Broncos' Reported Willingness to Move Peyton Manning Not as Crazy as It Sounds

Recently, a bombshell report emerged regarding Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. The report claimed the Broncos had actually entertained trading the five-time NFL MVP to the Houston Texans.

The report was quickly laughed off. Ridiculed. Dismissed as a mixture of sensationalist reporting run amok and football heresy. After all, just two years ago, Manning rewrote the single-season record books at the quarterback position en route to leading the Broncos to the Super Bowl.

Granted, it's unlikely that the Broncos would actually make such a move—that they could get the sort of return that would make up for the fan mutiny such a move would inspire.

However, that doesn't make the idea crazy. Not by a long shot.

Benjamin Allbright of 94.1 FM in Denver dropped the bombshell that the Broncos had considered moving on from Manning over the offseason:

Of course, it didn't take long for folks, such as Mike Klis of the Denver Post, to start dismissing Allbright's report out of hand:

Klis also spoke to Broncos grand poobah John Elway, who not surprisingly said no such discussions had taken place:

The problem is, according to CBS Houston, that isn't true. Granted, the source who spoke to it indicated that the talks between Denver and Houston were "very preliminary" in nature, but that source said there were talks.

That doesn't necessarily mean it absolutely happened, but frankly, snarky dismissals of the very notion they did makes no more sense than taking reports they did as the gospel truth.

Because it's not entirely out of the realm of reason. Last I checked, as great a player as Manning is, one team already moved on from him.

Yes, Manning is a phenomenal football player. One of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. A surefire, no-doubt, mortal-lock first-ballot Hall of Famer.

He's also a 39-year-old football player who not that long ago lost an entire season after having multiple neck surgeries. The procedures were serious enough that there were those who questioned whether Manning was "done" before he ever played a down in the Mile High City.

And toward the end of last season, Manning showed his age in a big way.

Month	Comp. %	PYPG	TD	INT	Rating
September	66.7	271.3	8	1	108.5
October	70.9	330.0	14	2	127.4
November	64.3	320.6	14	6	95.1
December	63.6	247.5	3	6	76.8

Over the last four games of the 2014 regular season, Manning managed only three touchdown passes against six interceptions. He topped 300 passing yards only once during that stretch. And after the Broncos were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs by Manning's old team, more rumbles began—this time that Father Time was catching up.

Even Manning wasn't sure about his future after the loss.

"My mindset right now is just disappointment after today's game. I kind of need to process this game, and we'll meet tomorrow," Manning said, per Christine Brennan of USA Today. "I need to process this game, so I'm disappointed right now is what I am."

Of course, by the end of April, Manning was singing a much different tune while speaking with Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post:

"

I think there are young 39s and old 39s. I'm in that young group, for sure. March birthday. I think you have to be very careful just lumping them all in together. Who is there? Vinny (Testaverde)? Warren (Moon)? Daryle Lamonica, right? I have no idea. I just know some guys that have played a long time. I think it's all about trying to do your job, no matter how old you are.

"

Manning can joke all he wants, but the fact remains that he's closer to getting 10 percent off at Arby's than the legal drinking age.

And that isn't the only dilemma facing the Broncos this year. There's an all-new coaching staff and offensive scheme. And thanks to the season-ending ACL tear suffered by left tackle Ryan Clady, an offensive line that ranked sixth in the NFL in pass blocking last year, according to Pro Football Focus, is looking at four new starters in 2015.

That's four new starters protecting a 39-year-old quarterback for whom mobility has never exactly been a strong suit.

Although he does make a mean sandwich.

The Broncos also have a young signal-caller waiting in the wings in Brock Osweiler.

Yes, the fourth-year pro has attempted all of 30 passes in his first three NFL seasons, but Bleacher Report's own Cecil Lammey (who is as plugged in on all things Broncos as any sportswriter in the business) has liked what he's seen from Osweiler enough that he wrote earlier this month a contract extension for the former second-round pick is a no-brainer:

"

Osweiler was added to be the quarterback of the future for the Broncos, and that future is rapidly approaching. They have put a lot of time into him up to this point, and it would be tragic to see all that work benefit another team.

The NFL isn’t a quarterback-driven league—it’s a quarterback desperate league. If Osweiler hits the open market, he’s likely to draw interest from several teams as a starter. Right now, it’s not outlandish to think that Osweiler is better than five (or more) other starters across the league.

"

Running back C.J. Anderson would appear to be in agreement, given his comments to Andrew Mason of the team's website at OTAs:

"

He has a lot more command. He wants to go out there and play. He's been confident and comfortable, and he knows what he can do. He trusts his ability. ...

He tells himself sometimes before (the play), 'Look, I'm not going to do too much; I'm going to do what the play asks for.' That's all you can ask for in a leader.

"

No one is saying that Osweiler is the next Peyton Manning (there's confidence, and then there's kookiness), but the youngster has spent the last three years learning from one of the best. And at some point, it's going to be his time, whether it's in Denver or somewhere else.

Does he lack experience? Yes. So did Aaron Rodgers, who attempted all of 59 passes over his first three seasons with the Green Bay Packers. The fact is, there's only one way to fix that—play.

We don't know the substance of those alleged conversations between the Texans and Broncos either. Maybe it was the Texans who reached out. Maybe they dangled the sort of package of players and picks that makes a general manager drop the telephone.

For all we know, they offered J.J. Watt. (They didn't, but you get my point.)

One of the trickiest issues any NFL franchise faces is knowing when to say goodbye. When to turn the page from the past and present to the future. When to take the ball from Brett Favre and hand it to Rodgers.

Time it right, and your franchise doesn't miss a beat. Time it wrong, and you get to watch Dan Marino get pounded 62-7 in the playoffs by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

No, really. That happened.

Are the Broncos moving on from Manning? No. Not this year. Not with the team in full-on "Super Bowl or bust" mode.

But the only thing crazier than the idea of a second NFL team throwing in the towel on a player some consider the greatest quarterback to ever play the game is to dismiss the idea altogether.

Because the NFL is a rough business. And Father Time is undefeated.

Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter at @IDPSharks.