Britain's Football Brains

BFB's LIVE: Free Agency Blog

DRAFT: HUB

DRAFT: Keenan Allen (WR)

DRAFT: Halfback Hub

DRAFT: Wide Receiver Hub

DRAFT: Tight End/Fullback Hub

DRAFT: Eddie Lacy (RB)

DRAFT: Ryan Nassib (QB)

We are an entirely self-funded website.To ensure we are able to produce the quality content that you love, please donate.

by Alex Halms  10.03.2012

Tim Tebow couldn’t be more popular amongst Broncos fans right? Wrong. Now that Peyton Manning is without a team the sworn allegiance to last-seasons hero is looking less resolute. I’m surprised if I’m honest. I thought Elway and Fox were serious about developing Tebow and hoping that they could groom him into a legitimate quarterback. This no longer appears to be the case. The Broncos have taken to the chase alongside division rivals Kansas City as well as the Dolphins, Cardinals and Seahawks. These are the obvious choices for Peyton, but whether he’ll take up the offer from one of these teams remains to be seen. The Redskins have traded a bomb of picks to the Rams and thus committed themselves to Robert Griffin III. The Jets (and nobody knows why) have financially invested their future in the arm of Mark Sanchez. They’re therefore out of the running for Manning’s services.

Why does Manning make sense in Denver? Whether legitimately or not the Broncos are an incumbent play-off team. They won games when it was important and achieved it without a proven quarterback. Manning is better than Tebow, undoubtedly. Manning would thus take charge of a team with decent personnel. Running back Willis McGahee came into his own last season and wideout Demaryius Thomas is a good deep-ball threat. The offensive line is young and improving. The Broncos also have considerable cap room. This may have something to do with former Head Coach Josh McDaniels trading away the franchise quarterback (Jay Cutler), leading receiver (Brandon Marshall) and breakout running back (Peyton Hillis). They can pay Peyton and that may prove to be an important motivating factor.

The Broncos also have an advantage over the Seahawks and other NFC suitors in so far as he won’t have to face Eli until the Superbowl. The AFC is Peyton’s conference, the NFC Eli’s, Peyton will want to keep it that way if at all possible. John Fox and John Elway present Peyton with an adoring backroom duo and he may feel that he’ll be celebrated appropriately at Mile High.

It remains to be seen whether Peyton will play in Denver. For me, Kansas remains the logical fit and I think they’re better suited to making a run at the Superbowl. However, the potential Manning chapter in the illustrious recent story of the Denver Broncos is a distinct possibility. Whatever happens – Manning’s movements are going to send shockwaves throughout the league. Number 18 must be feeling rather powerful right now.