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Denver Broncos Rumors: Brock Osweiler Could Be Lured To Houston As Free Agency Begins, Replaced By Colin Kaepernick

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 07:12 PST, Mar 8, 2016

The Denver Broncos are rumored to be in a big quarterback shift, with Brock Osweiler reportedly being lured to Tennessee and possibly replaced by Colin Kaepernick.

The Broncos had been in contract negotiations with Osweiler, who had long been seen as the heir apparent to Peyton Manning and who performed well in relief of the injured Manning this year. But with the free agency period starting in earnest with the beginning of the legal tampering period, rumors indicate that the Denver Broncos may not reach a deal at all.

There are growing reports that the Broncos may have some heavy competition. Adan Schefter of ESPN reported that the Houston Texans are one of the “primary potential landing spots” for Brock Osweiler.

Pro Football Talk also indicated that the Denver Broncos may be playing a dangerous game with Osweiler, hoping he will accept less to stay with the Super Bowl champions.

“In an interview with NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk at the Scouting Combine, Broncos G.M. John Elway seemed to set the range for a deal at $5 million to $15 million per year. He also suggested that Osweiler would need to sign a short-term second contract before cashing in.

“Elway likewise gave a fairly compelling explanation regarding his belief that Osweiler should take less than he could get elsewhere to stay with the Broncos. The question becomes how much more another team would pay — and in turn whether Osweiler believes another offenses better suits his skill set.”

The Denver Broncos are rumored to have offered Brock Osweiler a three-year deal worth close to $39 million, but that would be below the benchmark of other recent signings, including Sam Bradford.

The Houston Texans could be a strong option for Brock Osweiler. The team has been in search of a franchise quarterback and had made it known that they planned to draft a signal caller. Grabbing a more proven commodity in Brock Osweiler would likely be a more desirable option, sources said.

The Denver Post also noted that Texans coach Bill O’Brien has appeared interested in Osweiler in the past.

“With the opening of free agency, when agents are allowed to talk to teams about their clients, but not sign them until Wednesday, Jimmy Sexton, Osweiler’s representative, explored options. The Houston Texans have shown interest in Osweiler. Coach Bill O’Brien received a firsthand look at Osweiler during scrimmages at Dove Valley in summer 2014 and in the Broncos’ second preseason game at Houston last season.”

If the Denver Broncos aren’t able to re-sign Brock Osweiler, they could have a number of other options to replace him. The free agent quarterback lot is starting to fill up, with former Jets starter Ryan Fitzpatrick now joining the list of expected free agents, along with a handful of others who could become starters.

Colin Kaepernick is another quarterback frequently mentioned as a potential starter for the Denver Broncos. Kaepernick has reportedly asked the San Francisco 49ers for a trade, and his skill set would be a strong fit in coach Gary Kubiak’s offense. Kaepernick is also in desperate need of a new setting after falling off his pedestal in San Francisco and losing his starting job to Blaine Gabbert this year.

There could still be a lot of movement in the Denver Broncos rumors in the coming day or so. The team is coming off a Super Bowl win and would likely do everything possible to avoid any major shakeups, especially in the wake of Peyton Manning’s retirement. So it would not be entirely surprising to see the Broncos go up a bit in their offer to Brock Osweiler in a bid to keep him from joining a new team.

[Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]

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