The Jets and Broncos have announced the deal that has sent tackle Ryan Clady from Denver to New York, making Clady the replacement for retired left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. The Broncos received a fifth-round pick and included a seventh-round selection to close the deal.
“Ryan was a great Bronco who made a tremendous impact on our team during his eight seasons in Denver,” Broncos G.M. John Elway said in a team-issued release. “In addition to becoming a Pro Bowl player, he was such a positive presence in our locker room and community. Our organization thanks Ryan for his many contributions and wishes him all the best in the next chapter of his NFL career.”
Clady became expendable in Denver because two of his most three recent chapters consisted of largely blank pages. A foot injury suffered in September 2013 on the same field he’ll now play his home games wiped out the rest of the season, and a knee injury sustained during offseason workouts last year wiped out all of 2015.
Coincidentally, the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl without Clady in 2013, and they won it without him in 2015.
The first-round pick in 2008 made it to the Pro Bowl in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014. In 2013, he signed a five-year, $52.5 million contract while restricted by the franchise tag. He re-worked the final two years of the deal to facilitate the trade.