John Elway never feared an expiring clock as a player. He did his best work with the seconds ticking away. The Broncos' general manager attempted to conjure up the old magic Tuesday, making a bold but unsuccessful attempt to acquire Cleveland all-pro left offensive tackle Joe Thomas.
In the end, the deal fizzled over the amount of compensation Cleveland wanted, not because of the 2 p.m. deadline or money. The Broncos were poised to restructure contracts, meaning the salary cap would not have been an issue in taking on Thomas' remaining $4.15 million this season, according to an NFL source.