So, where does Al Wilson go from here?

He went to New York on Friday.

His immediate, and long- term, destination is murkier.

Concerns about the condition of Wilson's neck after a physical given by the Giants have put a kibosh on any potential deal for the Broncos' five-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker, perhaps for good.

But Wilson's agent, Peter Schaffer, maintained the Giants remain in the running for his new client.

And he would neither confirm nor deny that Wilson flunked his physical.

"I just got off the phone with the Giants," he said Friday night. "There's still a lot of scenarios going on - with the Giants and many other teams."

The Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions are also believed to have expressed interest in Wilson, who led the Broncos in tackles last season.

Schaffer was incredulous at reports that the trade for Wilson, which (New York) Newsday reported would net Denver a middle-round pick, was on the cusp of happening.

"I kept telling everybody it wasn't imminent," he said. "There's a lot of stuff going on. . . . I'm working on a lot of different things right now and continuing to talk to teams."

Even if the Giants did fail Wilson on his examination doesn't mean another team wouldn't pass him. Different clubs have different thresholds for what's acceptable based on medical findings.

Wilson, 29, has had issues with his neck dating to the 2003 season when, despite tests revealing no structural damage, the linebacker talked about an "unbearable" ache and not feeling comfortable going out on the field and making full contact with his head. He stressed that ailment wasn't to be confused with stingers, which he also has had.

But Wilson was also deemed healthy enough to merit a $11.5 million signing bonus from the Broncos a few months later as he approached free agency.

And the middle linebacker went on to post triple-digit tackle figures in two of the next three seasons.

But in November, Wilson encountered another problem with his neck after accidentally colliding with teammate Gerard Warren late in a game against the Seattle Seahawks. He was carted off the field on a backboard but ended up playing the subsequent week.

Wilson did miss the final game of the season with what was described as back and thumb problems.

He had his second surgery in two years on his right thumb in January but is expected to be ready for minicamps.

While Broncos officials steadfastly have refused comment all offseason, it widely has been theorized that the Broncos' motivation for making a deal is money-driven. That isn't the case in terms of the salary cap, at least, since Wilson nearly would count $6.3 million should he be traded based on his remaining prorated bonuses, which is more than his slated 2007 cap figure of $4.8 million.

It could relate to cash on hand, though, given the recent payouts to free agents such as tight end Daniel Graham, running back Travis Henry and others.

But there's likely a performance component, too. The Broncos were unhappy with the way Denver's defense wore down in the second half of the season, and the linebackers' play was a major part of that slippage. Additionally, the Broncos have been seeking ways to get D.J. Williams on the field more, and moving Wilson would open a spot in the nickel defense, which Denver frequently employs.

That's not to say Wilson lacks value. He's a tough competitor, huge locker room presence and still has top-notch speed at his position.

The question is how he'll react to being aggressively shopped, then returning if no deal is consummated.

"Players get shopped all the time. Trevor (Pryce) got shopped and he came back," Schaffer said, referring to another of his clients and a decadelong Broncos player. "There are no absolutes."

Pryce's saga during the 2005 offseason ended with him accepting a restructured deal to return to Denver that saved the team more than $3 million in salary-cap room.

So far, Wilson's contract hasn't been revisited by Denver and Schaffer.

"He'll either play for the Broncos or someone else," the agent said. "Nothing's changed there."

rasizerl@RockyMountainNews.com

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