With the news of Peyton Manning's retirement coming later today, the Denver Broncos have shifted their focus to re-signing Brock Osweiler. The 2012 second-rounder went 5-2 as a starter for the team this past year, and John Elway wants bring the young passer back for the 2016 season. However, he'll have some competition.
The exclusive negotiating window in which teams can talk deals with their own pending free agents expired earlier today at noon. Reports indicated that Elway and the Broncos had offered Osweiler a deal that averages north of the $12.7 million the Los Angeles Rams are paying Nick Foles per year. Some are saying the offer was for three years and $45 million. But considering the lack of an agreement between the two sides, we can only assume that offer was not good enough for Osweiler's camp.
Now the legal tampering window, in which other teams can begin contacting agents and exchanging broad offers, has begun. The Houston Texans are wasting no time in attacking their free agent to-do list as they are "expected to contact Jimmy Sexton, Osweiler's agent, during the tampering period," according to a recent report. If the three-year, $45 million rumor can be believed, the Texans now how a benchmark with which to construct their own lucrative and enticing offer.
Houston's interest is more than understandable. The team's defense ranked No. 3 in yards allowed per game (310.2) and No. 7 in points (19.6). The Texans made the post-season this year largely thanks to their defense and the stellar breakout campaign from star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. However, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett and T.Y. Yates were unable to bring some any stability under center. Picking No. 22 in the upcoming NFL Draft, Houston has no shot at bringing in a signal-caller who can make an immediate impact and take this team to the next level.
While Osweiler is far from a sure thing - he's thrown just 305 career passes in four seasons - he does at least have four years of professional experience while tutoring under Manning. With a big arm and room to grow, the Texans may be taking a shot on his upside in free agency. Given that the team is just a quarterback away from real contention, we can't blame them.
We'll keep you updated as more details emerge.
