ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With the NFL’s scouting combine set to open Feb. 17 and free agency to follow March 10, today marks the first installment of a position-by-position look at where things stands for the Denver Broncos at each position on the depth chart, the salary-cap commitment, free agents and where their needs are greatest.
Today: Quarterbacks | Tuesday: Running backs | Rest of the series
The quarterback position has been THE question hovering over the team since Peyton Manning stood in front of a microphone immediately following the Broncos’ playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts and said he simply didn’t know if he would return for the 2015 season.
And while there are plenty of teammates and folks inside the team’s Dove Valley complex who believe Manning will return for his 18th NFL season, until Manning makes it official it’s the first talking point of any offseason conversation for the Broncos. Still, with a new coaching staff in place to go with a new playbook on the way as well, even if he does return there are some smaller questions for him, and the Broncos, to answer.
The alpha: If he comes back, it’s Manning, per usual. But a return for the future Hall of Famer would come with some adjustments on his part. The Broncos have to move past the somewhat disjointed look they had down the stretch when John Fox wanted the team to run more. In addition, Manning must find an adjustment within the new offense to defenses being far more effective in forcing him to throw the ball outside the numbers, toward the sidelines, where his accuracy suffered. And he has to be the most important buy-in guy in an offense that’s going to pound the rock at times and like it. If he retires, then, well, Brock Osweiler gets the first crack to receive the keys to an offense that would look oh-so similar to the one Jake Plummer ran with the Broncos.
Salary cap: Manning’s cap hit is $21.5 million, the largest on the team by $10.9 million, and his $19 million base salary is guaranteed if he’s on the roster March 9, or the day before the new league year begins March 10. Osweiler is in the last year of his original rookie deal -- he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2015 season -- with a cap figure of $1.189 million that includes a $209,547 roster bonus. Zac Dysert, who signed a futures deal immediately following the 2014 season, would count $510,000 against the cap.
Pending free agents: The Broncos have all three players under contract at the position but would be on the hunt for some veteran help should Manning retire. No matter what happens, the Broncos do face a decision about Osweiler for the long term since he’s invested three years of his career to the Broncos at this point and thrown all of 30 passes in those three seasons combined.
Who could stay: A Manning return would have all three quarterbacks on the roster heading into training camp, and the Broncos would likely add a fourth quarterback along the way, especially if they adjust Manning’s pitch count in training camp in some fashion -- something they have considered along the way to find a way to avoid a late-season dip in production and arm strength.
Who could go: Manning could still surprise a long list of people and decide 17 years is enough with the intensity of preparation he has maintained in his career. The Broncos have given Manning plenty of personal space to make the call, but they have also put plans on the drawing board for both the roster and offense to cover either scenario: a Manning return or a Manning retirement.
What they like/want: In terms of movement skills to go with a power arm, Osweiler is the prototype moving forward in the post-Manning era. But to be that guy he’s going to have to show he has the pocket awareness to go from spot player to full-timer and show the efficiency they’ll want.
Need index (1 is low priority, 5 the highest): No middle ground here. It’s a 1 if Manning comes back, as expected, or a 5 if he doesn’t.