Athletes love voicing their mouths when it comes to money. They are already getting paid millions of dollars, but yet they deserve more money. It may be understandable if you’ve put together a couple of outstanding seasons and were getting raped on your contract. But Denver Broncos wide receiver, Ashley Lelie, isn’t one that should be talking.

With one year remaining on his contract Ashley Lelie is considering holding out until he gets one of two things. A contract as fat as newly acquired wide receiver Javon Walker or a trade out of Denver. Neither will likely happen before the start of the season, and in the end Lelie will look like a big whining athlete. If he would have performed up to the standards the Broncos expected him to last season, than a trade for Walker would have been a no go. Instead, he dropped several passes and was out done once again by aging great wide receiver in Rod Smith.

The hints the Broncos organization has sent him should be a motivator for Lelie to get his act together. The deep threat skills he possesses are a rarity in the league, but he needs to hold onto the football. Once your main talents are found at, especially at wide receiver, they’re going to be taken away by opposing teams. That’s why Lelie had an awful last season as far as individual games. He only had one game where he reached over 100 receiving yards, and one touchdown catch. Appalling fantasy numbers from the expectancy from his previous breakout season.

Lelie has never been a receiver to catch many balls on a season, but he does rank near the top of the league in yards per catch. In order to improve on the number of catches he gets, he needs to become more than a home run receiver. He is not Randy Moss. Lelie likes to complain at being demoted to the third receiver in the Broncos system, but that’s often where the special threat receivers go. His hands and every down play have not been representable of a starting receiver.

It is good to hear that Lelie has fired his agent and is training with Javon Walker in Arizona. Maybe he will get it through his head that he has to earn a contract. Since he will be a free agent after this season, he can either wow some teams this year or be looking for another contract worthy of an average receiver.

Taking notes from stud receiver Rod Smith may also be a smart idea. Lelie is too talented to not change his attitude and reshape his game to his 2004 form.