As of this writing Peyton Manning hasn’t made it official with his press conference yet, but the Denver Broncos put out the word over the weekend that the future Hall of Fame quarterback is retiring. Suddenly the Broncos have just one quarterback on the roster and it’s Trevor Siemian. Siemian has taken all of one single snap in his single NFL real and it was a rush for minus-one yards. So the Broncos have some work to do.
Peyton Manning, Quarterback
2015: 59.8 completion percentage, 2,249 yards, nine touchdowns, 17 interceptions
Career: 65.3 completion percentage, 71,940 yaards, 539 touchdowns, 251 interceptions
As seasons go, 2015 was definitely Manning’s worst statistically. The fact that he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy over his head at the end of that same season should show the real, tangible value of statistics. Manning has always had the stats. He finally, literally, traded them all in for a title.
Manning, of course, played in four Super Bowls and won two, one with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the Broncos. Manning is the only quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl title with two different teams and will likely be the only one for quite some time.
So how do you replace a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the 10 best players to ever play his position in the history of the sport? On the surface, it seems kind of tough.
Brock Osweiler may indeed resign with Denver. But that, at this time, is far from a certainty. Other QB-needy teams will make this tough.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2016
The obvious replacement is Brock Osweiler. The fifth-year man out of Arizona State played in eight games in 2016 and started seven, though he got knocked out (or replaced) by Manning in that seventh start against San Diego on Jan. 3. In his other six games Osweiler went 4-2 and had some huge wins over the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals that helped the Broncos stay in the playoffs and even lock up home field advantage.
In his eight games Osweiler completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,967 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. The problem with getting Osweiler back is that the Broncos won’t be his only suitors. The 25-year-old quarterback is a free agent and, as of today (March 7) can even start negotiating with other teams. The Houston Texans have made no secret of their desire to add Osweiler to their roster when the “legal tampering period” began this morning.
https://twitter.com/CharlesRobinson/status/706870729694846977
The Broncos have already put a 3-year, $45 million contract on the table for Osweiler, so, at worst, he already has that in his pocket. Now he can see what the Texans, the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams might be willing to put up for his services. Jeff Fisher is probably sweating bullets already. I think the Broncos and Osweiler will eventually put together a final deal both sides can live with. There’s no question that it’s the best situation for a guy that would be starting his eighth NFL game come September, so he’d probably be wise to keep that in mind.
So we have Osweiler as the starter and Siemian as the back up. Who would the Broncos add? Cody Kessler and Vernon Adams Jr. would work for me. Neither guy has the “NFL size,” but as I discussed in my quarterback rankings, both are pinpoint passers and playmakers. Adams especially would be a nice backup in Denver. It will give him plenty of time to learn the NFL position under Kubiak and, if he has to play, he has the skills to frustrate a defense.
Everything changes, of course, if Osweiler decides to leave. Siemian is not going to start the season as the No. 1 quarterback so Denver will likely hit the free agent market and draft a quarterback at the bottom of the first round. Connor Cook or Dak Prescott will likely both be there at No. 31 and either guy makes a lot of sense for the Broncos. As I said in my QB rankings, I think Prescott, Cook and Paxton Lynch are the only day-one starters in this quarterback class.
Free agency is a different story. If the Rams cut Nick Foles, he looks like an obvious signing for the Broncos. Robert Griffin III makes a lot of sense for Denver too and the Washington Redskins officially sent him packing today. He won’t cost anything to sign, has a ton of physical talent and if Elway and Kubiak can get inside his head and fix his brain, Griffin could not only resurrect his career, he could take the Broncos to another Super Bowl.
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