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INDIANAPOLIS -- I have landed in Indianapolis for the NFL combine and I wanted to further address the Champ Bailey signing after discussing his contract extension with Denver and some other folks around the league.

Bailey signed a four-year deal that ESPN’s John Clayton has reported will pay him a guaranteed $22 million and could pay him between $43 million and 47 million over the course of the four years. But it is clear the deal will be reevaluated after the first two years. Bailey -- who is still considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL -- will turn 33 in June.

There is some surprise from around the league that Bailey didn’t wait until he could see what he could get on the open market. Many people say it is a direct indication of Bailey’s loyalty to Denver and his preference to stay where he is comfortable rather than seeing what a contending team would offer.

Denver, which is going in a new direction for the second time in two years, is not close to being a legitimate contender. It was 4-12 last season and it is rebuilding. Still, Bailey decided to stay in Denver before free agency even started.

A few years ago, when I was working on a story on whether or not Bailey would be a Pro Football Hall of Fame selection, he told me his key to Canton would be to win a Super Bowl ring. He thinks that is the best way of getting into the Hall of Fame. Bailey has to know Denver is not close to being a Super Bowl team, so staying in Denver must mean that much to him.

There is a chance Bailey will end his career elsewhere. I could see him and the Broncos parting ways after the 2012 season under some circumstances. But the point is, Bailey will always be remembered as a Bronco. He is entering his eighth season in Denver after the blockbuster 2004 trade with the Washington Redskins that sent Bailey and a second-round pick (running back Tatum Bell) to Denver for running back Clinton Portis. Portis has had a nice career with the Redskins, but Bailey is a premier player.

He has long been Denver’s best player and he is the face of the franchise. Bailey is truly one of the better players in team history. He will definitely go into the team’s Ring of Fame along with the likes of Hall of Famers John Elway, Floyd Little, Gary Zimmerman and Shannon Sharpe.

By signing this deal, Bailey has cemented his legacy in Denver. He could have jumped ship in search of a quick-fix championship. Instead, he has committed to finishing what he started in Denver seven years ago.

Shannon Sharpe is going to Canton two years too late.

Kudos to the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters who ended Sharpe's surprising wait on his third year of eligibility. Sharpe will truly be a deserving member of the Hall of Fame.

I remember being shocked two years ago when Sharpe didn’t get elected on his first try. I had the same feeling last year when Sharpe was blocked from Canton. This year, the voters got it right.

Sharpe was a truly special player. He made the Denver Broncos unique. He made the team’s offense in the 1990s special. He changed the way the tight end was viewed in the NFL. Drafted out of tiny Savannah State in 1990 as a raw, lanky receiver, Sharpe transformed into an elite tight end and paved the way for the likes of Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates.

Sharpe was a great receiver at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds. He made linebackers and safeties look silly in coverage. He was a pumped-up receiver at tight end. It’s ironic that it was his ability as a receiver that kept Sharpe out of the Hall of Fame for two years. Sharpe was considered by many voters as a receiver and there has been a log jam (former Raiders’ receiver Tim Brown was not elected Saturday for the second straight season because of the glut at the position) of worthy receivers waiting to get in.

But Sharpe was more than simply a receiver. Former Denver quarterback John Elway said Sharpe was an underrated blocker and he was a key part of the team’s famed zone-blocking scheme that helped pave the way to Super Bowl titles after the 1997 and ’98 seasons.

What made Sharpe special was his ability to stretch the field as a big receiver. He had terrific hands and he was incredibly strong, so he was a nightmare for defenses to prepare against. Before Gonzalez broke his records, Sharpe widely considered to be the NFL’s best-ever tight end. Elway said this week that he still thinks Sharpe was the best tight end to play the game.

Sharpe’s election continues a nice Hall of Fame run for Denver. Elway was the team’s first Hall of Fame enshrinee in 2004. Left tackle Gary Zimmerman was elected in 2008 and running back Floyd Little was elected last year.

Now, Sharpe joins his former teammates Elway and Zimmerman where they all belong.

Before John Elway became the unofficial governor of Colorado, there was Floyd Little.

He was the face of the Denver Broncos long before Elway developed his rocket arm. Now Little joins his Denver successor in Canton, Ohio.

In what was likely his final chance to be immortalized, the former Broncos running back was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a senior committee nominee after a 30-year wait. Had he not been elected Saturday, there was no guarantee Little would ever be considered for enshrinement again. He joins Elway and tackle Gary Zimmerman as Denver players in the Hall of Fame.

While the team’s excitement was tempered by the failed candidacy of tight end Shannon Sharpe, the franchise was still ecstatic about Little’s induction.

Getting Little into the Hall of Fame was a mission for the franchise. Little thanked several members of the organization Saturday for their continual pursuit to get him enshrined.

“Floyd has made immeasurable contributions to this franchise and the NFL, and he deservedly will take his place among the greatest to play this game in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Denver owner Pat Bowlen said in a statement released by the team.

The bow-legged Little carried the franchise on his back. By far the best player on some bad teams, Little, who played from 1967-75, never made it to the playoffs.

He ranked seventh in the NFL in all-time rushing with 6,323 yards when he retired and trailed only O.J. Simpson in rushing yards in that period. Little was a star for a franchise that didn’t truly find its way until several years after he retired and was the first face of the Broncos.

Saturday, he was finally rewarded for it.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson

The Denver Broncos have released their all-time 50th Anniversary team that was chosen by fan voting. The team will be recognized Oct. 11 against New England.

It looks to me that the fans got this line right. There are some superstars on this team. Here’s the list:

First-team Offense

QB John Elway

RB Terrell Davis

RB Floyd Little

WR Ed McCaffrey

WR Rod Smith

TE Shannon Sharpe

OT Matt Lepsis

OT Gary Zimmerman

G Keith Bishop

G Mark Schlereth

C Tom Nalen

First-team Defense

DE Simon Fletcher

DE Rich Jackson

DT Trevor Pryce

DT Rubin Carter

LB Karl Mecklenburg

LB Randy Gradishar

LB Tom Jackson

CB Champ Bailey

CB Louis Wright

S Steve Atwater

S Dennis Smith

First-team Specialists

K Jason Elam

P Tom Rouen

Ret Rick Upchurch

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

Denver

Broncos' owner Pat Bowlen calls Shannon Sharpe's omission from the Hall of Fame a "slap in the face."

My take: I was surprised that Sharpe didn't get elected in his first try. He was a game changer amongst tight ends and he won three Super Bowls. Bowlen's reaction is no surprise. It has long bothered him that the Broncos are not well represented in the Hall of Fame. Only two Denver players, John Elway (2004) and Gary Zimmerman (2008), have been elected into the Hall of Fame.

Kansas City

Will Leslie Frazier decline a chance to interview for the Chiefs' head coaching job?

My take: There have been reports that some minority candidates have declined chances to interview for the job because it is expected that Arizona offensive coordinator Todd Haley is a slam dunk for the job. The problem for the Chiefs is they have to interview at least one minority candidate because of the Rooney Rule.

Oakland

Another Tom Cable to-be-hired soon story.

My take: By all accounts, Oakland will end the charade and officially name Cable the head coach this week. Interestingly, this story points out that Raiders' owner Al Davis wanted to wait to hire his coach in an attempt to improve the assistant coaching staff because he wasn't happy with the staffs of the last two Oakland coaches. Of course, Cable was part of Lane Kiffin's staff so I'm not sure what this all means.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

Saturday, Kansas City outside linebacker Derrick Thomas became the ninth person who spent the majority of his career in the AFC West to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this decade.

Here is a look at those who preceded him this decade:

Howie Long, defensive line, Oakland Raiders (2000)

Comment: Many people around the league thought he was overrated but Long played an important role in the Raiders' history.

Dave Casper, tight end, Oakland Raiders (2002)

Comment: "The Ghost" was one of the great tight ends of his era and one of the Raiders' legends of the 1970s.

Marcus Allen, running back, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs (2003)

Comment: A falling out with owner Al Davis ended Allen's time as a Raider. He finished his career with the hated Chiefs, which still angers many Raiders' fans.

Hank Stram, coach, Kansas City Chiefs (2003)

Comment: He'll always be remembered for roaming the sidelines in Kansas City.

John Elway, quarterback, Denver Broncos (2004)

Comment: The Broncos' first taste of the Hall of Fame came with much style.

John Madden, coach, Oakland Raiders (2006)

Comment: Many thought that Madden's election was long overdue.

Fred Dean, defensive lineman, San Diego Chargers (2008)

Comment: He won a Super Bowl with San Francisco, but Dean was a star with the Chargers early in his career.

Gary Zimmerman, tackle, Denver Broncos (2008)

Comment: Zimmerman spent the first half of his career with the Vikings but he considers himself only as a Bronco. Denver owner Pat Bowlen was his presenter at the induction ceremony.

	Scott Boehm/Getty Images
	Gaining admittance into the NFL Hall of Fame would be even sweeter for ex-Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe (right) if former Chiefs adversary Derrick Thomas (left) was voted in as well.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

There are many reasons why Shannon Sharpe wants to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in his first time on the ballot.

One of those reasons is Derrick Thomas.

Sharpe and Thomas had several memorable battles in the 1990s as AFC West enemies with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. As a tight end, Sharpe worked against Thomas, an outside linebacker, several times. In a famous "Monday Night Football" clash, Sharpe goaded Thomas into losing his cool, resulting in the superstar pass rusher being suspended for a game after three personal fouls. Sharpe was fined for his actions in the game.

More than 10 years after the most famous battle the two had against each other, Sharpe couldn't think of a more fitting player to go into the Canton, Ohio museum with than his former adversary. Thomas died in 2000 at the age of 33 after complications from injuries sustained in an auto accident.

"All of the years I've ever played in the NFL, I don't think I faced a better, tougher, more dominating outside linebacker than Derrick Thomas," Sharpe said this week. "It would be an honor to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with him."

Saturday, Sharpe and Thomas' family will find out if the two AFC West legends will become NFL immortals. The two are among 17 finalists for induction. The voting results will be announced Saturday.

"Yes, I hope we both get in," Sharpe said. "It would be very important for my family to see me get in and I'm sure it would be very important to Derrick's family as well. This would be a nice final honor for such a great player who meant so much to the Chiefs."

The Hall of Fame voting can be very unpredictable. Even though Sharpe is remembered as one of the best receiving tight ends ever to play in the NFL and as a game-changing player, he might not be a certain first-time selection. Some voters might lump Sharpe in with other receivers and he could be subject to a logjam. Cris Carter and Andre Reed might get the majority of the votes going to receivers.

Even though many believe Sharpe, who won two Super Bowls with Denver and another while with Baltimore, should be a no-questions-asked first-ballot inductee, he is not sizing himself for the yellow Hall Of Fame jacket quite yet. Last year, he saw Carter not get in on his first chance.  Sharpe winced every time his friend and Denver teammate Gary Zimmerman got overlooked. Zimmerman, who retired after the 1997 season, finally was elected last year despite being known as one of the premier left tackles of his era.

"I hope the voters look at my numbers and they can look at it as a tight end or as a receiver, whatever they like, and I want them to look at the teams I played on and the way I played," Sharpe said. "All I know is I put everything I could into my career and I can't put anymore into it. All I can do is what I've done. Hopefully, it is enough."

Thomas has been a finalist before and with Harry Carson and Fred Dean getting in recently, many think Thomas' time could be now.

Thomas certainly has Hall Of Fame worthy numbers.

He was a nine-time Pro Bowl player and a member of the NFL's 1990s All-Decade team. He had an NFL record seven sacks in a game and a league-standard 45 career forced fumbles. He also registered 126.5 career sacks.

Thomas was arguably the most feared pass rusher of the 1990s.

"Derrick was a player that could dominate a game," said Denver Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway in a quote provided from the Chiefs' public relations staff.

"His explosive talents were so great that he could dictate to an offense pass and run blocking schemes as well as the plays that were called. He was such an impact player that you always had to know where he was on the field. His career statistics more than speak to his exceptional career as not only as a pass rusher but also as an overall defensive player."

Added Buffalo Hall Of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly (also provided by the Chiefs): ""Throughout my professional career I played against many Hall of Famers. Derrick Thomas definitely fits that mold. His quickness, his intensity and his love for the game was matched by only a few players. We actually game planned for No. 58. I needed to know where he was lined up at all times, as did my offensive line. Not many teams would actually game plan around one player, but the Buffalo Bills certainly did every time we faced him."

Sharpe was also a player opposing teams game planned for. Saturday, Sharpe hopes his and Thomas' impact on the game will be recognized.

"The best thing about the Hall Of Fame is you can't be voted out of it," Sharpe said. "You are not a reigning Hall Of Famer like you are a reigning Super Bowl champion. You are a Hall Of Famer for forever .... That would be pretty special."

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

Halftime thoughts from a defensive slugfest. The game is tied 6-6:

• The Denver defense looks the best it has since opening day in Oakland.

• The Broncos still have to find a way to run the ball better.

• One thing Jay Cutler needs to improve upon is he sometimes throws the ball too high occasionally. That was a problem a young Brett Favre dealt with.

• Denver is showing a better pass rush than most weeks this year. The Broncos have sacked Brian Griese three times.

• Denver running back Andre Hall was penalized twice for a total of 25 yards in a span of four plays. He was saved by a 40-yard Matt Prater field goal.

• The team honored left tackle Gary Zimmerman at halftime. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.

	Jason Miller/US Presswire
	Kansas City Chiefs former cornerback Emmitt Thomas with his bust and portrait during his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Fawcett Stadium.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

CANTON, Ohio -- Saturday obviously was a celebrated day for the Washington Redskins, but there were several highlights from today's other 2008 Hall of Fame inductees.

Here were the notables:

• Former New England Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett was introduced by team owner Robert Kraft, who explained how Tippett impacted the franchise.

"We had two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in our division in Jim Kelly and Dan Marino, and he completely changed the passing attack of those two teams," Kraft said. "Once [Tippett] joined the joined the team, the New England Patriots improved dramatically."

• Former defensive end Fred Dean promised early in his speech that he wouldn't cry Saturday. He held true to his declaration for a special reason.

"Because I know there's a wager waged somewhere [that I would]," Dean said.

• Five-time Pro Bowler Emmitt Thomas mentioned his rough upbringing and his ability to persevere to lead him to this day.

"Growing up, I was resentful and angry at other families around us because they seemed fully intact," Thomas said. "I'd often lay awake at night wondering why our family had to be different.

"But I came to the stark realization that the good Lord wanted us to be reared and raised under the guiding hands of my grandfathered, who in his own right was a giant of a man."

• Newly inducted Hall of Fame tackle Gary Zimmerman addressed how he used smarts and technique to overcome a bad left shoulder injury that could have otherwise cut short his 12-year career.
• As a final goodbye, a group of Washington Redskins fans sang "Hail to the Redskins" in the corner of the end zone in Fawcett Stadium as Darrell Green was doing interviews with the NFL Network.