Broncos Sign Dale Carter
The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos landed one of the top free agents in the Class of 1999 at the expense of AFC West rival Kansas City.
The Broncos have agreed with four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Dale Carter on a six-year contract worth $34.8 million, making him the second highest paid defensive back in the NFL. According to Carter's agent, Mitch Frankel, Carter will receive a signing bonus of $7.8 million.
The signing will likely not be announced by the Broncos until next week, giving the team more time to clear room under the salary cap.
The Broncos took the first step Wednesday when they released eight-time Pro Bowl safety Steve Atwater, who was scheduled to make $3.3 million in 1999.
"Due to the club's salary cap constraints and in fairness to Steve, the club has released him from his contract," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "Suggesting that Steve's contract be reduced was not a consideration."
Carter's average annual salary of $5.8 million ranks Carter behind only Dallas' Deion Sanders, who will enter the final year of a five-year, $35 million deal in 1999. Carter earned $3.867 million last season.
Carter and safety Carnell Lake were considered by a majority of NFL executives to be the most coveted defensive players available in the free agent market. Lake, also a four-time Pro Bowler, left Pittsburgh to sign a four-year, $18 million deal with Jacksonville last Friday.
Carter, 29, becomes the third player to defect from the Chiefs and join the Broncos since 1997. Two years ago, defensive end Neil Smith and defensive tackle Keith Traylor signed free agent deals with Denver after the Chiefs failed to make offers. Both were starters on Denver's back-to-back championship teams.
Carter played the first seven years of his career with the Chiefs and was named to four straight Pro Bowls from 1994 to 1997. This past season, he was hampered by a forearm injury and missed five of Kansas City's last eight games. In 11 games, Carter had 54 tackles and two interceptions.
The loss of Carter is a major blow for the Chiefs, who endured a disappointing 7-9 season in 1998 and were beaten twice by the Broncos.
The addition of Carter signals the end of cornerback Darrien Gordon's successful two-year run in Denver.
Gordon, 28, was a starter at right cornerback on Denver's back-to-back championship teams and doubled as a punt returner.
When Gordon first signed as a free agent with the Broncos in 1997, the team promised it would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent after two seasons. Following a solid postseason in whch he had a pair of interceptions in both the AFC championship and the Super Bowl, Gordon was left unprotected in the expansion draft and then released from his contract.
Ironically, the Chiefs could be one of the teams in the running for Gordon, who was a first round pick of San Diego in 1993 and played four years with the Chargers before signing with the Broncos.
A first-round pick out of Tennessee in 1992, Carter started in 88 of 104 regular season games for the Chiefs and has 21 career interceptions. He took over as the team's starting left cornerback midway through the 1993 season.
Carter moved to the starting right corner spot in 1994 and earned his first Pro Bowl bid. The following season, he switched back to left corner and was named as a Pro Bowl starter three straight seasons.
Carter is one of two active players, along with Sanders, to score touchdowns on a punt return, an interception return and as a wide receiver. He drew comparisons to Sanders in 1996 after making cameo appearances on offense in eight games, catching six passes for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Despite handling just two punts over the last four seasons, Carter still ranks as one of the top return men in Chiefs history. In his career, Carter returned 83 punts for 787 yards and two touchdowns.
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