope for a quick turnaround should really be boxed up with the team's striped socks.
A signing like Gregory's last year -- he has never played a full season or finished with more than six sacks in a year due to injuries or suspensions -- was made with the idea quarterback Russell Wilson's acquisition would go so well that the Broncos could take a chance on a gifted player. Signing Clark was done to provide veteran leadership and performance after Baron Browning had knee surgery just before minicamp in June, guaranteed money given to get him so they could compete now.
The Broncos wrote the checks, didn't get the sacks and don't have either player.
And if they make some additional trades before the deadline, there's every chance they'll have to pay some of the salary freight like they are on Gregory's deal. A team that has dealt its premium draft picks and is starting only one of its own first-round picks on defense -- Pat Surtain II -- will likely incur more dead money to move on.
None of this bodes well for a defense already ranked last statistically in all major categories, including yards allowed (2,642), points allowed per game (33.3) and yards allowed per game (440.3).