Peyton Manning Rumors: Denver Broncos Are Good Fit for Legendary QB

If Peyton Manning wants to win a Super Bowl with his new team, the future Hall of Famer should strongly consider Denver.

And according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Peyton-to-Denver is a real possibility.

"

About 48 hours after being released by the Indianapolis Colts, Manning met with another Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway, and coach John Fox. The three chatted while taking a tour of the team's practice field and heading to the weight room.

"

Let's take a closer look at what the Broncos have to offer for Manning.

Conference Strength: Great

By "great," I mean the AFC West is one of the weaker conferences in the NFL, so if Peyton were to go to Denver he would have a "great" chance at getting to the playoffs.

The Broncos made the playoffs last season at a mediocre 8-8—easily the worst conference winner in the league. Of course, the Oakland Raiders are ever-improving and the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a bunch of injuries, but you still won't find an easier conference.

Except for maybe the NFC West, where Arizona and Seattle are courting Manning.

Surrounding Talent on Offense: Average

Pairing Manning with up-and-coming wide receiver Demaryius Thomas could be a scary combination. Thomas produced fairly well with Tim Tebow throwing to him, so it's scary to think what Manning could do.

Outside of that, however, there's not a ton of talent. Willis McGahee had a great season, but it's hard to believe the 30-year-old (31 next season) will continue to put up 1,000-yard seasons. 

That's why the Broncos got Knowshon Moreno, of course, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy. 

The offensive line is better at run-blocking than pass-blocking, too, as the Broncos allowed their quarterback to be sacked 8.97 percent of the time (29th in the NFL).

Surrounding Talent on Defense: Good

The overall defensive numbers for Denver don't look great (5.6 yards per play allowed, 25.4 points per game allowed), but it's a young, progressing defense.

Von Miller leads a squad that could be vastly improved by next season. The Broncos defense at times was dominant during the regular season, and the next step is consistency. 

Play Style: Inconclusive

The Broncos ran the ball more than any other team last season and Peyton will surely want to be able to sling it, so that's not a good sign.

Still, though, you have to believe John Fox will be willing to change his style around Manning.

Conclusion

The Broncos can surround Peyton Manning with a lot of talent and he won't have to play in a tough division. The only teams I really see in that same situation are Arizona and Seattle.

If Super Bowl is priority No. 1, Manning should go with either of those three.