"Used to be, nickel back was for kids.

A rookie breaking in, a free agent on the cheap, a longtime starter trying to hang on. Whatever the pool, they were the third-best cornerback on an NFL team.

John Elway, Jake Plummer? and Jay Cutler were Broncos quarterbacks. Broncos nickel backs have been veterans such as Nate Jones, Ty Law and Dre Bly?, kids such as Joshua Bell, Karl Paymah? and Domonique Foxworth.

The Broncos' nickel back in 2011? The one and only Champ.

It's not what you think. Champ Bailey remains unquestionably the Broncos' best cornerback. At an annual average salary of $10.75 million, he is the highest-paid player on the team and third-highest defensive back in the league (behind the younger Nnamdi Asomugha and Darrelle Revis).

This is not a demotion. It is a change in philosophy.

"I'm tired of losing," Bailey said, "so I'm willing to try anything.""