Peyton Manning - Pro Football Rumors

Combine Pressers: Steelers, Bucs, Broncos, 49ers

February 18th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

48 head coaches or general managers are scheduled to speak today, tomorrow, and Friday at the NFL’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, with the Eagles, Saints, and Patriots the only teams not represented on this year’s schedule. Those mini-pressers are already underway, so let’s round up a few of the notable comments made by the men who have spoken to the media so far. All links go to the Twitter accounts of various NFL reporters in attendance….

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert:

Contract talks between Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers are “progressing,” according to Colbert. With Big Ben heading into the final year of his current deal, the two sides are expected to work out a new agreement at some point during the offseason, and the GM is very confident it can be done within a traditional cap structure.
Despite the fact that LeGarrette Blount ultimately played a major role for the Super Bowl champion Patriots, Colbert said today that he and his club have no regrets about parting ways with the running back during the season.
While Colbert said he’d love to bring back free-agent-to-be Jason Worilds, he didn’t convey a ton of confidence that something will get done, telling reporters, “Maybe he comes back, maybe he moves on.” Per Colbert, the outside linebacker may need to test the open market to gauge his value.

Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith:

Calling Josh McCown a “lifelong friend,” Smith said he thought it was in both the team’s and the quarterback’s interests to part ways earlier this month.
The Buccaneers’ new coaches like Mike Glennon, so the plan right now is to move forward with Glennon at quarterback — he’s the only signal-caller on the roster at the moment, but Smith thinks he has the potential to be a solid NFL starter.
While Glennon may be atop the Tampa Bay depth chart by default for now, Smith also addressed the idea of selecting a quarterback with the first overall pick in April. According to the head coach, the Bucs aren’t put off by Jameis Winston‘s off-field issues, and would be comfortable with the idea of making him the face of their franchise. The vetting process for both Winston and Marcus Mariota is ongoing, and Smith says the team has already “talked to a lot of people” about both prospects.
Asked about Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs, two potential free agents whom used to play for Smith in Chicago, the head coach said he’s not sure how much interest they’ll generate, but he believes they can still be positive contributors.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak:

Although Kubiak said he has received no assurances that Peyton Manning will be back with the Broncos, all indications are pointing toward him returning. The new Denver head coach talked about adjusting his offense to suit Manning’s skills, which strongly suggest he expects to be coaching the future Hall-of-Famer.
According to Kubiak, he had a “good conversation” with Wes Welker, who says he’s feeling good and wants to play in 2015. Of course, the receiver doesn’t have a contract yet, so there’s no guarantee he’ll continue playing for the Broncos. Denver would “love to have him back” though, says Kubiak.
Kubiak expects the transition from a 4-3 defense under Jack Del Rio to a 3-4 scheme under Wade Phillips to go fairly smoothly.

49ers GM Trent Baalke:

Baalke intends to meet with veteran defensive end Justin Smith after the combine to determine whether or not Smith wants to return for a 15th NFL season in 2015.
Asked about wide receiver prospects at the combine and in the draft, Baalke said, “It’s no mystery, we’re looking for guys who can run.”
Baalke declined to comment on Jim Harbaugh‘s recent suggestion that the former head coach’s departure from the 49ers was the team’s decision and not his own. “He’s moved on and we’ve moved on,” the GM said.
According to the Niners GM, the team’s head coaching job was offered to “one person and one person only” (Jim Tomsula), meaning the club never officially offered the position to Adam Gase. Baalke did confirm that the Niners made an effort to retain defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, but that was dependent on who became the head coach.

AFC West Notes: Houston, Chiefs, Manning

February 17th, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Zachary Links

San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer responded to the letter from Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani’s with a strongly worded one of his own, Stefanie Loh of U-T San Diego writes.

“His divisive tone and criticism of this group of volunteers, civic leaders and the City of San Diego as a whole are not conducive to developing a plan for a new stadium. I hope his behavior is not indicative of our ability to find a solution,” Faulconer said of Fabiani.

If the two sides truly want to get a new stadium done for the Bolts in San Diego, Faulconer and Fabiani will have to kiss and make up at some point. Here’s more from the AFC West..

The franchise tag continues to look like the most likely scenario for Justin Houston and the Chiefs, and according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link), if Houston does get tagged, he may not sign the one-year tender right away. Assuming Houston gets the non-exclusive franchise tag, he could still negotiate with other suitors, though any team interested in signing him would have to be willing to part with two first-round draft picks in that scenario, making it a tough sell.
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak laid any speculation to rest today when he said that he wants Peyton Manning to be his starting quarterback in 2015. “I’m expecting him to come back,” Kubiak said, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. “We want to play with him. This organization has won a lot of games with him and we want to get back and do it again. Expecting him to come back.” Manning hasn’t said that he’s definitely coming back, but Kubiak seems to think it’s a foregone conclusion.
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com explained why Manning will have leverage if the Broncos ask him to take a pay cut. In short, Denver doesn’t have the upper hand because remaining a Super Bowl contender largely hinges on whether Peyton Manning is the quarterback. If Manning doesn’t play in Denver next season, it could be reminiscent of Brian Griese taking over in 1999 after John Elway retired.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

West Rumors: 49ers, Manning, Gore, Chargers

February 16th, 2015 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

Over the weekend, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reported that the 49ers may have hired Adam Gase as their head coach last month, had he agreed to make Jim Tomsula his defensive coordinator. Today, Albert Breer of the NFL Network follows up on that story, reporting (via Twitter) that Gase wanted to keep Vic Fangio as his DC in San Francisco, or to hire Vance Joseph from the Bengals for the job. As it turned out, Fangio left the Niners for the Bears and Joseph remained in Cincinnati, but it’s not clear if either coach’s situation would’ve been different had Gase landed San Francisco’s HC job.

Let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFC and AFC West divisions….

Peyton Manning reportedly told John Elway and the Broncos last week that he’s preparing to play in 2015, and Peter King of TheMMQB.com writes today that the team “definitely” wants its quarterback to return, recognizing that its best chance for a deep playoff run comes with Manning at the helm. King adds that Denver may “quietly rattle some sabers” about reducing Manning’s 2015 salary and/or cap hit, but the MMQB.com scribe cautions that moving too much dead money to 2016 or beyond might be risky, since ’15 could very well be Manning’s last season.
As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, veteran running back Frank Gore publicly expressed some doubt this weekend on Instagram about how invested 49ers management is in him. However, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that there’s “nothing negative” between Gore and the team, and that GM Trent Baalke has made it clear he wants to bring back the longtime Niner.
Three players in the West – Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald, and Chiefs edge defender Tamba Hali – lead off Joel Corry’s list of candidates to take pay cuts this year. Here’s the full story from Corry at the National Football Post.
The San Diego committee tasked with coming up with a plan for a new NFL stadium for the city will meet today with Mark Fabiani, the Chargers‘ point man on stadium issues, according to Tony Perry of the Los Angeles Times. With Stan Kroenke preparing to move forward with a new stadium in Inglewood, there’s a little more urgency in San Diego than there has been in past years to get something done.

West Notes: Manning, Knighton, Tomsula

February 15th, 2015 at 10:16pm CST by Rob DiRe

Peyton Manning faded down the stretch in 2014, and many may have forgotten that he threw for over 4.700 yards and 39 touchdowns, leading a 12-4 Broncos team to a first round bye. Granted, I won’t argue that he was spectacular at season’s end, but he certainly represents the team’s best chance of success in 2015. Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post writes that while Manning needs to come back, he also needs to take a pay cut. Even carving $5MM off of his cap number would give the team the flexibility to invest in the offensive line, which could be worth more to Manning than the money at this point.

Here are some other notes from our two West divisions:

Demaryius Thomas would like to come to an agreement with the Broncos on a long-term contract, but it is more likely that he has the franchise tag placed on him, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
The Raiders are bereft of talent, but new coach Jack Del Rio could look to bring an important piece to the middle of the defense, as the team is expected to pursue defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, according to CSNBayArea.com. Del Rio drafted Knighton when he was with the Jaguars, and the pair traveled to Denver together when Del Rio received the defensive coordinator job with the Broncos.
The 49ers were reportedly close to hiring former Broncos offensive coordinator and current Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase. However, Gase turned down the job after he was told he would have to promote defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to defensive coordinator, according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. Gase turned down the offer, and Tomsula was hired shortly after.
49ers running back Frank Gore is looking for a commitment from the team as free agency looms, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Barrows writes that while Gore is committed to returning, he is unsure of his future with the team with Carlos Hyde emerging as a playmaking running back.
Inglewood mayor James T. Butts is confident that football will return to Los Angeles, writes Josh Peter of USA Today. “Let me put it to you this way, buddy: It’s going down,” says Butts. “This is a happening thing. As far as everybody being all in, everybody’s all in.”

Peyton Manning Ready To Return?

February 13th, 2015 at 5:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Denver Broncos may finally be able to devote their attention to their throng of priority free agents soon, because their five-time MVP and “non-free agent” appears ready to officially include them in his plans for a fourth season. Peyton Manning told Broncos officials he is ready to play at a “significant level” in 2015, sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Manning’s quadriceps injury that plagued him down the stretch of last season is fully healed, Mortensen reports.

Debated for weeks, Manning’s decision on whether or not to return for Year 18 and, as of right now, an NFL-high $19MM salary set for this season to go along with a $21.5MM cap figure — by far the highest on the Broncos — will likely coincide with his team’s ability to determine which of its free agents to focus on retaining.

A free agent group that includes Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton and more than a third of the Broncos’ starting lineup, however, simply won’t be as effective without Manning, who’s fired 131 touchdown passes in his three years guiding their explosive offense. Mortensen also notes a key item that Pro Football Rumors also discussed earlier today: Manning could be receptive to a contract restructure, which would obviously go a long way in attempting to convince Julius Thomas and Knighton to remain Broncos with Demaryius Thomas almost certain to be franchise-tagged. The Broncos currently possess just more than $26MM in salary cap room, according to OverTheCap.com. Manning earned $18MM in 2012 and $15MM in each of the past two seasons.

Contingent with the the five-year contract he signed in 2012, Manning will still need to pass a physical sometime between Feb. 23 and March 5, according to the Denver Post, to make this re-agreement of sorts stick and guarantee his as-of-now $19MM this year.

The 39-year-old quarterback threw 39 touchdown passes last year, but his production took a nosedive in the season’s second half. But free of injuries, Manning opened the year throwing 22 touchdown passes to just three interceptions in last season’s first seven games. That recent level of play plus tonight’s reported proclamation essentially keeps the Broncos’ short-term Super Bowl window open despite their ugly loss to the Colts in the AFC divisional playoffs last month.

West Notes: 49ers, Manning, Cards, Lynch

February 13th, 2015 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

49ers defensive end Justin Smith has yet to make a decision about whether or not he’ll return to the team for next season or end his playing career, and his decision could have a significant impact on another Niners defender, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Maiocco observes that Aldon Smith, who is entering a contract year, often lines up on the same side of the field as the elder Smith, and benefits from the defensive end tying up pass blockers. If Justin Smith retires this offseason, it could have an effect on Aldon Smith’s earning potential as he enters a key year, says Maiocco.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two West divisions:

A league source tells NFL reporter Ross Tucker (Twitter link) that he thinks Peyton Manning may be in talks with the Broncos to restructure his contract in order to create cap room for the coming year. Reworking Manning’s deal could potentially create up to about $9MM in cap savings, which would give the club much more flexibility to re-sign key free agents like Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, and Terrance Knighton.
Appearing on the Doug and Wolf show on Arizona Sports 98.7FM, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim confirmed that discussions are ongoing with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and that he’d like to have resolution on the issue in time for free agency (link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). According to Keim, the club is currently about $16MM over the cap — incidentally, the veteran wideout is owed an $8MM base salary and an $8MM roster bonus for 2015.
Keim also touched on a few other topics during his radio appearance, including cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who is eligible for free agency. The GM had nothing but praise for Cromartie’s efforts in 2014, and said the Cardinals would “love” to bring him back.
Former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson, who is a close friend of Marshawn Lynch, would bet that the running back returns to Seattle for the 2015 season, but he admits that he doesn’t know that for sure, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “I don’t think Marshawn knows yet,” Robinson said on 710 ESPN in Seattle. “I don’t know what a timeline is, guys. I would guess that Marshawn doesn’t even really know what a timeline is. Probably going to be a feel thing and we’ll just see like everybody else.”

AFC Notes: Steelers, Manning, Forsett

February 12th, 2015 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if time is running out for third-string Steelers quarterback Landry Jones. Jones has been inactive for every game since being drafted in 2013 and hasn’t advanced enough to beat out veteran Bruce Gradkowski as Roethlisberger’s backup. Meanwhile, GM Kevin Colbert isn’t sure Jones ever will. “Has he progressed to the point where he beat out Bruce as the No. 2? No,” Colbert said. “Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. I think when you have young guys, at least they have that chance to grow.” More from the AFC..

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning met with GM John Elway at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters Thursday afternoon, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Broncos president Joe Ellis boarded owner Pat Bowlen’s plane Thursday morning and flew to New Orleans to pick up Manning, who had been spending time in his hometown. Still, the soon-to-be 39-year-old is not ready to announce whether he’ll play in 2015.
Free agent running back Justin Forsett told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link) that he definitely wants to be back with the Ravens, but he’s also looking for a significant commitment. Forsett, 29, had a breakout year in 2014, rushing for 1,266 yards.
In his chat on Thursday afternoon with local reporters, new Raiders coach Jack Del Rio was non-committal when discussing Maurice Jones-Drew, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Del Rio obviously goes way back with MJD, but Del Rio sounded skeptical when discussing the veteran’s explosiveness, or lack thereof.
It’ll be interesting to see how Del Rio and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie‘s approaches mesh and what they agree and disagree on, Jerry McDonald of Bay Area Newspaper Group tweets. Del Rio is known for having a strong personality so it’s not a given that he can click with just anyone.

AFC West Notes: Manning, Coleman, Raiders

February 10th, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Our latest look at the AFC West touches on three of the four teams in the division. Let’s dive in….

While Peyton Manning seems set to eventually announce his intent to return to the Broncos for the 2015 season, the team will need to make a decision of its own on the veteran quarterback. As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) explains, Denver could fail Manning on his physical and opt not to bring him back, reducing his cap hit by $16.5MM. Still, despite Manning’s huge cap hit and his potential injury risk, I’d be pretty shocked if the Broncos decided to go in another direction if the future Hall-of-Famer wants to return, and Cole concedes as much — however, he adds that he’d be surprised if Manning plays more than one final year in Denver.
Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star profiles free-agent-to-be Kurt Coleman, who is coming off a bounce-back season. Although he only played about 36% of the Chiefs‘ defensive snaps, Coleman was productive when he saw the field, ranking 26th out of 87 qualified safeties, per Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). According to Paylor, Coleman is expected to seek an annual salary in the $1.5-2MM range, and will favor opportunities where has a chance to compete for a starting job.
According to new Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, the topic of possible relocation surfaced when he met with owner Mark Davis during the interview process, and Davis assured him that he wants to keep the franchise in Oakland. “Those discussions absolutely came up and my question was ‘Are we going to stay in Oakland?’ and he said ‘My intent is to keep the team there,'” Del Rio said on the Jim Rome Show. “Look, I’m from this area, and that’s exactly what I wanted to hear. He’s trying to keep the team here and hopefully that will happen.”
New Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips confirmed that he’ll be bringing the 3-4 defense to Denver for the 2015 season, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.

Extra Points: Bradford, Mariota, Manning

February 9th, 2015 at 10:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears from executives that some quarterback-needy teams in position to potentially have a shot at drafting Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston would actually prefer to roll the dice on former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford, if the Rams decide to release him. Of course, that may end up being a moot point, since St. Louis has expressed interest in bringing back Bradford, assuming he’s willing to restructure his contract. More from around the NFL..

Within that same video, Cole suggests that Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee is likely to hit the open market next month, since the club views him as a complementary player rather than a core piece, and will want to use its available cap room elsewhere.
Peyton Manning is back home in New Orleans and training with the intent to play the 2015 NFL season, a source close to the quarterback told Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. Manning wants to talk with Broncos executive vice president and general manager John Elway before announcing his intentions for the 2015 season and hopes to chat with him in the next couple of days. Manning, 39 in March, is the NFL’s oldest starting quarterback.
Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun says the Ravens should pick a top cornerback in the draft. The top four cornerbacks right now appear to be Michigan State’s Trae Waynes, Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson, Washington’s Marcus Peters, and LSU’s Jason Collins.
While it appears that the previously reported changes to the Packers‘ coaching staff will indeed happen, the team has yet to formally finalize those moves, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
The Dolphins may not be in talks yet with quarterback Ryan Tannehill on a long-term contract extension, but one could certainly be in the cards. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explored what a deal for the signal-caller might look like.
The Raiders announced that they have hired Rod Woodson as an assistant defensive backs coach, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That means that defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson is the lone holdover from the 2014 staff.

Sunday Roundup: Broncos, Hudson, Bradford

February 8th, 2015 at 12:36pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at some links from around the league on this slow news day:

Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post believes that, even if Peyton Manning returns in 2015, the Broncos should still find ways to get meaningful snaps for Brock Osweiler.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post provides a complete offseason breakdown for the Broncos, which includes the team’s contingency plans should Manning retire (of course, his retirement would create an additional $19MM of cap room that would allow Denver to surround Osweiler with talent). Klis says the Broncos’ top priority will be finding a right tackle, and he therefore puts Bryan Bulaga at the top of the team’s shopping list.
Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star fleshes out his tweet from a few days ago with a deeper look into the decision the Chiefs will have to make regarding free agent center Rodney Hudson. Paylor also confirms that the Chiefs are expected to use the franchise tag on Justin Houston.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Rams are in pretty good financial shape. Even though the team’s cap number currently sits just shy of $143MM, with the projected league salary cap to be somewhere between $140MM and $150MM, Thomas notes that St. Louis has plenty of options to reduce their cap number, including a restructure of Sam Bradford‘s contract or even an outright release of the former No. 1 overall pick.
Tommy Lawlor of PhiladelphiaEagles.com offers his offseason blueprint for the Eagles, noting that even if the team hands out a big-money deal to Jeremy Maclin, it should still have enough room to shop for a couple of starters in free agency.
Free agent cornerback Ike Taylor said that if there is any one person he would follow, it would be Dick LeBeau (Twitter link to SiriusXM NFl Radio). As our Zach Links wrote several days ago, Taylor is one of a number of long-time Steelers who could finish their playing days in a Titans uniform under LeBeau’s tutelage.
Summarizing reports from various sources, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk confirms that free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham is unlikely to remain with the Bengals.