Peyton Manning

Latest On Broncos

March 4th, 2016 at 8:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos have made an offer likely worth upward of $12.27MM per season to pending free agent quarterback Brock Osweiler, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post. There’s no word on the length of the proposed contract, but the annual value would place Osweiler slightly above Nick Foles‘ $12.25MM per year. Foles, who signed a two-year, $24.5MM extension with the Rams last summer, is just 21st among quarterbacks in average salary.

Denver has until Monday to negotiate exclusively with Osweiler. If no deal is reached by then, the 25-year-old will be able to pursue offers from other teams as part of the NFL’s legal tampering period. Osweiler could then sign a contract with another club when free agency opens Wednesday.

The Broncos understandably have balked at paying a high price for Osweiler, who hasn’t garnered much playing time since they took him in the second round of the 2012 draft. The 6-foot-8, 240-pounder appeared in a career-high eight games and made his first seven starts last season, but he wasn’t particularly impressive. Osweiler’s numbers – 61 percent completion rate, 7.15 yards per attempt, 10 TDs, six picks – were unremarkable, and he didn’t take the field during the playoffs after a knee injury knocked him out of action in Week 17. Peyton Manning, whose foot injury originally opened the door for Osweiler in November, took the reins back and served as a game manager in all three of the Broncos’ postseason wins, including their 24-10 Super Bowl triumph over Carolina.

As for Manning, he remains undecided about his future. The soon-to-be 40-year-old is a lock to end up in another uniform if he elects to keep playing, as the Broncos have moved on from him, per Renck. The Broncos will make that official when they release the future Hall of Famer sometime before Tuesday. When that happens, the club will free up $19MM of spending space. In addition, the Broncos are considering restructuring the expensive deals of linebacker DeMarcus Ware, offensive tackle Ryan Clady and guard Louis Vasquez, Renck writes. As of now, that trio is set to occupy nearly $29MM in cap next season.

If the Broncos cut Manning and adjust the contracts of Ware, Clady and Vasquez, they’ll give themselves a better chance to keep priority free agents like Osweiler and stellar defensive lineman Malik Jackson. Renck reported Monday that Jackson and the Broncos were roughly $3MM per year apart on contract talks.

Guard Evan Mathis, who’s also unsigned, is contemplating retirement, according to Renck. The Broncos signed the two-time Pro Bowler last summer after the Eagles released him, and he ultimately started in 12 of 16 regular-season appearances. Mathis, 34, earned rave reviews for his performance from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which ranked him third out of 81 qualifying guards.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Broncos’ Quarterbacks

March 3rd, 2016 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brock Osweiler‘s received a substantial offer from the Broncos, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Previously stating they’d wait to negotiate with arguably the top free agent quarterback left on the market, the Broncos’ talks with the 2012 second-round pick have heated up in recent days, with Peyton Manning still undecided on whether or not he wants to continue playing.

However, Osweiler and the Broncos remain far apart on terms, according to the Denver Post’s Troy Renck (via Twitter). Renck adds that the team wants the fifth-year quarterback to return to Denver.

Although terms of Denver’s offer to Osweiler aren’t known, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears (video link) the Broncos aren’t willing to hit the $16MM-per-year benchmark that’s become the floor for veteran quarterbacks. Twenty such signal-callers average that per year, with the majority of the starters that don’t being on their rookie contracts.

Per Cole, the Broncos aren’t planning to commit that kind of money annually to Osweiler at this point, even if it’s on a short-term deal like the one the Eagles gave Sam Bradford.

An unrestricted free agent, Osweiler can begin talking to other teams March 7 as part of the legal tampering period. The Broncos don’t believe, according to Cole, that there’s a monster offer awaiting Osweiler on the market and that their sales pitch of quarterbacking a defending Super Bowl champion, with a historically dominant defense as a safety net, will be enough.

Cole also points out the Broncos are high on third-stringer Trevor Siemian and view him as a starter down the road. Of course, the seventh-round pick’s thrown just one NFL pass.

Despite reports of Manning’s retirement announcement being imminent, the soon-to-be-40-year-old passer hasn’t notified the Broncos of his intentions yet. Manning has a $19MM base salary that can be converted into cap space for the Broncos if he retires, or Denver is forced to release him. That $19MM salary becomes guaranteed March 9.

Manning, though, still has a physical looming as part of the five-year contract he signed with the Broncos in 2012. Manning doesn’t have to take it by Friday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), only to notify the team he’s available for it on that date.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Peyton Manning

March 3rd, 2016 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

A weekend report from The Denver Post suggested that future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was expected to announce his retirement soon, but the Broncos and Manning’s camp quickly refuted the notion that the signal-caller had made that decision yet. Agent Tom Condon reiterated that stance during an appearance on 104.3 The Fan in Denver on Wednesday.

“To tell you the truth, I know that Peyton has not decided,” Condon said, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

Although Manning may not have announced – or made – his decision, the winning quarterback of Super Bowl 50 made a lengthy speech at a fundraising event in Florida on Wednesday, and Jeff Darlington of NFL Media suggests, during an interview on PFT Live, that Manning sounded like a player who doesn’t want to call it a career quite yet.

“He did talk in present tense when he’s talking about his career,” Darlington said, per Smith. “He sounds like a guy who still wants to play. He does not sound like a guy who is a week away from retirement.”

As Darlington and others try to read between the lines to determine Manning’s outlook, the quarterback himself is “angry” about recent reports on his retirement and on an incident with trainer Jamie Naughright that occurred at the University of Tennessee two decades ago, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Manning has yet to publicly address the re-emergence of that story, but Cole hears from a source close to the QB that Manning feels as if he’s being pushed into retirement.

If Manning does want to keep playing, or if he postpones his retirement decision beyond next Tuesday, it appears extremely likely that the Broncos will cut him before his $19MM salary for 2016 becomes guaranteed on March 9th. In that case, the former first overall pick would have the freedom to sign elsewhere now or later, though it remains to be seen how aggressively other teams would pursue him.

According to Cole, the Rams, Texans, and Jets are among the clubs that might have interest in Manning if he opts not to retire and becomes available, but Cole classifies that interest as “tepid at best.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Rams, Manning, Kaepernick

March 1st, 2016 at 8:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams placed the franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson earlier today, and general manager Les Snead was certainly enthused that the NFC’s interception leader would be staying with the organization.

“Since we drafted Trumaine in 2012, he has developed into an integral part of our defense,” Snead told Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (via Twitter). “We look forward to having him with us this season and more to come.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC’s Western divisions…

Recycling a theory he proposed in relation to the Calvin Johnson situation in Detroit, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Peyton Manning might want the Broncos to release him before he makes a retirement decision, since that would allow him greater freedom down the road in the event that he decides to continue his career.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com explains why the Rams look like the most logical trade partner for the 49ers if San Francisco decides to grant Colin Kaepernick‘s agents request to seek out a deal for their client.
Fresno State assistant – and former NFL defensive back – Ricky Manning Jr. is set to join the Seahawks as an assistant defensive backs coach, according to Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee (Twitter link).
The Rams are also making a change to their coaching staff, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, who tweets that assistant linebackers coach Joe Bowden has been moved to an assistant special teams role.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Peyton Manning To Retire?

February 29th, 2016 at 5:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

MONDAY: Manning is unlikely to make a retirement decision this week, according to James Palmer of NFL Network (Twitter link). Palmer also backs up various weekend reports that Manning will meet with Elway and head coach Gary Kubiak sometime this week.

SUNDAY, 8:16am: Mike Klis of 9News.com confirms that Manning and the Broncos will, in fact, meet next week, but according to Klis, a source close to Manning says that it’s unlikely the five-time MVP will finalize his decision on whether to retire at that time. No one expects Manning to play for the Broncos next season, of course; it is imply a matter of whether he will retire or if Denver will be forced to release him. In fact, Klis goes on to say that it’s possible a deal with Osweiler could be in hand the minute after Manning’s decision is known.

In a separate tweet, Klis says that the two sources that gave rise to the original Denver Post article reporting that Manning would acknowledge his intention to retire by the end of this week have since “disappeared from the story.”

SATURDAY, 7:50pm: Manning hasn’t informed the Broncos of his decision, and the the team expects to talk to him again this week, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

SATURDAY, 7:26pm: Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will acknowledge his intention to retire by the end of this week, sources tell Woody Paige of The Denver Post. Whether Manning retires or elects to return for his age-40 season, the Broncos are operating as if he won’t be part of their plans going forward, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.

As Marvez writes, the Broncos are planning to use the $19MM of spending space they’ll have without Manning around next season as a way to pay some of their other players. Manning’s $21.5MM cap number and $19MM salary for 2016 will become fully guaranteed if he isn’t off the Broncos’ books by March 8, so the expectation all along has been that he’ll either retire or get his release by then.

If Manning does indeed walk away, he’ll leave the NFL as a two-time Super Bowl champion, and the league’s all-time leader in total wins by a QB (200), passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539). He also holds the record for most single-season TD tosses (55, set in 2013). Additionally, the No. 1 overall pick of the 1998 draft has racked up 14 Pro Bowl bids, seven first-team All-Pro selections and five MVP awards on the heels of a stellar career at the University of Tennessee.

The 2015-16 season campaign was the least productive of Manning’s pro career from a statistical standpoint, as he appeared in 10 regular-season games and compiled his second-lowest completion percentage (59.8%) – not to mention personal worsts in touchdown passes (nine, against 17 interceptions) and QB rating (67.9). Manning was out of action for the second half of November and all of December because of a foot injury, but he relieved a banged-up Brock Osweiler in Week 17 and never relinquished the starting job. Manning worked in a game manager role during the postseason, when the Broncos’ defense dominated its way to wins over the Steelers, Patriots and Panthers en route to a Super Bowl title.

Prior to the Broncos’ playoff run, the December release of a documentary by Al-Jazeera America led to allegations of HGH use by Manning. In the documentary, ex-Guyer Institute pharmacist Charlie Sly claims the Indianapolis-based anti-aging clinic supplied Manning and his wife with HGH as he was recovering from a serious neck injury in 2011. Manning subsequently denied any wrongdoing, calling the accusations “complete garbage” and even threatening legal action.

That neck injury led to the end of Manning’s long tenure with the Colts, with whom he starred from 1998-2010. Manning was remarkably durable in that time frame, starting 16 regular-season games all 13 years and guiding the Colts to 11 playoff berths. After several years of playoff disappointment, Manning won the first Super Bowl of his career – a 29-17 triumph over the Bears – to conclude the 2006-07 season. The Colts got back to the Super Bowl one more time during Manning’s tenure, but they dropped a 31-17 decision to the Saints in February 2010.

After Manning missed the entire 2011 season, ending his streak of 227 straight starts (playoffs included), the Colts released him to pave the way for the Andrew Luck era. Manning then joined the Broncos on a five-year, $96MM deal in March 2012 and helped them to a sterling 38-10 regular-season record from 2012-14, throwing 131 touchdowns against 36 interceptions. Those three seasons ended poorly, though, as the Broncos went one-and-done in the playoffs twice and fell, 43-8, to the Seahawks in a disastrous Super Bowl XLVIII performance in between. Ironically, in Manning’s only subpar statistical season in Denver, the club finished atop the mountain, winning its third championship. The Broncos’ first two titles were won in the 1990s with current general manager John Elway at quarterback.

Along with Elway and his brother Eli Manning, who has also won a pair of championships, Peyton Manning is one of 12 QBs with multiple Super Bowl victories to his name.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: Broncos QBs, Snacks, 49ers, Hali, Mebane

February 29th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest rumors as we draw closer to free agency:

The quarterback-needy Texans are likely to go after Brock Osweiler if he doesn’t re-sign with the Broncos, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link).
If Peyton Manning – whom Osweiler has backed up since entering the NFL in 2012 – returns for his age-40 season and the Broncos release him, the Texans and Rams could pursue the future Hall of Famer, writes Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Should Manning elect against retirement, Denver is expected to cut the two-time Super Bowl champion by March 8 and save $19MM on its cap. A good portion of that money would go to linebacker Von Miller, who is looking for a deal similar to what Miami gave defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh last winter (six years, $114MM, with $60MM in guarantees), reports Marvez.
It’ll take a “major reversal” for Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison to not reach the open market, according to La Canfora (Twitter link). “Snacks” stated earlier this month that he and the Jets were making progress toward a deal, but that no longer appears to be the case. The 27-year-old was Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked interior defender against the run last season (subscription required).
Passing along what he heard at the scouting combine, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee lists several prospective free agents the 49ers are thought to be targeting. Guards Kelechi Osemele, Brandon Brooks, J.R. Sweezy, Richie Incognito and Ramon Foster; receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu; cornerbacks Sean Smith, Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins; and running back Doug Martin could all be on the club’s radar.
The Chiefs are working hard to retain linebacker Tamba Hali, whom they’ll meet with later this week, reports La Canfora (Twitter link). Hali has so far spent his entire career in Kansas City, which used a first-round pick on him in 2006. The 32-year-old has piled up 86 sacks (6.5 last season) while missing just four regular-season games in his decade-long career.
Speaking of players whose careers have been spent in one place, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane hopes to extend his nine-year tenure with the Seahawks. “I’d love to be back out there in Seattle, finish my career in Seattle,” the 2007 third-rounder told 710 ESPN. However, Mebane added that he’ll probably visit other teams. Mebane’s status is one of many issues PFR addressed in its offseason preview of the Seahawks on Sunday. Click here to read it.

QB Rumors: Manning, Flacco, Kaepernick

February 26th, 2016 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

After repeatedly expressing since the Super Bowl that there’s no timeline for Peyton Manning to make his decision on whether or not to retire, Broncos general manager John Elway admitted during an appearance on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk that he’ll need – and get – an answer before Manning’s 2016 salary becomes guaranteed on March 9th. Elway said on Thursday that the veteran quarterback still needs a little more time.

Here are a few more quarterback-related notes and rumors from around the NFL:

The Ravens are growing more confident that they’ll be able to get a reworked deal done with quarterback Joe Flacco, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Zrebiec cautions that nothing is done yet, but says the outlook is improving. Any agreement between the two sides would, of course, reduce Flacco’s $28.55MM cap hit for 2016.
Per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), the 49ers view Colin Kaepernick‘s 2016 base salary ($11.9MM) as reasonable, and continue to believe that he has plenty of upside, so the team is still debating how to handle his trade request.
With Carson Palmer set to turn 37 later this year, the Cardinals will need to identify a potential replacement for him at some point in the not-too-distant future. But as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes, that doesn’t mean the club will draft a QB this spring, since GM Steve Keim insists he doesn’t want to force a pick.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith have no problem with owner Bob McNair publicly expressing that the team needs a solution at quarterback, says Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Both men acknowledge that McNair is right, and as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle outlines, O’Brien has a lengthy checklist for what traits he looks for in QBs.
Generally speaking, teams lock up their starting quarterbacks before they reach unrestricted free agency, but there are several intriguing options set to become available this year, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who thinks 2016’s class could be the deepest and most interesting group of free agent QBs in years.

Broncos Rumors: QBs, Trevathan, Clady, RBs, Davis

February 25th, 2016 at 5:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is still undecided about whether to retire or return for his age-40 season, general manager John Elway said at the combine on Thursday (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post).

“He still needs more time, so we’re going to afford him that time,” said Elway, who met with Manning a couple nights ago, per Jhabvala.

Elway and Manning will meet again in a week or two, Lindsay Jones of USA Today tweets.

“The ball is in his court,” Elway said.

Elway also touched on some of the Super Bowl champions’ other key issues Thursday. Let’s dive in…

The Broncos will not place the franchise tag on Manning’s potential successor, Brock Osweiler, according to Elway (Twitter link Jones). They would like to lock him up to a new deal, though. “We’re really not in a hurry. Brock knows what we have to offer and we still have a great deal of interest in Brock,” Elway stated (Twitter link via Jhabvala).
Linebacker Danny Trevathan will “probably have to test the market,” Elway said (per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com). Denver doesn’t seem likely to retain Trevathan, who is in position to cash in after accruing 109 tackles, two picks and ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 10th-best linebacker last season.
Elway has spent most of his draft prep focusing on the offensive line, he said (Twitter link via Jones). He’ll also meet with offensive tackle Ryan Clady‘s agent on Friday to discuss restructuring his contract, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Clady indicated earlier this winter that he’s open to reworking his deal to stay a Bronco. Injuries have plagued the four-time Pro Bowler, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL and has sat out 30 of Denver’s last 48 regular-season games. Clady, 29, is scheduled for cap charges exceeding $10MM in each of the next two seasons.
In addition to Clady, the Broncos might also attempt to rework edge rusher DeMarcus Ware‘s contract, Legwold writes. Ware is currently set to count $11.67MM against the Broncos’ cap for his age-34 season.
Running back will be a position the Broncos look at in free agency and the draft, per Elway, who added that C.J. Anderson “had a good year.” On free agent-to-be Ronnie Hillman, Elway stated, “[W]e’ll see what happens” (Twitter links via Jhabvala).
The Broncos will allow tight end Vernon Davis, whom they acquired from the 49ers last fall, to test the free agent market, according to Elway. “But that’s not to say we don’t want him back,” he added (Twitter link via Renck).

Broncos Notes: V. Miller, M. Jackson, Manning

February 10th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Broncos general manager John Elway commended first-year Denver coach – and Elway’s former backup – Gary Kubiak for the way he handled the team’s awkward quarterback situation down the stretch, as Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post writes.

“Handing those type of situations are probably the hardest things that a head coach has to deal with, and that’s where Gary did such a tremendous job,” Elway said. “The way that he handled that process, the way that he communicated to his team — it’s a touchy situation, and it’s tough for the quarterbacks, too.

“You look at the things that Peyton [Manning] was going through, but also what Brock [Osweiler] went through. We wouldn’t have done what we did without both of those guys. They’re both to be commended, and ultimately it was Gary making that call as far as what his gut told him to do. To me, those are the things that make good coaches great, is to have that ability to make that call.”

Here’s more out of Denver:

A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the exclusive franchise tag for linebackers is currently on track to be worth $14.04MM. That number’s not set in stone, and neither is the non-exclusive figure, but early estimates have the two amounts looking pretty similar, meaning there would be no downside for the Broncos using the exclusive tag on Von Miller. That exclusive designation would allow Denver to prevent Miller from negotiating with other teams, while not necessarily costing the Broncos any extra money.
Asked during an appearance on PFT Live about the possibility of re-signing with the Broncos, Malik Jackson said, “For me, I would love to say here and just continue with my boys, continue this run with them and try to get another one with this defense. It is a business, so we’ll see what happens.“
Although most observers and fans expect Manning to retire this offseason, Broncos teammate DeMarcus Ware doesn’t think the future Hall-of-Famer necessarily has to call it a career, as NFL.com’s Kevin Patra writes. “I don’t know,” Ware said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “But I just know that him winning this game put him out on top. If he is going to do it this year, it’s certainly a great time to do it. But if he wants to play a little bit more I feel like he still has a little bit in the tank.”
If Manning does retire this offseason, he’s capable of immediately stepping into a general manager role with an NFL team, former Colts president Bill Polian said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via Dana Hunsinger Benbow of the Indianapolis Star). “He knew the strengths and weaknesses of every player on every defense in the AFC and many on offense, because he met them and got to know them at the Pro Bowl and soaked up information,” Polian said of Manning, whom he observed first-hand for more than a decade in Indianapolis. “He is a football nerd, as am I. He’s more than prepared to do that job.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Broncos Rumors: Manning, V. Miller, Talib

February 9th, 2016 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

In a press conference today, Broncos general manager John Elway insisted that there’s no timetable for Peyton Manning‘s retirement decision, and that the team intends to give him all the time he needs. However, that’s probably not exactly the case, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS.

As Klis outlines, Manning’s 2016 base salary of $19MM becomes fully guaranteed on March 9th, so the Broncos will need a decision from their quarterback sometime within the next month. Having been unwilling to pay Manning a fully guaranteed $19MM salary a year ago, when he was coming off a solid season, the Broncos certainly won’t want to lock that amount in for 2016, so if Manning still hasn’t made a decision by then, the team would likely have to cut him. Of course, it’s hard to imagine the 39-year-old taking that long to decide on his future.

Here’s more on the Super Bowl champs:

Elway said today that Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan, two key free-agents-to-be, will be priorities this offseason, adding that he plans to start talking to their representatives right away (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today). However, the GM did acknowledge that “it’s a fluid situation and our budget is only so big” (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post).
The Broncos’ top priority this offseason figures to be retaining Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, and Elways said today that “the goal is always to get a long-term deal” (Twitter link via Jhabvala). Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap goes in-depth to explore what a long-term extension for Miller might look like.
Meanwhile, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com says (via Twitter) that Denver should consider the exclusive franchise tag for Miller. Teams generally use the non-exclusive tag to franchise players, but that leaves the door open for another club to sign the player to an offer sheet. For most players, that risk isn’t significant, since a rival team would have to give up two first-round picks in addition to the big-money offer sheet, but an elite pass rusher like Miller might be worth it.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the NFL will consider suspending Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib for his dangerous – and intentional – face-mask penalty in the Super Bowl.

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