The Denver Broncos have Peyton Manning back for another season, but moving forward Gary Kubiak may want to draft his replacement for the future and players like Bryce Petty, Garrett Grayson, Brett Hundley and Shane Carden could be potential options to serve as Manning's backup and this comes as the team is working on a long term contract with Demaryius Thomas.
Manning was expected to return for 2015, but there was a time when his decision was uncertain and that brought up questions for the Broncos about the future. The team has Brock Osweiler, but he is not looked at as a long term starting option by many scouts and that could lead the Broncos to draft someone this year to serve as the heir apparent. Manning dealt with injuries last season and while he made it through healthy, the Broncos realize they may need a better insurance policy this time around.
Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are the top two quarterbacks in the draft in the eyes of most scouts, but there is quality at the position in this class. Petty could end up as a first round draft pick and names like Grayson, Shane Carden, Brett Hundley, Taylor Kelly and Sean Mannion as well as Bo Wallace could be potential selections. Jeff Legwold at ESPN.com writes that while Manning is still the plan for 2015 and at least 2016, the Broncos need to figure out what will happen once he retires.
Legwold writes that Osweiler will be a free agent after next season and that gives the team a chance to bring in someone new to serve as the backup or third string quarterback. The Broncos have taken Osweiler and Zac Dysert but neither of those players appears to be on track to start at any point for the Broncos. Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton were the QBs before Manning came to town and now the team may use the draft to find his future replacement.,
Kubiak is coming in to take over for John Fox and he expects to be with the team for the long haul, which means outlasting Manning most likely. Kubiak is an offensive coach and while the team plans on using a system that Manning is comfortable with, Kubiak's usual game plan doesn't always play to Manning's strengths and he may look for a prospect that fits his system better than Manning does. Last season Manning had another strong season, but towards the end of the year he was a bit broken down physically.
According to the Denver Post, Kubiak and Manning have spoken about how to handle the upcoming season and how the team can help Manning preserve his "mind and body" after the issues in 2014. Manning ended up with 39 touchdowns and 4727 passing yards last season, but down the stretch he was clearly hobbled and that may have been one reason why the team lost in the playoffs again.
Keeping Demaryius Thomas was a main priority this offseason and while he is not signed yet, the team is hoping to get him back on a long term deal. The Broncos used the franchise tag on him and that means he could have a one-year, $12.823 million contract if he signs. Thomas has until July 15 to sign that contract and the team could try and work out a long term deal with the receiver before that date.