Broncos Won’t Make In-Season Coaching Change
Although the Broncos are currently last in the AFC West with a 3-9 record, the club doesn’t plan to make any in-season changes to its front office or coaching staff, sources tell Mike Klis of 9News. However, alterations to Denver’s leadership are expected to take place in the coming months, per Klis.
Changes almost certainly won’t affect the status of executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway, who inked a new five-year contract in July. That contract reportedly made Elway the NFL’s highest-paid GM, and his position atop the Broncos’ decision-making hierarchy is unquestionable. However, Elway could certainly add new blood to Denver’s personnel ranks, especially given that the team’s past few drafts have been uninspiring.
The Broncos’ coaching staff has already been modified this season, as the club parted ways with first-year offensive coordinator Mike McCoy last month, replacing him with incumbent quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave. Head coach Vance Joseph — a longtime target of Elway’s — hasn’t delivered results during his rookie campaign, and it’s possible Denver will make a change after only a single season. Before hiring Joseph, the Broncos interviewed only two other candidates: Kyle Shanahan and Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub.
Denver’s offensive staff is the most obvious area that could see new voices emerge, perhaps with a new quarterback in tow. But the club’s defense could also see changes: the Broncos rank 11th in defensive DVOA, but that’s a sharp decline from 2015-16, when the unit ranked first in both seasons. First-year defensive coordinator Joe Woods could conceivably be a candidate for dismissal, or Joseph (a former DC) could take a more active role in game-calling.
Speaking of (former) Broncos coaches, the Dolphins’ decision to onside kick while leading 33-9 against Denver on Sunday was motivated by Elway’s apparent “bad-mouthing” of ex-Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase during the 2015 hiring cycle, sources tell Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. While the item is more interesting than relevant, the note speaks not only to the depths of Denvers’s struggles this season, but a possible reputation problem Elway might need to fight this offseason.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Terrence Magee
- Waived: DB Jeremy Boykins
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Robertson Daniel
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: P Cory Carter, S Dean Marlowe
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Richie Brown
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Will Pericak, TE Colin Thompson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Justin Currie
- Waived: WR Rannell Hall
Detroit Lions
- Signed: C Leo Koloamatangi
- Waived: S Stefan McClure
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
- Waived: OL Gabe Ikard
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Robert Tonyan
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Devin Lucien, CB Josh Thornton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: T Andreas Knappe
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Sammy Seamster
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Braedon Bowman
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Jason King
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Isaiah Battle, WR Cyril Grayson, DT Garrison Smith
- Waived: TE Steve Donatell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Sterling Bailey
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Pete Robertson
- Waived: S Orion Stewart
Broncos’ Derek Wolfe Done For Season
Derek Wolfe‘s neck injury will not require surgery, but he says that he will act on his doctor’s advice and sit out for the remainder of the year. Wolfe will be placed on injured reserve, opening up a spot on the roster for another player in the team’s final four games. 
“As much as I’d like to get back out there and keep playing, when a spinal doctor tells you that you can lose use of your right arm if you don’t rest and heal properly, you listen,’’ Wolfe told Mike Klis of 9NEWS. “I don’t want to lose the use of my right arm. I’m happy because he said I wouldn’t need surgery which would have meant all kinds of crazy things. But he said there’s no way you should play football the next two months.’’
The loss of Wolfe takes Denver’s best defensive end off of the field, but this final month doesn’t mean a whole lot for the 3-9 Broncos. By resting up, Wolfe will avoid the potential of a much more serious injury and, hopefully, allow himself to be ready for Week 1 of the 2018 season.
Wolfe, 28 in February, finishes out the year with two sacks and 31 total tackles. He has 24.5 sacks to his credit over six seasons and the Broncos are banking on that same kind of production for years to come. The four-year, $37.6MM contract signed by Wolfe in 2016 is scheduled to keep him in place through the 2019 campaign.
Latest On Eli Manning
The Giants’ decision to bench Eli Manning has created plenty of drama in the football world over the last week, and the way head coach Ben McAdoo handled the benching might have cost him his job. It is now difficult to envision Manning returning to Big Blue next season — although team owner John Mara did not foreclose that possibility — but there are any number of quarterback-needy clubs who would love to have Manning under center for a couple of years.
Manning himself has said that he is not planning to retire, so there has already been a great deal of speculation as to which teams could be in play for his services this offseason. But Manning’s father, Archie Manning, has suggested that his son could indeed hang up the cleats.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Archie said that Eli was heartbroken over the benching, which was perhaps exacerbated by the way McAdoo handled it (Manning was apparently made to feel like a scapegoat when New York brass simply wanted to evaluate the rest of its roster in a lost season). Archie said, “Eli’s passion for the Giants goes deeper than most and I’ve mentioned it through the years. Eli loves playing for the New York Giants. He just does. He just loves it, I think more than most. So therefore, it broke his heart.”
Archie went on to say that Eli could simply call it a career and stay home with his wife and three daughters. After all, he has two Super Bowl trophies — to go along with two Super Bowl MVP awards — a young family, and more money than he could ever hope to spend. He has nothing left to prove, and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets that all options, including retirement, are on the table.
But it would still be hard to imagine Manning not playing in 2018. The Jaguars have been mentioned as a logical landing spot for him, which Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reiterated today (per La Canfora, who also indicated that Manning has absolutely no intention of retiring, several GMs say Manning-to-Jacksonville makes too much sense to not happen). The Broncos also make some sense, though Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post suggests a second Manning-Denver marriage is unlikely.
In any event, Manning will not suit up for the Giants again (at least in 2017) barring injury to one of the team’s other QBs. Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk (citing ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio), McAdoo has vowed that he will not bench Geno Smith today, and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com says the team legitimately like Smith and wants to take a real look at him.
Manning Close To Making The Jump To An NFL Front Office?
As part of his Friday column, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated mentioned that Manning would likely be on the top of the list for any team with an opening at the head of their football operations. He spoke to a source on the Broncos current staff who said that, “There’d honestly be no one better.”
Breer expressed that while the former Colts and Broncos signal caller doesn’t have any front office experience, he’s been preparing for the position for years as a player, specifically shadowing the actions of current Broncos football czar, John Elway. As a player, Manning always kept tabs on the draft, free agency and many of the other aspects that go into leading an NFL franchise. While there’s nothing like firsthand experience in that atmosphere, Manning has clearly demonstrated his vast knowledge of the game in the way he revolutionized the quarterback position during his time in the league.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/1/2017
Here are today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Marcus Rios
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Darius Victor
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Darnell Sankey
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Aaron Green
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Michael Hunter
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DE Jeremiah Valoaga
- Waived: LB Thurston Armbrister
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Ahmad Thomas
Houston Texans
- Signed: QB Taylor Heinicke, TE Ryan Malleck, WR DeAndrew White
Dolphins Claim TE A.J. Derby
The Dolphins have claimed tight end A.J. Derby off of waivers, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Derby was cut by the Broncos on Tuesday, putting him on the waiver wire for the league’s other 31 teams. 
Derby, 26, was traded from the Patriots to the Broncos last season in exchange for a fifth-round pick. He was in the midst of a quietly productive year and was leading Denver tight ends in receptions before he was released in November. In nine games (one start), Derby had 19 catches for 224 yards and two scores.
The Dolphins are effectively out of the playoff chase with a 4-7 record, but this will give them a chance to closely evaluate Derby for the 2018 roster. The former fifth-round pick is under contract through 2018 with a dirt cheap $705K cap number for next year.
Derby is the second ex-Broncos tight end to wind up in Miami, joining starter Julius Thomas.
Domata Peko To Miss Time
- Domata Peko‘s start streak is expected to end at 123 games, as the Broncos defensive tackle has a second degree MCL sprain that will cause him to miss time, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. Peko, 33, looked to be nearing the end of his career with the Bengals last season, but he’s rebounded in Denver. The mammoth interior defender has been outstanding against the run, helping the Broncos to a No. 1 overall ranking in run defense DVOA.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/28/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed off Saints’ practice squad: LB Gabe Martin
- Signed: RB Bronson Hill
- Waived: S Harlan Miller
- Waived: G/T Vinston Painter
Chicago Bears
- Waived: WR Tre McBride
Denver Broncos
- Released from IR: TE A.J. Derby
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed: TE Ross Travis
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Orson Charles
New England Patriots
- Signed off Ravens’ Practice Squad: LB Nicholas Grigsby
- Signed: OL Jason King
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: WR Isaac Whitney
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Rodney Coe
- Waived: DT Garrison Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Bobo Wilson
- Signed: FB Alan Cross
- Waived: TE Luke Stocker