As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) explains, the Broncos have a pair of questions to answer in regard to Brock Osweiler. The first is whether the quarterback is capable of replacing Peyton Manning when the future Hall-of-Famer retires, and the second is whether the club will be able to retain Osweiler beyond the 2015 season.
According to Cole, John Elway and the Broncos decide they want to keep the young signal-caller around, they may try to work out a deal that’s heavy on incentives, meaning Osweiler would earn those bonuses if he eventually lands the starting job. However, it’s not clear yet if Denver would try to get something done with Osweiler in the next few weeks, or if the club is more inclined to wait until after the season to make its decision.
Let’s check out a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NFL….
- With Tarvaris Jackson dealing with a sprained ankle, the Seahawks may add another quarterback to their roster, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Per Condotta, the club worked out a QB today, though that player has yet to be identified.
- Having seen multiple players in their front seven go down injuries over the last few days, the Bills are bringing in several free agent defenders for workouts, according to Mike Rodak and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Per the ESPN report, defensive lineman Red Bryant and edge defenders Marcus Benard and Quentin Groves are auditioning for Buffalo.
- Free agent running back Joe McKnight, who is recovering from a torn Achilles, has been fully cleared for all activities by foot/ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, tweets Caplan. McKnight worked out for the Texans recently, but didn’t sign with the team.
- Peter King of TheMMQB.com covers a number of topics in his latest piece, listing Ahmad Bradshaw atop his list of the best available free agent running backs, and suggesting that new Bills DE IK Enemkpali will likely face at least a two-game suspension.
- Colts head coach Chuck Pagano refuses to let his contract status be a distraction as he enters the final year of his deal, telling ESPN’s Mike Wells that he has “the best job in the entire world right now,” and his focus is on getting the most out of his team.
- There were rumblings that the Falcons might consider re-signing linebacker Prince Shembo after his legal case was resolved, but D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the team decided to pass on bringing back the former fourth-round pick.
Obviously having an all-world QB can make a mediocre coach look pretty good, but it seems that Pagano has done a nice job with the Colts in his brief time in Indy. He came in with a reputation as a defensive guru, and Indy’s defense hasn’t done much to write home about during his tenure, but he’s been able to keep them in the middle of the pack the past two years, even though there’s no elite talent on that side of the ball (save for maybe Vontae Davis). I’m sort of surprised the Colts haven’t addressed Pagano’s contract yet, and I wonder if there’s some behind-the-scenes issues that we aren’t aware of.
Very interesting spot for the Broncos, with Manning still under contract for ’16 and still next to no actual sample of game action to determine if Osweiler can produce even a poor man’s version of Manning. With a roster built to win now, allocating a future financial commitment to a quarterback who hasn’t shown much is quite the gamble. But if Manning retires, Osweiler’s negotiating position strengthens, with what will then be a year in Gary Kubiak’s system. In that event, the Broncos, in order to find a way to exceed Osweiler’s potential production as a starter next season, would have to pay a steep price in a trade for a signal-caller — and teams aren’t exactly pining to part with those — with a low-first-round draft slot likely.