Lelie's holdout getting expensive

The fines for missing camp have more than doubled

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. » If receiver Ashley Lelie wants to stay away from Denver Broncos training camp -- players report tomorrow for their first mandatory meeting -- he will have to commit far more of his wallet to do it.

That's because the price of his passion over his role in the offense just went up.

Lelie's agent, Denver-based Peter Schaffer, said neither he nor Lelie "have made any decision" as to whether Lelie will arrive in Denver later this week, but the cost for the former UH wide receiver to stay away has more than doubled in recent days.

As part of the continued process of finalizing the league's new collective bargaining agreement, officials from the league and the NFL Players' Association quietly agreed to a new schedule of fines this past week.

In exchange, according to several personnel executives, for lower fines for things such as being overweight or missing curfew, the NFLPA agreed to stiffer penalties for players under contract who are unexcused for missed days during training camp.

Previously, the maximum daily fine for missing a mandatory training camp day was $6,000.

That now is $14,000 a day, though several general managers said Monday they had not officially been notified of the change but were proceeding under the new guidelines.

That said, it means if Lelie stays away for the days the Broncos practice or play before their Aug. 19 preseason game against Tennessee at Invesco Field at Mile High, it would cost him $294,000.

That total balloons to more than $600,000 if he stays away for the entire preseason. The Broncos are expected to immediately send Lelie a letter notifying him he is being fined if he does not report tomorrow.

They also are expected to try to recover some of Lelie's original signing bonus if he stays away into the regular season.