Report: Broncos, Brock Osweiler to negotiate at Combine
According to a report from Cecil Lammey, the Denver Broncos and Brock Osweiler will begin negotiations on a new contract at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine this week…
Don’t print up those RG3 Denver Broncos jerseys just yet…
According to a report from Broncos insider Cecil Lammey, the representatives for quarterback Brock Osweiler and the Denver front office will begin negotiating a possible new contract at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Here’s the brass tax, from Lammey’s report:
“In this quarterback-desperate league, Osweiler could get a deal that commands at least $12 million annually. Some are suggesting Osweiler is going to get around $15-17 million a year on the open market, but that’s a price the Broncos may be uncomfortable paying.”
In this quarterback-desperate league, Osweiler could get a deal that commands at least $12 million annually.
As I’ve said numerous times before, there’s no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I’m paying Brock Osweiler in excess of $15 million. Shoot, $12 million is far too steep, but if the Broncos can add performance escalators as Lammey suggests, perhaps some type of signing bonus or playoff bonuses in there, then I could at least stomach it.
Listen, I have nothing against Brock Osweiler. The man came in and started six games for the Broncos this past year and at times looked pretty great. At times, the offense didn’t look much different than it did with Peyton Manning, only Osweiler wasn’t throwing it to the wrong team with quite as high a frequency.
With both Osweiler and Manning, the offense struggled to put a lot of points on the board. They certainly didn’t struggle to move the ball down the field, which is why kicker Brandon McManus was 2nd place on the team’s MVP list this year after Von Miller.
But like Lammey says, this is a quarterback desperate league. The Broncos are not averse to that truth. They won the Super Bowl despite their QB play most of the 2015 season, but Osweiler provided us with the better of the two (Manning vs. Os…) and he deserves a new contract from the team.
But overpaying for relatively unknown (at least in terms of starting experience) players at the QB position has burned teams time and time again, so the Broncos have to proceed with caution. Let me give you some names…
Nick Foles (who made a Pro Bowl), Kevin Kolb, Matt Cassel (who made a Pro Bowl), Derek Anderson (who made a Pro Bowl) all got paid less money than Osweiler stands to make.
That’s scary, on a number of levels.
The Broncos MUST proceed with caution, so much so that I put it in all caps. John Elway has an unenviable situation, but the cushion of having just won Super Bowl 50. The Broncos are going to be the most interesting team this offseason in the entire league.