Ashley Lelie, the disgruntled wide receiver currently of the Denver Broncos, may be getting closer to his wish of a new NFL destination.
A report from ESPN.com Insider has Lelie being swapped with former first round draft pick DT Michael Haynes of the Chicago Bears.
The Daily Herald (IL) reported on Wednesday that Haynes was not on the Bears’ training camp premise on Tuesday night. However, Chicago GM Jerry Angelo said that was due to Haynes receiving treatment, not because of the trade rumors.
This would be an interesting swap if it did go through and is certainly one that could potentially benefit both teams. Lelie hasn’t showed up to any of the Denver Broncos offseason minicamps, training camps or even stop by for a cup of coffee.
He wants nothing to do with the team and has been stirring up trade talks from as far back as the Broncos’ loss to the Steelers in the AFC title game last season.
The Bears desperately need a receiver to compliment Muhsin Mohammad in their offense and Lelie would provide QB Rex Grossman with a nice down field target. Lelie hasn’t been a touchdown machine, but his 18.3 YPC average would certainly help the Bears in the vertical passing game.
On the flip side of the equation, the Broncos are in desperate need of someone who can rush the passer. Haynes has fallen out of favor in the Chicago organization due to lack of productivity, but could prosper in a Broncos system that has re-birthed former Browns’ miscasts Gerard Warren, Courtney Brown and Ebenezer Ekuban.
The Broncos are solid against the run, but often used complicated blitz packages in order to get pressure on the opposing teams quarterback last year. Haynes could potentially give Denver a better rush with its front four if acquired.
