Denver Broncos Rumors: Team Could Grab Robert Griffin III To Replace Peyton Manning, Letting Brock Osweiler Walk
The Denver Broncos are rumored to be considering a new direction at quarterback next year with reports that they team may bring in Robert Griffin III to take over for the likely retiring Peyton Manning, passing over Brock Osweiler.
The Broncos may still be basking in the glow of their Super Bowl 50 victory, but the team will have some hard decisions coming up in the coming weeks. While many had assumed that Osweiler, who played well in relief of the injured Manning this season, would take over as starter when Manning retires, that now seems in doubt.
Osweiler is a free agent, and it’s not yet clear if the team will have the money after they likely put the franchise tag on Von Miller and start working on a long-term deal. It’s actually not even clear if Osweiler is the quarterback of the future, as he was reportedly on the trade block in the last offseason.
As NJ.com reported, Osweiler’s high upside could make him expensive, leading the Broncos to turn to Robert Griffin III instead.
“After performing admirably in relief of an injured and ineffective Manning during Denver’s run to the No. 1 overall seed in 2015, the Osweiler could receive big offers from quarterback needy teams like, say, the Eagles or Houston Texans.
“In Griffin, Denver could buy low on a quarterback that took the NFL by storm in his rookie season. Considering that Denver dominated the AFC on the back of a great defense, either Osweiler or Griffin wouldn’t have to play at Peyton Manning’s former level to keep the Broncos in title contention next season.”
Many expect Robert Griffin III to bounce back after spending the entire 2015 season on the bench behind Kirk Cousins. Griffin lost the explosiveness that made him the 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year, but has reportedly been working hard at improving his pocket passing and decision-making.
Teammate Niles Paul, who also missed the last season after fracturing his ankle, is confidence that RGIII has a lot left to offer a team.
“Robert hasn’t missed a beat,” Paul told 106.7 the Fan, a CBS Sports Radio station. “I’m confident, wherever he goes, he’ll play and I expect him to do big things, because that’s just the type of person he is, the competitor he is. I know Rob is not down and out, he’s just that type of guy and I love him to death. I know that, if it’s not here, wherever he goes he’ll ball out. I guarantee that.”
Would love to see @RGIII in Denver next fall! #SuperBowlChamps https://t.co/kEMnILkeIG
— Reid Kilmer (@reid_kilmer) February 19, 2016
If the Denver Broncos rumors are true, they could end up with some competition for Robert Griffin III. There are reportedly a handful of other teams expected to make a run at him, including the Dallas Cowboys who could be preparing for the successor to Tony Romo.
Should the @dallascowboys bring in Robert Griffin III? https://t.co/lbEM4IwGDl pic.twitter.com/3kPuMOYlJt
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) February 19, 2016
USA Today blog For The Win speculated that as many as a half dozen teams could be interested in Griffin this offseason, with the Cleveland Browns leading the way.
“[Head coach Hue] Jackson’s scheme isn’t particularly complex, either. It starts with the run game, which forces teams to load the box, creating one-on-one matchups and easy reads for the quarterback to exploit. Griffin is fully capable of running such a scheme. And the Bengals would not be so averse to using him on designed runs since there wouldn’t be a whole lot invested in Griffin.”
The Denver Broncos have also faced other quarterback rumors beyond Robert Griffin III, including reports that the team may be interested in Colin Kaepernick.
[Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images]
