Denver Broncos Rumors: Johnny Manziel Could Be Real Possibility With Colin Kaepernick Deal Seemingly Dead
The Denver Broncos are rumored to be hunting for a quarterback after their deal for Colin Kaepernick seemingly fell apart, and this week it appears that Johnny Manziel could be a real option for the Super Bowl champions.
The Broncos have been one of the most active teams in searching for a quarterback after a somewhat surprising turn of events this offseason. The team had been grooming Brock Osweiler to take over as a starter after Peyton Manning’s expected retirement, but the Broncos couldn’t come to terms on a new contract and Osweiler ultimately left for the Houston Texans.
After his departure, the team turned its attention to Colin Kaepernick, but a dispute over which team would pay roughly $5 million of his contract seems to have killed talks with the San Francisco 49ers.
Now, Johnny Manziel is looking to be an increasingly interesting option for the Denver Broncos. Though he flamed out of Cleveland in a spectacular fashion — including reports that he showed up to team facilities drunk at the end of the season, part of a string of off-the-field incidents that led his way out of Cleveland — some around the league still believe Manziel can succeed if he has the right discipline.
There were reports this week that Denver head coach Gary Kubiak spoke personally to Manziel, who is a free agent after the Cleveland Browns cut him loose. Kubiak shares a special bond with Manziel, as they are both former Texas A&M quarterbacks.
The Broncos may be considering adding Johnny Manziel, but ESPN reported that the team must first wait for his legal issues to play out (Manziel could be facing possible criminal charges for a fight with his then-girlfriend) and the possibility of an NFL suspension.
But if the rumors connecting Johnny Manziel to the Denver Broncos needed any more help, the former Heisman Trophy winner also seems to have the endorsement of this year’s Super Bowl MVP.
“If I had to make my decision on it, he would already be on the Broncos,” Von Miller said Friday. “But we’ve got guys in the front office that make those decisions, and they put us in championships with those decisions.
“So I’m just going to follow those guys and have those guys take the lead.”
Super Bowl MVP Von Miller wants Johnny Manziel on the Broncos. https://t.co/kE9ytCa2PU
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 9, 2016
The Denver Broncos may have moved one step closer to bringing in a new quarterback this weekend. On Saturday, the team announced a trade sending tackle Ryan Clady to the New York Jets, which frees up cap space for whoever the Broncos may end up bringing in.
Broncos have agreed to trade 4-time Pro Bowl OT Ryan Clady & 7th round pick to the Jets for a 5th round pick. https://t.co/zHdJsPYPn7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 9, 2016
As Pro Football Talk had noted before the trade took place, Clady was almost assured to be leaving Denver and his departure could help clear the way for Kaepernick’s trade to go through.
“That salary is an obstacle to a trade as is Clady’s recent injury history. Clady missed all of last season with a torn ACL and all but two games of the 2013 season with a foot injury. A team trading for him would likely want to restructure that deal, which also calls for Clady to make $10 million in 2017, and that may be too many moving parts for Denver to sort out while also swinging a trade with the Niners.”
“Releasing Clady wouldn’t bring any compensation back, but would create $8.9 million in cap space while leaving $1.2 million in dead money on the cap.”
But even with Clady and his cap hit gone, the rumors surrounding the Denver Broncos and their quarterback situation are far from clear. Mike Klis of 9 News reported that the Clady trade won’t actually have any bearing on the Colin Kaepernick deal, and the Broncos don’t appear to be moving forward on Johnny Manziel, either.
[AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar]
