It is starting to sound a lot like serious changes are afoot for the Denver Broncos at the quarterback position. Peyton Manning is expected to ride off into the retirement sunset after winning - or not screwing up - the second Super Bowl title of his career and even if he doesn't, the Broncos may not really want him and his 9 total touchdowns back for 2016 anyway. But where does that leave the franchise at the game's most important position? All eyes are on heir apparent, Brock Osweiler, the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent the decision-makers in Denver are reportedly looking to sign to a multi-year extension.
Only that may not be as simple as hoped. Osweiler, a fourth-year pro who got his first taste of real, extended action as the Broncos starter in place of the injured and ineffective Manning this past season, playing relatively well in that span, is seeking $12 million per season on a new deal, according to Charlie Campbell of Walter Football.
The team would like to keep that annual figure somewhere closer to $10 million and the length of the deal around three seasons, per Campbell, which would essentially make it a bridge deal that gives Osweiler some security but doesn't tie the franchise to him long-term. It's smart on Elway's part not to want to tie himself to a player that, while he performed well in spot-duty, didn't necessarily give any indication that he was ready to take the reins full time this season or at any point over the past four years. In those 8 games, he collected 1,967 yards, 10 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and 2 fumbles.
That kind of contract structure also dovetails nicely with Campbell's other suggestion - that a quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft is "definitely in play" for the Broncos and GM/VP John Elway. Per Campbell, the Broncos are high on a particular pair of signal-callers - North Dakota's Carson Wentz and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott - but Prescott, viewed by most as something of a project, is the more realistic option of the two come late April.
With their first selection not coming until No. 31 and Wentz expected to go top-five or, at the very least, top-10, nabbing Prescott, a mobile passer with athleticism to spare and plenty of accuracy issues, may be the Broncos' best bet for upgrading the depth at their soon-to-be Manning-less position.
