Woody Paige: Some QB history in Denver a sore subject

Woody Paige: Some QB history in Denver a sore subject By Woody Paige The Denver Post March 28, 2102 A gastronome knows food; a sommelier appreciates w...
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Woody Paige: Some QB history in Denver a sore subject By Woody Paige The Denver Post March 28, 2102 A gastronome knows food; a sommelier appreciates wine. Peyton Manning is a quarterback cognoscente. He can recite every quarterback who played against his father, Archie, in college and the NFL. Many years ago, when I told Peyton I lived in Colorado, he immediately responded that Charles Johnson had taken over at quarterback for an injured Darian Hagan in the second half of the Orange Bowl as the Buffs beat Notre Dame for the national championship. Manning certainly is aware of Broncos quarterbacks John Elway (his boss) and Tim Tebow (his predecessor), Jay Cutler, Jake Plummer and Frank Tripucka, the first quarterback in Denver who was lured out of retirement in 1960. Eventually, after he again retired, his No. 18 was too. Last week Manning called Tripucka to ask permission to wear the same number. Tripucka agreed, asking in return that Manning win a Super Bowl with the Broncos. "I'm studying the Broncos' history and their quarterbacks. I want to know it all," Manning told me on the staircase at Dove Valley last week as a team employee pleaded with him to go sign his contract (for $96 million). Peyton doesn't know, and most people even inside the Broncos' organization don't remember, that another Super Bowl-winning, future Hall of Fame quarterback, recovering from injury, was so close in 2000 to choosing to join the Broncos in a decision that would have been as significant as Manning's. Steve Young could have been the Broncos' starting quarterback. In 1999, Young suffered his eighth concussion. The 49ers informed the left-handed quarterback (preceded by Joe Montana) that if he didn't retire, they would release him. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who had been Young's offensive coordinator with San Francisco for three seasons (including a Super Bowl victory), implored Young to join the Broncos as their starting quarterback. A season after Elway's retirement following the Super Bowl in the 1998 season, the Broncos, with Brian Griese as the starter, finished 6-10. In mid-June 2000, Young held a news conference in the Bay Area. Shanahan and I were present.

Young retired. In his hotel room later, the former BYU quarterback told me he seriously considered Shanahan's proposal but realized he shouldn't play anymore. The course of the Broncos would have been changed forever. The franchise has gone through 11 different starters since Elway and before Manning. Manning won't be the first dumped quarterback who played in the Super Bowl to join the Broncos. Craig Morton, a starter for the Cowboys in Super Bowl V, was acquired by the Broncos from the Giants (for quarterback Steve Ramsey) in 1977 and was the starter in the franchise's first Super Bowl. Manning has more to learn about the likes of former Broncos starting quarterbacks — the late George Herring (who ended up homeless and living under a bridge in the area that would become LoDo), the late Norris Weese (who was Archie Manning's successor at Ole Miss and replaced Morton at quarterback in Super Bowl XII), Marlin Briscoe (the first African-American quarterback in pro football, for only a brief time), George Shaw (who was drafted No. 1 by the Baltimore Colts in 1955 and eventually started just one game for the Broncos in 1962), Steve Tensi (obtained for two No. 1 draft choices but never fulfilled his promise), Don Horn (a Packers No. 1 pick who backed up Bart Starr and didn't stay long with the Broncos), the bad-kneed Charley Johnson (grabbed in a trade with Houston, and a Ring of Fame member) and Tommy Maddox (who was drafted No. 1 by the Broncos to succeed Elway but didn't). No team in the NFL has experienced such continuing controversy at quarterback, Peyton, as the Broncos over the past 14 years. Bubby Brister was supposed to assume control when The Duke left, but Shanahan bumped him at the last moment for Griese, who had a brilliant mind but a body that betrayed him. Then there were Gus Frerotte, Steve Beuerlein (a veteran with little left) and the Plummer Predicament — a conference championship-contending quarterback Shanahan signed as a free agent, then truly didn't believe in. Cutler, a No. 1 pick, was intended to be the next Elway. But in the McDaniels Mess, he wanted out, and the coach wanted him gone. Kyle Orton wasn't good enough; he couldn't win, and he was crushed by Tebowmania. Brady Quinn, we hardly knew ye. Tebow comma. He is history. Now, there is Peyton Manning, who surely will study the Broncos' quarterback past, and assuredly does not want to repeat most of it.

Wild West once again: Star QBs stock Denver Broncos' division By Mike Klis The Denver Post March 28, 2012 PALM BEACH, Fla. — Put away those popgun arms. They had as much right in the AFC West as a hayseed at an English tea. Maybe the AFC West is not quite all the way back to the days of the Mad Bomber, Air Coryell and the Duke. But a quick look around the division and quarterback has once again become a position of pride. "When you look at our division, in the last couple of years, we've got some of the best quarterback play in all of football with Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer and now Peyton Manning," new Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday at the NFL meetings. Allen is the AFC West's neophyte head coach. His roots are burrowed on defense, most notably as the Broncos' defensive coordinator last season. No assistant coach ever passes up a head coaching job, but the Broncos aren't making it easy for Allen to break in. Last week, the Broncos signed Peyton Manning to a five-year contract worth $96 million. The only four-time MVP in NFL history, Manning ranks No. 3 all time in touchdown passes (399), yards passing (54,828) and completions (4,682). "I have mixed emotions because after just leaving those guys, I've got a lot of friends on that staff," Allen said of the Broncos. "You want them to do well. At the same time they're in our division, they're one of our biggest rivalries and you'd rather not see them get one of the better quarterbacks to ever play the game." The past two AFC West seasons began with a QB corral of Philip Rivers and the Average Joes. Or an average Jason Campbell, Kyle Orton and Matt Cassel. Campbell, an efficient game manager, wasn't the Raiders. The Raiders are Daryl "Mad Bomber" Lamonica and Kenny "The Snake" Stabler. Carson Palmer better fits the Raiders' tradition. He averaged 4,000 yards and nearly 30 touchdown passes a season for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2005-07. The Raiders acquired him at midseason last year for two high draft picks. "Three or four years ago, people would have said Philip was the best quarterback in our division and there was uncertainty with the other three teams," said Chargers coach Norv Turner. "Now you look at our division and all four teams have outstanding

quarterbacks. I think everyone in the league will look at us and say they're a lot more capable than they've been." A case can be made that even with Manning's storied accomplishments, Rivers remains the quarterback to beat in the AFC West. He told a San Diego radio station two weeks ago that he would welcome the challenge of having Manning join the division. Why should Rivers be afraid? He's 2-for-2 against Manning in the postseason. Nevertheless, the oddsmakers catapulted the Broncos from the AFC West's worst to first after signing Manning. "A San Diego guy, he was trying to bait me into saying we have Peyton Manning, now we're on top of San Diego," Broncos coach John Fox said Tuesday during the AFC coaches' breakfast with the media. "I'm like, do I have a big red 'S' on my head?' " Hey, Coach, could you move your hand ... "Hey, don't you answer that!" Fox said, chuckling. It's a stretch to say Kansas City's Cassel belongs in the same class as the division's other three quarterbacks. But it's not farfetched to believe Cassel may be playing for the division's best overall team. Cassel can be efficient — he threw 27 TD passes against seven interceptions in 2010 when he led the Chiefs to a 10-6 record and division title. But in his other two seasons with the Chiefs, Cassel is a combined 8-16 with 26 TD passess and 25 interceptions. "Let him fly under the radar right now," Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said. "But Matt is looking forward to competing in (new offensive coordinator) Brian Daboll's system. Hopefully, he can be the quarterback he was in 2010 for us, when we won the division with him. He didn't turn the ball over most of that time. If we can get him to develop that consistency, he might surprise some people."

Denver Broncos still have holes to fill at defensive tackle By Mike Klis The Denver Post March 28, 2012 PALM BEACH, Fla. — Peyton Manning may be unreal. He may be a Hall of Famer in waiting. He may be in the discussion for greatest NFL quarterback of all time. But Peyton Manning can't play defensive tackle. "We've got some holes, in particular at defensive tackle," Broncos coach John Fox said Tuesday at the AFC coaches breakfast with the media. Besides looking for defensive tackles, the Broncos figure to open contract extension talks this summer with offensive lineman Ryan Clady, a left tackle who can become a free agent after the 2012 season. The Broncos might also bring back slot receiver and ex-Manning teammate Brandon Stokley, and they're trying to re-sign defensive end Jason Hunter. They also would like to add depth at tailback, linebacker and outside receiver, perhaps at strong safety. But primarily they need to fortify the defensive tackle position. Brodrick Bunkley left Denver as a free agent and signed with the New Orleans Saints (a five-year contract worth $22.5 million, including $8.9 million guaranteed). Marcus Thomas is weighing Denver's offer against two others. Ryan McBean is hoping Denver District Court will stay his six-game suspension by the NFL. Mitch Unrein and Ty Warren are on the Denver roster. Big improvement. With compensation draft picks announced, the Broncos improved 44 slots — from No. 232 in the seventh round to No. 188 in the sixth — by taking the New York Jets' trade offer for quarterback Tim Tebow. The Broncos also received the Jets' fourth-round pick, No. 108. Had they taken Jacksonville's trade offer, the Broncos would have picked seven slots higher in the fourth round, at No. 101 overall, but wouldn't have had the sixth-round pick. The draft value board, which assigns point values to draft positions, said the Jets and Jaguars pretty much were offering the same deal. But the Broncos went with the Jets for two reasons — one was Tebow, the other was the Broncos.

"The Jets had a great plan for him, and based on the conversations Coach Fox had with Tim, we wanted to do right by the player," said Broncos GM Brian Xanders. "And we looked at it as two players are better than one if you hit on them." Fox was asked about Tebow during the breakfast, and his answers weren't just politically correct. Fox genuinely likes Tebow. "I would never bet against him," Fox said. "He gets it. He's a great teammate. He doesn't have a lot of wrong answers, let me put it that way. When we said Tim was going to be our starting quarterback going into the season, that wasn't a lie. It's a fluid process. Things change. "We had an opportunity to get Peyton Manning. We had no idea of that at the end of our season." Footnotes. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell joined the Broncos' staff dinner Monday night. Goodell sat next to Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and across from frontoffice boss John Elway. ... Among the rule changes that figure to pass today: expansion of offseason rosters from 80 to 90 players and moving the trade deadline back two weeks to after Week 8 of the regular season.

Broncos coach John Fox talks Peyton Manning, Tim Tebow at NFL coaches breakfast By Mike Klis The Denver Post March 27, 2012 PALM BEACH, Fla. — Despite the early hour — 5:15 a.m. MDT is early for the worm, never mind the bird — John Fox was his usual jovial self during the AFC coaches breakfast. What, Peyton Manning was supposed to put him in a bad mood? The coach was asked: What's the plan now that for the first time in your 11-year head coaching career, you have a quarterback the caliber of Manning? "Play him," Fox said. Fox was here at the NFL annual meetings, along with front-office boss John Elway, when he got word that Denver Post photographer John Leyba saw Manning taking snaps Monday from center J.D. Walton and throwing passes Monday to Eric Decker and Julius Thomas at Valor Christian High School. "I did hear about that," Fox said. "It's unfortunate we couldn't offer better security at our facility, but we're not allowed to do that. He's that guy. He's going to round them up and get 'em working. "I wish we could be more helpful. But that's not what we're allowed to do so we won't do it." Broncos coaches cannot have instructional contact with players until conditioning begins April 16. (Teams with new head coaches can start April 2). Until then, players can't practice at their team facility. And so Manning got together with some of the guys at Valor, where the athletic facilities in some ways are an upgrade compared to those at Dove Valley. "At least last year you kind of knew you couldn't see them," Fox said. "Well now there's no lockout, we have labor peace for 10 years, and you still can't see them. As coaches you adjust. It's different. That's one of those things where maybe some of us coaches didn't handle it as well as we could. Maybe we had them in too much. Maybe that's one of the reasons we can't have them at all now." Fox was asked several questions about quarterback Tim Tebow,

who led the Broncos to the playoffs last season, but was recently traded to the New York Jets. "When we said Tim Tebow was going to be our starting quarterback going into the season, that wasn't a lie," Fox said. "It's a fluid process. Things change. We had an opportunity to get Peyton Manning. We had no idea of that at the end of our season. ""We had an opportunity to get a great player like Peyton — that makes you adjust. Tim did some great things for us a year ago and I know I'll be forever grateful for his efforts. We started off 1-4 and we were able to win our division, make the playoffs, have a very exciting victory in our stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers. So he took that step for us and now he's moved on and we wish him nothing but the best."

Bowlen for dollars: How the Broncos are spending in NFL free agency By Mike Klis The Denver Post March 28, 2012 Remember that $40 million in salary cap space the Broncos had entering the 2012 offseason? They figured out how to spend it. In the past 10 days, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has invested nearly $140 million in nine players. A look at how the Broncos have spent during this free agency period, with their total contract and how much they count against the cap in 2012: Peyton Manning, QB … 5 years, $96 million … $18 million Joe Mays, MLB* … 3 years, $12 million … $4 million Joel Dreessen, TE … 3 years, $8.5 million … $4 million Jacob Tamme, TE … 3 years, $8 million … $3.5 million Tracy Porter, CB … 1 year, $4 million … $4 million Mike Adams, S … 2 years, $4 million … $2 million Wesley Woodyard, LB* … 2 years, $4 million … $2 milion Andre Caldwell, WR … 2 years, $1.8 million … $900,000** Caleb Hanie, QB … 1 year, $1.25 million … $1.25 million*** Totals … $139.55 million … $39.65 million * – Bronco free agents who were re-signed. ** – $200,000 of Caldwell‘s salary is guaranteed. *** – Hanie has no guaranteed money.

Seven things we learned from Manning's courtship By Gregg Rosenthal NFL.com March 27, 2012 I love reading about football almost as much as writing about it. It never gets old. The beauty of managing this blog is that I get to share the best stuff with you. It will be hard to find a more thorough, fascinating bit of reporting to share than Peter King's piece on the Peyton Manning courtship in this week's Sports Illustrated. So go read it yourself, then come back here for the seven lessons I drew from it. 1. Manning was the one conducting the interviews One of my favorite nuggets came at the very beginning of the article. Peyton Manning asked Broncos coordinators Mike McCoy and Jack Del Rio if they were "one and done" in Denver, using the Broncos as a stepping stone to a head-coaching job. 2. Manning likes stats The Broncos came prepared with numbers to help assuage some natural fears about playing in Denver. With some help from his PR staff, John Fox pointed out that the average temperature for Broncos home games is 60.1 degrees. Fox also pointed out that his teams are 39-3 when teams score 26 points or more. Manning's teams have averaged 26 points throughout his career. 3. John Elway was the right guy for the job Broncos owner Pat Bowlen's hire of Elway paid off huge over the last few weeks. Elway knew what Manning wanted to hear. "There's got to be a dagger in your gut right now," Elway told Manning when they met. "Take your time. Be thorough. Make the right decision, whether it's us or someone else." Elway had the confidence to understand the situation and not act desperate. "I never asked him who was in it or where we ranked. I just know if I was in his shoes, I'd know how I'd want to be treated. And that's how I tried to treat Peyton." 4. Manning had interest in the Redskins Manning learned of the Redskins' trade for the No. 2 draft pick while visiting the Broncos. He reportedly was stunned, but he still met with Mike Shanahan the next day as a courtesy. During that meeting, Elway had some fun with the process by sending his former coach a text.

"Hey, Mike, put in a good word for us with Peyton," the text read. 5. Manning does not like surprises Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider flew to Denver unannounced to show how serious they were. That type of move might work on college players, but Manning didn't appreciate it. He never met with the Seahawks. 6. Manning has one small regret "I wish I hadn't gotten so close to (Mike Munchak)," Manning said. "That was a tough call. Same with Jim Harbaugh." Based on that sentence above, it sounds like the Titans were the runners-up for Manning's services. 7. Manning has to be in control From the interviews to the location of the meetings, Manning ran this show. He dodged media when he met with the Dolphins by meeting in Indianapolis. His buddy, Brandon Stokley, yelled "jogger!" or "cyclist!" when a civilian passed by their informal workout in Denver. That way, Manning could hide the football until the players were alone again. This is why Peyton Manning is Peyton Manning. Now he's set to run the Broncos with one credo in mind, courtesy of George S. Patton: "Make a decision and do it like hell."

Broncos' Fox embraces change with Manning's arrival By Marc Sessler NFL.com March 27, 2012 No team in football has undergone as wild a transition this month as the Denver Broncos, who woke up one morning with Peyton Manning -- and not Tim Tebow -at quarterback. Last season, questions of how to best use Tebow on offense pestered coach John Fox, a challenge the Broncos adapted to. When asked how he'll proceed with star quarterback Peyton Manning, Fox did not lack clarity. "Play him," Fox deadpanned to the team's official website, content to offer nothing more. After all, this is Peyton Manning -- what more needs to be said? Fox said he was "forever grateful" to Tebow, who led the team to an AFC West title and an electric win over the Steelers in the playoffs. That victory, however -- in which Tebow exhibited prowess with the deep ball -masked mind-boggling issues on offense down the stretch. Fox and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy have shown a flair for adaptability, and the patched-together Florida offense will be ripped from the playbook to give Manning something familiar to work with. That change, of course, is made less painful when the new face in the locker room is a four-time MVP who's never thrown for less than 26 touchdowns in a season. In an unusual twist, it might be Tebow's unusual skill-set, and how Denver adapted to it in 2011, that served as a selling point for Manning -- and Timmy's ticket out of town. "I think (Manning) was aware of that, and, you'd have to ask him, but that could have been a factor," Fox said. "... He's done a certain way for 14 years, and obviously had great success, so we'd kind of be silly if we wouldn't take some of what he's done in the past and utilize his strengths ... and of course that came up."

Manning-led Broncos reportedly could open season on NBC NFL.com March 27, 2012 The Denver Broncos are readying themselves for a schedule chalk full of prime time games, and they've reportedly received word that they could be thrust into the spotlight as soon as Week 1. The team has been informed that there's a strong chance that it will be chosen to kickoff NBC's "Sunday Night Football" slate Sept. 9, according to The Denver Post. With Peyton Manning now the starting quarterback, the Broncos seem to know that they'll be a coveted team by ESPN and NBC this year, and they're letting their fans know to expect to see the team in prime time. "Our fans should get ready for more night games," Broncos president Joe Ellis told The Post. "Home and road." The Broncos had two games in prime time last season: a Week 1 game against the Oakland Raiders on "Monday Night Football" on ESPN, and a Week 11 tilt against the New York Jets on NFL Network.

Elway-Manning pairing deemed 'powerful' By Bill Williamson ESPN.com March 27, 2012 Gary Kubiak has backed up and coached John Elway. He has been a long-time competitor of Peyton Manning. Kubiak is worried about Elway and Manning combining forces in Denver, where the veteran quarterback signed last week. Here is what Kubiak, head coach of the Houston Texans, thinks of the pairing: "That's a hell of a combination there,‖ Kubiak said the NFL owners meetings. ―That's powerful. It's great for their organization. It's a big move by John and the organization on this guy, probably the greatest quarterback ever to play the game. He seems healthy, ready to go, so it's a big move by them. They've got a good football team already. They're sitting in the playoffs last year. Their defense played well over the course of the season. ―I think everybody had better worry about it. It's a very powerful combination." Other AFC West news: ESPN‘s John Clayton reports that the Chargers are continuing to talk to their free-agent defensive tackle Antonio Garay. Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel told the Kansas City Star that his team has no glaring holes and will wait until after the draft to see where it stands at nose tackle. San Diego coach Norv Turner likes being under the radar in the AFC West chase. Unless there is a dramatic change, it appears Cincinnati defensive end/linebacker Manny Lawson will not be signing with the Raiders. Oakland is looking for a starting strongside linebacker, and may wait for the draft to get one. Another player in whom Oakland has reportedly shown interest, Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson, reportedly will visit the Packers. Adam Caplan reports that Cincinnati backup linebacker and special-teams player Dan Skuta visited the Chiefs. He is a restricted free agent, but Kansas City would not owe the Bengals any compensation if the Chiefs signed him to one because he was an undrafted free agent. The Raiders will reportedly have a pre-draft visit with Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman, a good run-stuffer from a great defense. All teams typically conduct several pre-draft meetings, so a visit with a college player might not necessarily mean much.

John Fox talks from the owners meetings By Bill Williamson ESPN.com March 27, 2012

Thanks to the Broncos‘ PR staff for sending out a transcript from coach John Fox‘s media session at the owners meetings in Florida on Monday. Let‘s look at some of the highlights (you can guess what was the focus of the session): On Peyton Manning‘s impact on the offense: ―As he would tell you, he‘s done it a certain way for 14 years and obviously had great success. We‘d kind of be silly if we wouldn‘t take some of what he‘s done in the past and utilize his strengths and comfort zone. I think that was a factor and of course that came up. He hadn‘t been through the process in so long, being in one place, I thought he did a terrific job in handling that.‖ My take: Fox is going to hand the keys to the Denver offense to Manning and let him do his thing. It‘s the right call. On Manning organizing workouts with Broncos players: ―I did hear about that. He‘s that guy. He‘s going to round them up and get them working. I do know that much about his reputation in the past.‖ My take: It‘s one of the reasons why Denver signed Manning. He takes control of the team, and the Broncos are thrilled about it. On whether the Broncos will pass more than his offenses have before: ―I think it‘s hard to compare, but if you look at the past, he has had great success in that area. I think sometimes what defines you as a quarterback, is your ability to convert on third downs and he‘s had a pretty good history in that area. Tim [Tebow] is going to develop, as I said even before we traded him, he‘s a young player that is getting better at maybe the hardest position in sports to compete at. He‘s just going to get better. I‘m not changing my tune just because he‘s not with us anymore. I think the Jets got a heck of a player and he‘ll grow and develop there. He ran the ball more last year than maybe [ever] in my head coaching and all of a sudden I was innovative (laughing). I didn‘t quite get that one either.‖ My take: This is the reason why Manning was pursued. The Broncos want to be a pass-oriented offense and in Manning, they have the offense they are looking to run. On how much of an adjustment center J.D. Walton will have to make: ―We have a lot of strong feelings about J.D. We think he is a very good, young player. I think J.D. will really look forward to the opportunity to be with Peyton Manning. We‘ll

have time to start trying to catch up those snaps. He‘s had his share of quarterbacks already in his career, so I think he‘s looking forward to that opportunity.‖ My take: I think the Broncos caught a break when Jeff Saturday signed with Green Bay. Manning and Walton (who are already working together) will find a comfort level. Walton is part of a good, young offense. He should be the center in Denver.

Denver Broncos: draft order By Bill Williamson ESPN.com March 27, 2012

The official draft order for each NFL team has been announced. In the coming hours, we will look at all four AFC West‘s draft classes, but here is where Denver selects: Denver's Picks in NFL Draft Round Overall Pick 1

25

2

57

3

87

4

108

4

120

5

137

6

188

My take: Denver has five picks in the first 120 picks. That‘s pretty solid. I think we will see the Broncos take a defensive tackle at No. 25 and maybe a running back at No. 57. If an interesting quarterback prospect falls, perhaps Denver will use one of its fourth-round picks on one.

Peyton Manning's Long Game The behind-the-scenes story of how the most prized free agent in NFL history hit the recruiting trail—and how he ended up a Denver Bronco By Peter King SI.com March 28, 2012 I don't know what to do. What does a free agent do? —PEYTON MANNING, March 7, to his quarterback mentor and friend, David Cutcliffe This doesn't happen to legends with time left on the clock. Legends who can play—and Peyton Manning can still play, if his neck holds up—don't jet across the country from one city to the next in a two-week span to showcase themselves. And let teams showcase themselves to him. Manning, the highest profile free agent in NFL history, interviewed the teams that wanted him as much as they asked questions of him. In a meeting with the Broncos on March 9 the four-time league MVP turned to coach John Fox's two chief aides, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, and inquired, "What about you guys? You one and done?" Meaning: Will you take the first head-coaching offer you get if we have success here in 2012? The question surprised both men. Del Rio, fired as the Jaguars' coach three months earlier, said all he wanted to do was get back to hand-on coaching and away from the politics of the top job. McCoy said he turned down one head-coaching interview last year because it didn't feel right; he said he'd leave only for the right job. On March 20, Manning was formally introduced as the Broncos' quarterback. There's been much speculation as to why he chose Denver over a team with a regional, nostalgic edge (Tennessee, where he'd gone to college) or a clearly better roster (San Francisco, which came within a game of the Super Bowl last season). The reason can be summed up in a word: familiarity. Familiarity with Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback who won two Super Bowls in his late 30s and with whom Manning shared a clear mutual respect. Familiarity, too, with Fox, a former college recruiter who put his skills of persuasion to good use; and with Del Rio, against whom Manning competed for years when Del Rio was coaching Jacksonville in the AFC South. Familiarity with good friend and Denver resident Brandon Stokley, the former Colts receiver, who hosted Manning on his two trips to Colorado during the process (and who might be in camp with the Broncos this summer). Familiarity with the teams on Denver's schedule in 2012, franchises Manning has faced a total of 93 times. "From talking with Peyton during the process," said Tony Dungy, his former

coach with the Colts, "I sensed Denver was the closest thing he could find to what he had in Indianapolis." And this: Manning likes to be in control. Of everything. In this process, he was. Elway played the game perfectly by doing precisely what Manning wanted him to do—make your case, then stay out of the way while I make my call. The story of Manning's stressful fortnight of freedom includes misdirection car rides, secret meetings and workouts, and words of wisdom from trusted confidants. Here's how it went down. CUT DAY AND THE DAY AFTER March 7--8 After an emotional farewell news conference in Indianapolis on the seventh, Manning spent an hour with 30 longtime Colts employees. "Maintenance, secretaries, equipment guys, everybody who'd been there a long time," he said. "Some guys leave a place after a long time, and they're bitter. Not me. But it was important for me to get closure." He then flew to Miami, where he and his wife, Ashley, have a vacation home, and was annoyed to be chased by local news crews and a helicopter as if he were O.J. riding up the 405. One of his first phone calls that night was from Fox, who told Manning that the Broncos would love to have him visit when he was ready. From his 10 years working the phones and living rooms of recruits for eight college programs, Fox knows one of the keys is to get in on the ground floor. Manning was uncertain what he would do—as recently as the day before he was released he had thought that he and the Colts might work things out—but his decision wasn't going to be about money. It was going to be about picking a place where he'd feel comfortable early on because of how quickly he'd have to mesh with a new team. "He sounded bothered that night," Fox said. "Wasn't in his comfort zone." THE FIRST WEEKEND MARCH 9--11 There's a nifty website, flightaware.com, that allows users to enter the tail number of a private plane and follow its movements around the country. Thus it was discovered that the Cessna Citation X twin-engine jet belonging to Broncos owner Pat Bowlen had flown to Miami early on March 9, stopped in Stillwater, Okla.— where a Broncos delegation that included Elway, Fox and McCoy was watching Oklahoma State's pro day—and landed at an airport in suburban Englewood, Colo. After disembarking from the plane with Manning, the party traveled to the team facility two miles away, pursued by a media armada. From the start it was apparent that Elway would be the Broncos' greatest asset. He had won back-to-back Super Bowls with Denver at ages 37 and 38, after many thought he was finished. Manning is 36. "How many people in the world can identify with what Peyton's going through right now?" said former NFL safety John Lynch, a

friend of both men. "A very small handful. John's one of them. I saw it in their conversations. They really connected." Fox had Broncos p.r. man Patrick Smyth address two elements he thought would be used against Denver in the bidding—that its defense would hurt Manning's chances of winning big and that Manning, who'd played his home games indoors since entering the league in 1998, would suffer outdoors in Denver. Smyth came up with two tidbits for Fox to use on Manning. "Do you realize," Fox asked the QB, "that the Broncos have played 519 home games, and the average temperature at kickoff has been 60.1 degrees?" That was Manning's kind of stat. As was the next. "In your 14 years in Indianapolis," Fox said, "the Colts averaged 26 points per game. In my 10 years as a head coach [with the Panthers and the Broncos], when our teams scored 26 points or more, our record is 39--3." The Broncos had planned to host a dinner for Manning that Friday night, but how to do it quietly? To dodge the media, staffers prepared seven vehicles to leave the complex at the same time. A news crew from Fox affiliate KDVR-TV followed the van that had transported Manning from the airport. When it reached a seafood place, the crew went in and asked a Broncos employee, "Where's Manning?" Not here. He'd slipped into a black SUV with tinted windows, which had taken him to Cherry Hills Country Club. There he was ready to hear Elway's sales pitch. Except Elway wasn't selling. When the Hall of Fame quarterback sat with Manning alone at the club, Elway saw a person "in shock" over being cut and imagined what it would have been like if the Broncos, for whom he played his entire career, had released him after 13 or 14 seasons. "There's got to be a dagger in your gut right now," Elway told Manning. "Take your time. Be thorough. Make the right decision, whether it's us or someone else." "I put myself in Peyton's shoes," Elway told SI on Sunday night. "No pressure. Don't give the hard sell. Let the organization speak for itself. I told him that as much as I wanted him to play for the Broncos, I knew it would be stupid if we forced him and it wasn't a good fit. That's how I'd feel." Midway through the evening Elway received a text telling him the Redskins had just pulled off a huge trade with St. Louis for the second pick in the draft, presumably to take prized Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. Elway told Manning, "Whoa— Washington just traded for the second pick. Looks like they'll get RG3." "What!?" Manning said, stunned. From that reaction, Elway knew that the Redskins had been on Manning's list. Manning slept at Stokley's house in suburban Castle Rock that night, and the next morning, Saturday, March 10, the two headed to a nearby field to get a throwing session in. When they found it in use by a lacrosse team, they switched to Plan B, a community park with a 40-yard-square field. As passers-by approached during the

workout, Stokley would yell, "Jogger!" or "Cyclist!" and he and Manning would hide the football until the person passed. That afternoon Manning had another appointment scheduled—with Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and his son Kyle, Washington's offensive coordinator. Though it made little sense after the Rams deal, the Shanahans wanted to keep the date, and Manning did. They discussed football for three hours at Shanahan's expansive house in Denver. Talk about strange connections. Shanahan had been Elway's coach for those two Super Bowls and was fired by the Broncos after the 2008 season. Now Elway ran the Broncos. As Shanahan talked with Manning, a text message popped up on the coach's phone. It was from Elway. "Hey, Mike, put in a good word for us with Peyton." All Shanahan could do was laugh. One more surprise: Manning got a call informing him that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll had flown, unannounced, with Seattle G.M. John Schneider to the airport in Englewood. Carroll would do whatever Manning wanted—talk for a while in Denver or on the plane to Arizona, his next visit, or fly him to Seattle for a lengthier discussion. Peyton Manning does not like surprises. He said no thanks. Carroll flew home. When Manning flew to Phoenix on Saturday night to meet with the Cardinals, his every move was again being tracked. Knowing now that he could be tailed wherever he went, Manning thought of a way to confuse his media pursuers. Where can I fly where there's no chance I'll play next year and where nobody will figure I'd go to meet a team? he wondered. And it occurred to him: Indianapolis! He told the Dolphins to meet him on Monday at the Indianapolis airport. In peace. THE WORK WEEK MARCH 12--16 Manning was getting into a groove throwing. During the session with Stokley in Denver he'd made 65 hard throws. On Monday in Indianapolis he had a lighter workout, with 40 passes. By Tuesday he was in Raleigh, where he could throw under the eye of David Cutcliffe, who'd been his coordinator in college and is now the coach at Duke. That night 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman came to see Manning throw on a lighted field at Duke. First they watched from a car by the side of the field, then, to get a better view, they came onto the field, hoodies pulled over their heads so as not to be recognized by some nosy iPhoner. Manning texted his mother, Olivia: "You'll never guess who I just worked out for. He was wearing a hoodie." "Bill Belichick?" she responded. Good one! Nope, Jim Harbaugh. On Wednesday, Manning flew from Raleigh to Nashville and spent six hours with the Titans' coaches; no throwing that day. On Thursday, back in Raleigh, 95 more throws with Cutcliffe. Broncos staff came to watch Friday's 55-pass workout. How did he look? "With Peyton, his release time is important, and that's right on target now," said Cutcliffe. "His velocity is right on. His arm slot is right on. His accuracy's

amazing. Obviously I'm close to him, but I've watched him throw for almost 20 years now, and I'm really excited about what I think is going to happen. He's going to be great when he needs to be great." But for whom? It was getting down to decision time. "These are not math problems," Cutcliffe told Manning. "They don't have single right answers." And he reminded Manning of a credo from their days at Tennessee in the 1990s. "Remember the Patton principle," he told Manning as they drove to the airport for Peyton's trip to Tennessee, where he would work out on Saturday for the Titans. "Yep," Peyton said, recalling Cutcliffe's George S. Patton lesson from college: "Make a decision and do it like hell." THE HOMESTRETCH MARCH 17--19 To say John Fox was nervous would be an understatement. On the morning of the 17th he texted "Happy Anniversary" to both Peyton and Ashley, who were celebrating their 11th. How did he have Ashley Manning's cell number? "Top secret," Fox said. "I recruited for 10 years in college. I was pretty good." Manning had told the Titans to meet him at the University of Tennessee football facility in Knoxville on Saturday morning. As Manning drove to the grounds, he saw reporters and camera crews and called Titans coach Mike Munchak, who was driving east on I-40 from Nashville. "The facility's packed with media," Manning said. "I didn't tell anyone!" Munchak replied. "Don't worry," said Manning. "Just keep driving, and when you get close, call me, and I'll tell you where to go." Roger Frazier, Manning's old equipment manager with the Vols, found a field at the private Webb School in Knoxville. Manning called Munchak and told him that when he got off the highway at the appointed exit, he should look for a black car at the end of the ramp and follow it. Munchak did. After a few blocks they pulled up behind another car—Manning's. No media in sight. Manning led them to the field. Though it was raining and water was pooling in one spot, Manning said, "I'm fine." Undisturbed, he threw 55 passes. Then they all went for cheeseburgers. Afterward, Manning headed for his family's cabin in Chattanooga. He spent part of the weekend calling people he trusted, then interrupted Fox's dinner on Saturday night by phone with some questions, the tenor of which neither will disclose. "Whatever you decide," Fox told him, "and I hope it's us obviously, we're fine. We appreciate being part of the process." Manning talked to another confidant, Bill Parcells, who he knew wouldn't b.s. him. He told Parcells his arm wasn't 100% yet. "You know who Jamie Moyer is?" Parcells asked, referring to the veteran lefthander who's been pitching in the majors since 1986. Manning said he did. "He's 49 years old," Parcells said. "He's not 26 anymore, but he's still getting 'em out. Can you still throw well enough to get 'em out?'

"I think I can," Manning said. "Then don't worry about it." Manning, of course, wins as much with his head as with his arm. If his arm, still weakened from the time off after four neck procedures, makes him short with a few balls, he should be able to make up for it with his intelligence—checking down, fooling the defense. Manning could play a game right now, but he wants his arm to get stronger before he has to make throws that count. His doctors have told him his strength should improve. On Saturday night Manning called Dungy to discuss the pros and cons of the three finalists: Denver, Arizona, Tennessee. Then he asked, "Are there any other things I should be thinking about?" Said Dungy, "I told him it's never going to be 100 percent. He had so many good choices, it's going to be 51--49, or maybe 50--50, and then it just comes down to a gut feeling. I told him what [Hall of Fame coach] Chuck Noll told me a long time ago: When you're making an important life decision, make sure it's without regard to money, title or position. Make sure it's about who you're going to be working with and how much you'll enjoy being there."

Dungy could sense that Manning was leaning toward Denver. "He felt good about Elway, about Mr. Bowlen, about Fox, about the offensive coordinator," Dungy said. "And I think he just wanted confirmation that he wasn't making a mistake." Look at the teams that fell short, and you see familiar faces. Manning's dad, Archie, played with Munchak late in his career in Houston. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is a golfing buddy of Manning's and once coached Peyton at the Pro Bowl. Harbaugh preceded Manning as quarterback in Indianapolis. The point men for all were former players. Look at the teams that wanted in but were cut out. Kansas City: Manning knows G.M. Scott Pioli but isn't close to anyone there. Seattle: no strong relationships. The Jets and Miami: ditto. Washington was a little different because Manning knows and respects Mike Shanahan, but the draft deal with the Rams ended that. On Sunday, Manning knew he was choosing Denver. On Monday he made the phone calls. "I wish I hadn't gotten so close to Munch," Manning said. "That was a tough call. Same with Jim Harbaugh." When he called Elway to tell him the good news, Elway and Fox were discussing whether to make one final push for Manning. Elway answered the phone and gave Fox a thumbs-up. "I almost pulled both hamstrings," Fox said. On Tuesday, Manning met the press at the Broncos' facility in Englewood and held up his new orange number 18 jersey. When he finished almost three hours later, he walked down the stairs and into the locker room, put on Broncos shorts and a

Broncos T-shirt and began working out. He followed that routine for the next three days. Now it was Sunday night, in Palm Beach, Fla., at the league meetings, and Elway was trying to process it all. He'd just pulled off his biggest win since his last game in a Denver uniform, the Super Bowl XXXIII victory over the Falcons. Why did Manning pick Denver? "I really don't know," Elway said. "I never asked him. I never asked him who was in it or where we ranked. I just know if I was in his shoes, I'd know how I'd want to be treated. And that's how I tried to treat Peyton." It worked.

The Road From Indy To Denver By Peter King SI.com March 28, 2012 Even as Peyton Manning built on his Hall of Fame career, a series of events stretching back nearly six years would eventually lead to the momentous move that shook the NFL last week OCTOBER 2006 In a Week 7 game, Redskins defensive ends Phillip Daniels and Andre Carter highlow Manning; he is bent backward, his helmet twisting off as he spins headfirst to the turf. Tony Dungy, then the Colts' coach, would later point to the hit as the beginning of Manning's neck problems. FEBRUARY 2007 In a driving South Florida rain, Manning throws for 247 yards and a touchdown and is named MVP as the Colts defeat the Bears 29--17 in Super Bowl XLI. Two weeks later he agrees to restructure the last four years of his seven-year, $98 million contract. JULY 2008 Manning has surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee. He misses most of training camp and sits out the preseason games before returning for the season opener, his 161st straight start. OCTOBER 2008 During the broadcast of Indy's Week 6 game against the Ravens, CBS's Jim Nantz and Phil Simms report that Manning had a second surgery on his knee before the season began. Dungy confirms the report the next day. FEBRUARY 2010 Saints coordinator Gregg Williams says in a radio interview that his defense will have to get some "remember me" shots on Manning in Super Bowl XLIV. They don't, but Indy still falls 31--17. MARCH 2010 Manning undergoes neck surgery to repair what the Colts call a pinched nerve, a condition that the team says "has existed intermittently for the past four years." The Colts say medical personnel believe the operation has resolved the problem. FEBRUARY 2011

The Colts place the franchise tag on their QB, assuring him of a one-year contract worth $23 million in 2011. A month later Manning is one of 10 players named in the lockout-related lawsuit against the league. MAY 2011 Manning again has surgery, this time to remove part of a bulging disk in his neck. Recovery is expected to take six to eight weeks, but a setback means Manning will not be ready for the season opener, ending his consecutive games streak at 208. SEPTEMBER 2011 Manning has yet another surgery, a cervical neck fusion, on Sept. 8. Nine days later Fox's Jay Glazer reports that Manning flew to Europe for stem cell therapy in a failed bid to get back on the field. Indy will go a league-worst 2--14 in his absence. MARCH 2012 A month after watching his little brother, Eli, win the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, Peyton Manning is released by the Colts. "I have no idea who wants me," he says in an emotional press conference. Plenty of teams do; on March 20 he is introduced by John Elway as the new QB of the Broncos.

Best of the Firsts, No. 7: Champ Bailey SI.com March 27, 2012 As part of our offseason coverage, we‘re taking a look back at some of the best first-round draft picks since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. We‘ll work our way up the draft board, starting with the best selection made with the No. 32 pick and ending with the top No. 1 pick. Track all the choices here. The No. 7 Pick: Champ Bailey, 1999, Redskins His Credentials: 11-time Pro Bowl selection, six-time All-Pro, named to NFL‘s AllDecade Team for the 2000s, 50 career interceptions, member of Broncos‘ 50th anniversary team Others in Consideration: Adrian Peterson (2007, Vikings); Thomas Jones (2000, Cardinals); Bryant Young (1994, 49ers); Sterling Sharpe (1988, Packers); Phil Simms (1979, Giants) The downtrodden Jacksonville Jaguars could use a standout pick at No. 7 in this year‘s draft. But buyer beware … The No. 7 slot is rife with busts since the 1970 league merger — Larry Burton and Joe Campbell by the Saints, Reggie Rogers and Andre Ware by the Lions, Philadelphia‘s Mike Mamula, Minnesota‘s Troy Williamson, possibly even Oakland‘s Darrius Heyward-Bey. There are 13 players selected seventh overall who started for two years or fewer in the NFL. Champ Bailey‘s biggest competition for this spot on our countdown came from two sources: Phil Simms and Adrian Peterson. Simms threw for more than 33,000 yards in a career that lasted from 1979-93 and saw him win two Super Bowls (plus one Super Bowl MVP). Peterson, meanwhile, has established himself as arguably the best running back in the league, accumulating more than 8,000 total yards in just five seasons. If he stays healthy and keeps on that pace, he‘ll surpass both Bailey and Simms. But as things stand now, Bailey has the best shot to break the No. 7 pick‘s Hall of Fame drought, once he retires and serves the required waiting period. No seventhoverall pick has made the Hall since 1970, and just one No. 7 selection in NFL Draft history (Bulldog Turner, 1940) has a bust in Canton. Why does Bailey have a shot to rewrite that history? Well, as his cornerback-record 11 Pro Bowls indicate, Bailey has long been one of the league‘s premier pass-defenders. He led the league in interceptions during the

2006 season with 10, part of 50 career picks he has, and continues to excel at age 33. The most recent evidence of that came in Denver‘s wild-card round playoff game against Pittsburgh last season. In that 29-23 Broncos win, Bailey drew the assignment of covering the Steelers‘ Mike Wallace. Ben Roethlisberger targeted Wallace, his leading receiver, 10 times. Wallace came down with just three of those passes for a paltry 26 yards. It was just the latest in a long line of shut-down performances from Bailey. ―He‘s one of the very best in the history of the league at playing cornerback,‖ Patriots QB Tom Brady said during the 2011 season. ―He plays well against all styles of receivers, too. It‘s not like you go in there saying, ‗Let‘s figure out if Champ can beat us,‘ because he usually can.‖ Unlike a lot of cornerbacks, Bailey also is not afraid to get his nose dirty — he has three seasons with more than 80 tackles under his belt. There‘s very little that Bailey cannot do, even as he heads deep into his career. The No. 7 spot in the NFL Draft has not produced a ton of elite players, but Bailey, first with the Redskins and later with the Broncos, has helped raise the bar.

Peyton Manning's methodical job hunt By Jarrett Bell USA Today March 27, 2012 ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Peyton Manning sounded relieved. It was his first day at work on a new job, and in so many ways this moment took way too long to arrive. He was a bit anxious, too. Standing in a lobby on the second floor of Denver Broncos headquarters, Manning was clutching the bright orange jersey presented to him at an introductory news conference a couple of hours earlier. But now his blue, pinstriped jacket was off. He was a few minutes closer to hitting the weight room, which had practical, symbolic and emotional significance after nearly two weeks in official limbo and an exhaustive search to find a new team following 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. It was only March, something the Broncos trainers had reminded the 36-year-old quarterback, who is out to prove that he is the Manning that you remember. "They know that it bothers me that I'm not where I want to be yet," Manning said. "They feel they have a good strength program to help me in this process. I did think that the sooner I could get somewhere and get back into a routine, that would help me. That's another reason why I'm so glad to be here." Routine has always been crucial for Manning, a foundation for the precision that has made him a special quarterback. Everything must be in order, methodical, consistent and controlled. While such a nature has contributed to Manning's reputation for obsession, he ultimately kills opponents with it. Yet now, in some ways, he also wants to rush the calendar. Manning is the only man who has been named MVP four times. He has passed for 54,828 yards and 399 touchdowns, third most in NFL history in both categories. His 141 victories as a starter ranks fourth all time, with a winning percentage (.678) that is best among any of the five quarterbacks who have won 125 games. No quarterback has earned more Pro Bowl selections than Manning (11), produced more 4,000-yard seasons (11), notched more 300-yard games (63) or had more seasons with 25 or more passing TDs (13). He also has had four neck operations. That underscores the risk factor with this deal. The Broncos signed Manning to a five-year, $96 million contract that includes the league's highest average salary ($19.2 million), confident of a complete comeback.

The contract, with no signing bonus, includes a guaranteed $18 million for 2012, with $20 million salaries for 2013 and '14 guaranteed if Manning passes a neck exam 10 days before the opening of free agency. "People keep saying 'four neck surgeries,' but it was one surgery and call it what you want, but three other 'procedures,' " Manning said. The procedures, which left small incision scars on the front and back of his neck, occurred over a 19-month span and caused him to miss the 2011 season. The major operation, anterior fusion surgery, was performed Sept. 8. Typically, the surgery — addressing pinched nerves — involves the removal of soft disk tissue between vertebrae and fusing the bones with a graft. Manning remains in rehab mode, seeking to regain complete strength in his recordproducing right arm and banking on the nerves to fully regenerate as doctors expect. Along the way, he has learned much about the nuances of an injured neck. "Too much," he said. One of the perks of Manning's free agent search was the additional opinions about his physical condition. In addition to gauging his arm during workouts, each of the finalists gave Manning positive feedback as they passed him on exams. "It was kind of liberating to me to say, 'Here it is. It's on y'all now.' And nobody blinked," said Manning, who started 208 consecutive games before the injury. "They all said the same thing, that I'm on a good track. I can't defend the MRI, or defend the throwing in trying to sell myself. So it was open book, cards on the table. 'Here's what the throwing looks like. Here's the medical. You tell me.' " How close is his arm to being 100%? "I can't put a percentage on it," Manning said. "It's not where I want it to be. Could you win a game with it? Yeah, I think I can. But there are no games here in March. I've come a long way, but I have some work to do. Getting into a routine and not traveling from here to there, sleeping in different beds, will help." Big decision When Manning woke up on the third Monday in March, he was in a familiar physical environment, if not in the typical mental space. He was at home in Indianapolis, two days after celebrating his wedding anniversary with his wife, Ashley. And, finally, he was a man who had made up his mind. He chose the Broncos over the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans. "I didn't feel like it was right to just do this to get it over with," he said. "I felt like I had to get some peace about it, get some comfort. In some ways, I wish I wouldn't have gotten to know some of the teams as well as I did, because I liked everything about a lot of them."

Manning worked out for the three finalists and also visited with the Arizona Cardinals in Tempe and with the Miami Dolphins in Indianapolis. The New York Jets and Washington Redskins were early candidates. In the case of the Redskins, their push seemingly ended before it started when they traded for the No. 2 pick in the draft, which they will likely use to take quarterback Robert Griffin III. Manning learned of the deal while having dinner with Elway — and the night before meetng with Redskins coach Mike Shanahan in Denver, according to Sports Illustrated. Manning kept the meeting and talked football with Shanahan, who coached Elway for four seasons. The more information Manning collected, the more difficult the choice became. He connected with Titans coach Mike Munchak and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, just as he had bonded with John Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback who heads Broncos football operations. "I was gravitating to some of the ex-players," Manning said of narrowing his list. "But the deeper you go in, the harder it was to say no. And you could only pick one place. I remember feeling this way coming out of high school. You want to go to all of them." Manning liked what he heard from Munchak, a Hall of Fame lineman who has an extreme appreciation for protecting quarterbacks. He could also relate to Harbaugh, the competitive ex-quarterback whom he succeeded with the Colts. Decisions, decisions. It is difficult for Manning to identify a single factor that tipped the scale. Surely, it wasn't money. The Titans would have exceeded the Broncos' package, and team owner Bud Adams said he would have given Manning a lifetime job. "I had flattering offers," Manning said. "At some point, you have to narrow it to certain things, and it starts with football." It wasn't about joining the team seemingly best-positioned for a championship. The 49ers, coming off an NFC title-game loss, have one of the league's best defenses and a potent rushing attack powered by Frank Gore. In free agency, they upgraded their receiving corps and enlisted seemingly hungry Randy Moss. "People were saying, 'You didn't go to San Francisco because they are in the NFC.' That's not true," said Manning, dismissing the notion that he wouldn't want to face his brother, Eli, in any postseason game other than a Super Bowl. "I know they are in the NFC. I know the conferences. I wouldn't have gone into it that deep if that were the case. "And I know the Titans are in the AFC South. It wasn't that I didn't want to play the Colts twice a year. Every interest that was there, I was sincere about it."

In the end, it came down to feeling comfortable. At the news conference, Manning talked of finding an organizational fit with the Broncos, of waking up that Monday with a gut feeling that reinforced what he felt the previous night and wanted to sleep on. Explaining this, he catches himself. "You've got to be careful saying stuff," he said. "If you had the comfort here, does it mean, 'Well, you didn't have it there?' It was more, 'Every place, I wanted to go.' " Perhaps that's why the decision came with such anguish. By the time Manning called Elway — who was huddled in his office with Broncos coach John Fox that Monday morning — he had phoned Munchak, Adams and 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and informed them that he wasn't coming aboard. "He sounded so tired," Elway said. Manning told Elway that it had been a rough morning, because he had called the other teams. "I froze, and all I thought was, 'I wonder what number we are?' " Elway said. " 'Are we one, two or what?' " After Manning uttered the news, Elway flashed a thumbs-up sign to Fox, who literally jumped for joy. With Elway on the phone, Fox muffled his excitement — barely. "Almost pulled both hamstrings," Fox said of his impromptu reaction. Fox exceeded expectations during his first year at the helm as he turned over the offense to Tim Tebow— teaming with coordinator Mike McCoy to fashion an offense that was built around the type of run-pass options that Tebow flourished in at Florida — and produced an unexpected AFC West title. Yet in the hours before the Manning decision came down, Fox was antsy. He didn't sleep well Sunday and came to the office early Monday morning. Fox was prodding Elway about what to do next in the pursuit of Manning — sit tight and wait or call him back? — when the phone rang. "Two days felt like two weeks," Fox said of anticipating Manning's decision. On the other end of the line, Manning was pressed as well. Although news media reports suggested Manning wanted to find a new team within a week of his release from the Colts, the process was not going to be rushed. Yet time was not exactly Manning's ally. "I called a lot of people," he said. "It was like, 'Just tell me where to go.' "

In the end, Manning knew it was his decision alone. Ashley didn't have a preference. The Mannings are parents to twins, Marshall and Mosley, who are nearly a year old. "She was OK with whatever I came up with," Peyton said of Ashley. "They're all great places to live. She knew I had to get to know the football part of it and get comfortable with that." While there was no hard deadline to make the call, he intuitively knew the importance of the timing. "I was starting to feel the heat from these other teams," he said. "I felt they were under the gun. And I just don't like anybody being hung out there." That includes fellow quarterbacks. Manning said the ripple effect of his decision gnawed at him. The 49ers didn't re-sign Alex Smith, who had visited Miami as a free agent, until Manning made his decision. The Titans would have had to move veteran Matt Hasselbeck, with second-year pro Jake Locker in the wings, to accommodate Manning's arrival. And a day after Manning signed, the Broncos traded Tebow to the New York Jets. "I hate the part about it that other quarterbacks were affected," Manning said. "I'm in that fraternity. Somebody's going to have my old job in Indianapolis. I just wanted to go somewhere and play, and I didn't know how else to do it. "I hope those guys understand. I'll reach out to all of them at some point, when I get to breathe. I hope they don't hold it against me. I wish it all could have been under the radar." Containment policy As the most prominent player to hit the open market since Reggie White in 1993, Manning realized that his desire for a low-key search for a new team was wishful thinking. Even so, he was determined to keep the search as private as possible, one reason why there was little in the way of public comments coming from prominent figures in the Manning camp, such as his father, Archie, and his agent, Tom Condon. Manning said he didn't even talk to Condon for four days during one stretch of his search. He went solo during his visits with the teams, and was so hands-on in controlling the process that he arranged much of the logistical planning directly with the teams. Yet that approach couldn't prevent what happened when he flew to Miami, hours after bidding farewell to about 30 Colts employees during a post-news conference reception on the day he was released. Manning saw the reception as a fitting piece of closure on his way out of Indianapolis, where the timing of his departure was tied to a $28 million roster

bonus due March 8 — and the franchise's ability to rebuild around Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who is expected to be drafted No. 1 overall in April. Upon his arrival in Miami, where he has an offseason home, Manning quickly discovered the intensity of the news media coverage. He was even trailed by a news helicopter. Soon after, Fox called. "He was blown away," Fox said. "It was a paparazzi-like event when he landed there. We talked about that first. I was just kind of seeing how he was doing." Then there was the other matter. "I also wanted to feel him out, see what his plans were," Fox said. Fox watched Manning's farewell news conference on a television in his office and called a staff meeting to discuss the pursuit of Manning. With the initial call, Manning made the decision to kick off his tour with a visit to the Broncos. "I didn't know if that was going to work for us or against us," Fox said. It worked. Manning's connection with Elway was a key component to the comfort level he found with the Broncos. Elway told Manning to take his time in deciding and that he could relate to the emotions that come with spending his entire career with the Colts. That laid-back approach appealed to Manning. Yet the vibe with Fox and the coaching staff was significant in its own right. While Fox has a defensive background, his style as a head coach is stamped by a willingness to adapt. With Manning in the fold, the Broncos will transition from a read-option scheme to an up-tempo system that plays to the strengths of the quarterback. Manning likely will continue to go to the line of scrimmage, scan the defense and choose from run or pass options on every play. And Fox envisions extensive use of a no-huddle offense, which could add to whatever home-field advantage that comes with opposing defenses tiring in the high altitude. Of course, much rides on whether Manning regains his health and resembles the star quarterback he has been for years. Fox says he's not worried, not after seeing Manning confirm his condition during the private workout for the Broncos.

Manning, meanwhile, talks of chasing another Super Bowl and allowing his performance to prove that his big decision was correct. "I've really tried to have a good attitude about this, tried to have peace," Manning said. "I've prayed a lot about it, just trying to say there's a reason for this. So many players have been hurt. Going back to high school, this is the first time it has happened to me. So really, you just try to deal with it."

John Fox confirms: Broncos will run their offense Peyton Manning’s way By Doug Farrar Yahoo! Sports March 27, 2012 The Denver Broncos received a great deal of justified praise for scrapping their traditional NFL offense and going with an option-variety set of schemes once Tim Tebow took over. By bending to Tebow's strengths and limitations, John Fox's team won a playoff game after a 1-4 start in Fox's first season as head coach in Denver. Now that Fox has Peyton Manning on his roster, one would expect that things will be done as Manning did them for over a decade in Indianapolis -- once he got up to speed on the NFL, Manning became the Colts' de facto offensive coordinator -deciding which play would be run at the line of scrimmage, assuring that his offensive teammates were lined up where they should be, and taking charge of offensive alignments even in practice. Most veteran quarterbacks do this to a greater or lesser degree, but Manning's need for offensive control speaks volumes and has produced amazing results. Speaking at the media breakfast during the owners meetings in Florida, Fox confirmed what everybody already knew -- as much as offensive coordinator Mike McCoy did a brilliant job optimizing things for Tebow, there is most definitely a new sheriff in town. "As he would tell you, he's done it a certain way for 14 years and obviously had great success," Fox said of Manning's impact on the offense. "We'd kind of be silly if we wouldn't take some of what he's done in the past and utilize his strengths and comfort zone. I think that was a factor and of course that came up. He hadn't been through the process [of changing offenses] in so long, being in one place, I thought he did a terrific job in handling that." As Fox intimated, the best coaches don't simply stamp their players with the "my way or the highway" insistence -- because if you're doing that, someone else is building a better highway. The Manning offense has to be as much for Manning as the 2011 version was totally Tebow-centric. "I think there will be some similarities. No different than from how much our offense from a year ago looked a little bit like [the University of] Florida's. It's just kind of how it is. That's what coaching is. You try to utilize your players and put them in the best positions so they can have success." That's why Fox was able to take over a 2002 Carolina Panthers team that had won just one game the year before, and propel the franchise to its first and only Super Bowl just two seasons later. He understands the need to maximize his most

important assets, and now that he's got one of the biggest jewels in NFL history, there's no question that things are going to change and move in Manning's favor. He's earned that, and the Broncos will be better for it. "Peyton is like a coach on the field," Fox said. "He paints a great picture. He's going to direct traffic as well as maybe anybody in the league. That is that experience that I was talking about with our quarterback a year ago — it takes time to develop that. Peyton has been through those trenches, so he knows. As I think John [Elway] said, I think he'll raise all boats and he's very helpful. He'll speed up the process, so that's a positive that he has that capability." Ah, that "quarterback a year ago." And what of Mr. Tebow, who is firmly entrenched in New York, and adjusting to an entirely different level of scrutiny (if that's even possible in Tebow's case)? "I would never bet against him in anything, really," Fox said of Tebow's chances to succeed in the Big Apple. "He gets it. He's a great teammate. He doesn't have a lot of wrong answers, let me put it that way. Like I said, I'd never bet against him ... I think he's a type of kid that should be celebrated. I think there are a lot of so-so stories, and I think he's a good story." Back to Manning, who will have to wait a bit before he can start to paint pictures for the Broncos in an official sense. The NFL's collective bargaining agreement limits practices and even schematic discussions between coaches and players, which has left Manning to work out with his new teammates at a local high school field. It's an unconventional methodology, but everyone knew that after waiting a year to see if his neck and nerve injuries would ever allow him to throw a football for a living again, Manning wasn't going to wait around for the bell to ring. "There's been exchange of information, whether it be on paper or on video, but with the new CBA rules that's what we're allowed to do," Fox said. "Those are the steps we've taken to this point. We've got plenty of time — it's still the month of March. Once we're able to get the players in the building, we've got plenty of time to get anything and everything we need to installed. We got quite a bit installed during the season a year ago, so we'll be fine. "There is no substitute for experience whether you are dealing with a young quarterback or a very veteran quarterback. [Manning] has that ability. We are going to push that envelope to the brink and let him take charge or be that General. I think our coaching staff is very excited about getting going when that time is permitted, and we look forward to that opportunity."

Arm strength a lingering issue for Broncos QB Peyton Manning By Ryan Wilson CBSSports.com March 27, 2012 It's been an eventful few weeks for Peyton Manning. First, he was released by the Colts, his only NFL home for 14 years. Then he interviewed potential suitors (as much if not more than they interviewed him), narrowed his list to three finalists, and eventually settled on the Broncos. Now he's Denver's starting quarterback and the expectation is that, when the 2012 season starts, Manning will be back to his football-winning ways. Which is to say, he'll be completely recovered from the four neck surgeries that sidelined him in 2011 and the Broncos not only will be prohibitive favorites to repeat as AFC West champs, but they'll be in the Super Bowl conversation, too. It's a reasonable assumption given that Manning's workouts, at least according to those who have seen them, seem more and more to resemble what we've come to expect from one of the NFL's best quarterbacks. In recent weeks, Manning has worked out with his college offensive coordinator, David Cutcliffe, who now coaches at Duke, and Cutcliffe has come away impressed. "With Peyton, his release time is important, and that's right on target now," he told Sports Illustrated's Peter King. "His velocity is right on. His arm slot is right on. His accuracy's amazing. Obviously I'm close to him, but I've watched him throw for almost 20 years now, and I'm really excited about what I think is going to happen. He's going to be great when he needs to be great." And Manning's former teammate, Brandon Stokley, sounded equally optimistic after a workout earlier this month. "I saw him for three days at Duke and he was the only quarterback (throwing to four or five receivers) and he threw a ton of balls for three straight practices and the guy looked to me like he did when I was there six years ago," Stokley said according to the Denver Post. "He threw on Saturday here on a little field and maybe because he had some rest, I think he looked better than he had last week." But even if by September Manning is as close to 100 percent as he's been in two years, doubts remain. Not from the neck surgeries but from Manning's play down the stretch during the 2010 season. "The fall-off was significant on film," one scout from a rival AFC team told NFL

Network's Albert Breer Tuesday. "He showed stiffness and lost athletic traits. What made him special was never his athletic ability or movement skills, but you could see it with his arm strength, too." Arm strength has been a popular topic with Manning in recent months and for good reason: if a quarterback isn't capable of making all the throws, it won't take long for defenses to figure it out, adjust the game plan accordingly, and make it that much tougher for an offense to execute. "His rotation was fine, his accuracy was fine," the AFC scout said. "But as far as the ball getting from Point A to Point B, and how much time he was giving defensive backs to drive on the football, there was enough there for concern." And an executive for a team that pursued Manning in free agency was aware of the arm-strength issues too. "I can tell you, seeing some of the footage of him throwing, there was depreciation in velocity and zip," he said. "It gets there, but there's some natural descent in how he's throwing. Is it still good enough? Yeah. It's not what it used to be, but he'll keep getting better, and it's only natural that it might not be where it was. He's 36. But with his ball placement, his location, his timing, his anticipation -- which is outstanding, right place, right time, every time -- he'll be fine." And that's the football calculus the Broncos had to do: is the 36-year-old Manning without his fastball worth some $90 million? Clearly, the answer was a resounding yes. It's a risk worth taking, particularly given that a) the team was clearly in the market for a quarterback not named Tim Tebow, and b) Manning is a Hall of Famer who gets by as much with his above-the-neck dexterity as he does with his physical skills. Plus, there's this anecdote from King's SI piece that puts everything into perspective: "Manning talked to another confidant, Bill Parcells, who he knew wouldn't b.s. him. He told Parcells his arm wasn't 100% yet. 'You know who Jamie Moyer is?' Parcells asked, referring to the veteran lefthander who's been pitching in the majors since 1986. Manning said he did. 'He's 49 years old,' Parcells said. 'He's not 26 anymore, but he's still getting 'em out. Can you still throw well enough to get 'em out?' "'I think I can,' Manning said. "'Then don't worry about it.'"

Coach John Fox previews Broncos offense with Peyton Manning By Ryan Wilson CBSSports.com March 27, 2012 When the Denver Broncos won the Peyton Manning Sweepstakes, it signaled an end to the Tim Tebow era. He's since been shipped to the Jets where he's, well, excited. The biggest question now facing the Broncos: how healthy would Manning be when the 2012 season begins in almost six months. Two weeks ago, before Manning had decided on a team, he was working out in North Carolina under the watchful eye of his former college offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, now the Duke head coach. Here's what Cutcliffe saw: "With Peyton, his release time is important, and that's right on target now," he told Sports Illustrated's Peter King. "His velocity is right on. His arm slot is right on. His accuracy's amazing. Obviously I'm close to him, but I've watched him throw for almost 20 years now, and I'm really excited about what I think is going to happen. He's going to be great when he needs to be great." Last Tuesday, Manning said he could play in a game right now but wouldn't be nearly as sharp as he'd like. Seven days later, at the NFL owners meeting, Broncos head coach John Fox spoke about what impact Manning can have on an offense that was among the league's best on the ground but struggled through the air. ―As he would tell you, he's done it a certain way for 14 years and obviously had great success," Fox said in comments released by the team. "We'd kind of be silly if we wouldn't take some of what he's done in the past and utilize his strengths and comfort zone. I think that was a factor and of course that came up. He hadn't been through the process in so long, being in one place, I thought he did a terrific job in handling that.‖ Hey, it's exactly what the Broncos did with Tebow last year and they went on a sixgame winning streak, a division title and a playoff win. There's something to be said for accentuating your players' strengths, even if it means starting from scratch schematically. In King's SI piece, there were many reasons Manning settled on the Broncos, one of which was familiarity -- with team executive and Hall of Fame quarterback John

Elway, coach Fox, and the teams on Denver's 2012 schedule. And, of course, familiarity with the offense Denver almost certainly will install in the coming weeks and months. ―I think there will be some similarities," Fox said when asked if Denver's offense will resemble the one Manning ran for 14 years in Indianapolis. "No different than from how much our offense from a year ago looked a little bit like [the University of] Florida's. It's just kind of how it is. That's what coaching is. You try to utilize your players and put them in the best positions so they can have success.‖ Fox is known as a coach who likes to run, but a lot of that was based on personnel. In Carolina, he had DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart in the backfield behind the likes of Jake Delhomme and later Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen. In those situations, there was no good reason to throw the ball 40 times a game. Same deal with Tebow and Willis McGahee last season. So what about '12 with Peyton? ―I think it's hard to compare, but if you look at the past, [Manning] has had great success in that area. I think sometimes what defines you as a quarterback, is your ability to convert on third downs and he's had a pretty good history in that area. … We ran the ball more last year than maybe [ever] in my head coaching and all of a sudden I was innovative (laughing). I didn't quite get that one either.‖ Tebow, meanwhile, is now in New York where the Jets seem, ahem, excited by his versatility. Fox said he "will be forever grateful" for what Tebow did for the team and the city last season. ―As I've mentioned all along and anybody within our organization, whether it has been [Elway] or [General Manager] Brian [Xanders], we took a good first step [last year]. It's not where we want to end up, and Tim was a big part of that. … He sparked our city. Our team did, but he had his hand in it for sure. … "Tim is going to develop, as I said even before we traded him, he's a young player that is getting better at maybe the hardest position in sports to compete at," Fox continued. "He's just going to get better. I'm not changing my tune just because he's not with us anymore. I think the Jets got a heck of a player and he'll grow and develop there." And the Jets -- from head coach Rex Ryan to general manager Mike Tannenbaum to starting quarterback Mark Sanchez -- agree. Well, most of them.

NFL scouts concerned about Manning’s arm strength By Evan Silva Pro Football Talk March 27, 2012 The last time he stepped off a football field, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was wrapping up a 33-touchdown, 17-interception, 4,700-yard season in Indianapolis. The yardage was Manning‘s career high, and only once before in his 13-year career had he thrown more touchdown passes. Multiple pro scouts told NFL Network‘s Albert Breer, however, that despite the lofty numbers, Manning was showing signs of decline. He was 34 then, and is now 36. ―The falloff was significant on film,‖ one scout from an AFC rival team told Breer. ―He showed stiffness and lost athletic traits. What made him so special was never his athletic ability or movement skills, but you could see it with his arm strength, too.‖ The scout was specifically critical of Manning‘s diminished velocity. ―His rotation was fine, his accuracy was fine,‖ said the scout. ―But as far as the ball getting from Point A to Point B, and how much time he was giving defensive backs to drive on the football, there was enough there for concern.‖ Observed another executive for a team that pursued Manning offseason, ―Seeing some of the footage of him throwing, there was depreciation in velocity and zip.‖ The club exec does think Manning will be ―fine,‖ and expects his passing velocity and arm power to ―keep getting better‖ while recovering from neck surgeries. Our guess is that Manning will immediately resume his highly productive ways in Denver, and keep it up through the 2013 season or so. As Florio has noted, though, only the first year of Manning‘s contract is guaranteed. The Broncos can get out of the deal easily after that.

King chronicles the Peyton chase By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk March 27, 2012 Eight days ago, the 13-day Peyton chase came to an end. Now, Peter King of Sports Illustrated pieces the process together in a thorough and entertaining new article. It deserves a complete read, since it confirms many of the things that were known or apparent as the events unfolded. For example, Tony Dungy said on PFT Live that he‘d tell Peyton to look for the place that provides the most familiarity and comfort. Dungy reiterated his advice the night before Peyton made his decision to go to Denver. ―I told him it‘s never going to be 100 percent,‖ Dungy told King. ―He had so many good choices, it‘s going to be 51-49, or maybe 50-50, and then it just comes down to a gut feeling. I told him what [Hall of Fame coach] Chuck Noll told me a long time ago: When you‘re making an important life decision, make sure it‘s without regard to money, title or position. Make sure it‘s about who you‘re going to be working with and how much you‘ll enjoy being there.‖ And while King mentions a couple of times that the move wasn‘t about the money, we‘d hate to see how much money Manning would have gotten if it were about money. He‘s getting $18 million guaranteed in 2012, and if he‘s on the roster as of the final day of the 2012 league year (presumably in March 2013), the Broncos end up on the hook for $40 million guaranteed over two years, with the ability to avoid $20 million in 2014 only if Manning suffers another neck injury in 2013. As to some of the details, Manning‘s reaction to the news that the Redskins had traded up in the draft, presumably to get Robert Griffin III, confirmed our report that a report that Manning had told the Redskins they were out of the running wasn‘t accurate. Also, and as Adam Schefter reported at the time to the disbelief of Dolphins fans, Manning was (as King put it) ―annoyed to be chased by local news crews and a helicopter as if he were O.J. riding up the 405″ when Manning returned to his house in Miami after being released by the Colts. In the end, that special connection between a pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks helped get the deal done, in large part because Broncos V.P. of football operations John Elway was able to sympathize (or maybe it‘s empathize . . . I always screw that one up) with Manning‘s situation. ―I put myself in Peyton‘s shoes,‖ Elway told King. ―No pressure. Don‘t give the hard sell. Let the organization speak for itself. I told him that as much as I wanted him to play for the Broncos, I knew it would be stupid if we forced him and it wasn‘t a good fit. That‘s how I‘d feel.‖

Getting to the point where it was a good fit included Manning asking defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy whether they are ―one and done‖; in other words, are they going to parlay a successful season under Peyton into a head-coaching job? Del Rio said no, and McCoy said he‘d leave only for the right job. (Then again, McCoy won‘t get much of the credit for anything Peyton achieves this season.) I could keep going, but then you may think you don‘t need to read King‘s article. I think you do. So I‘ll do something that many of you would like me to do permanently, and shut up.

“Strong chance” that Peyton will make his Denver debut in prime time By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk March 27, 2012 Last week‘s events undoubtedly threw a monkey wrench into the gears of the schedule machine over which Howard Katz presides. And the arrival of Peyton Manning in Denver already has adjusted the league‘s plans for 2012. Apparently. Reportedly. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, there‘s a ―strong chance‖ the Broncos will appear in prime time on the first Sunday night of the season. The game, televised by NBC, would be a fitting bookend to the season-opening game on NBC, which will feature the Giants and Peyton‘s younger brother, Eli Manning. It‘s part of a generally increased interest in the Broncos, thanks to Peyton‘s presence. ―Our fans should get ready for more night games,‖ Broncos president Joe Ellis told Klis. ―Home and road.‖ Candidates for football under the lights include home games against the Steelers, Texans, and Saints and road games against the Ravens, Falcons, and Patriots. The real showdown comes in 2013, when under the current scheduling formula the Manning brothers get together in New York, with the Giants hosting the Broncos.

John Fox grateful to Tebow, but now it’s Peyton’s offense By Michael David Smith Pro Football Talk March 27, 2012 Tim Tebow made a specific point of thanking Broncos coach John Fox in his press conference with the Jets on Monday, and on Tuesday morning Fox expressed gratitude to Tebow, too. But Fox also made clear that he‘s delighted to hand the offense over to new quarterback Peyton Manning. ―Tim did some great things for us a year ago and I‘m forever grateful for his efforts,‖ Fox said at his breakfast with reporters today. ―We started off 1-4 and were able to win our division, make the playoffs, have a very exciting victory in our stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He took that step for us and now he‘s moved on and we wish him nothing but the best.‖ That, however, is in the past. Fox says that with Manning in Denver, the Broncos are ready to let him call the shots on offense, in much the same way as he did in Indianapolis. ―We had an opportunity to get a great player like Peyton,‖ Fox said. ―He‘s done it a certain way for 14 years and obviously had great success. We‘d kind of be silly if we wouldn‘t take some of what he‘s done in the past, and utilize his strengths, and his comfort zone.‖ Fox said there‘s no hesitation with changing the offense to suit Manning‘s strengths, just as last year the Broncos changed the offense to take advantage of the same skills Tebow had displayed as a Heisman Trophy winner at Florida. Fox believes the 2012 Broncos will look like the 2010 Colts on offense. ―There will be some similarities, much like last year our offense looked a little like Florida‘s,‖ Fox said. A Florida-style offense with a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback was enough to get to the playoffs last year. If the Broncos have a Colts-style offense with Peyton Manning playing like an NFL MVP again, that may be enough to win the Super Bowl.

Manning, Broncos could be in NBC's Sunday night opener By Vinnie Iyer Sporting News March 27, 2012 Last season the major television networks were clamoring to get Denver Broncos and the ratings machine known as Tim Tebow in the most opportune NFL viewing slots. That thinking hasn't let up in advance of the 2012 NFL season with Peyton Manning replacing Tebow as the Broncos' starting quarterback. The Broncos already have been notified there's "a strong chance" their first regularseason game with Manning will be slotted to be shown on NBC's Sunday Night Football in Week 1, the Denver Post reports. Among the high-profile candidates to play the Broncos on Sept. 9, the Pittsburgh Steelers — whom Denver defeated in overtime in a wild-card game with Tebow — are the best bet to be the Sunday night opponent, the Post suggests. The Broncos were home against the Steelers in the playoffs, and the rematch would be in Denver. Two other marquee Broncos opponents for 2012, the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints, are longer shots to open against Manning. Although Manning versus Tom Brady would be a throwback to the great quarterback rivalry when Manning was with the Indianapolis Colts, the fact that game is scheduled to be played in New England is a drawback. The Broncos will play host to Manning's hometown Saints this season, but it's unlikely the league will give the Saints such a prestigious prime-time debut in the wake of the organization's bounty scandal. The 2012 NFL opener will be aired on Wednesday night, Sept. 5, when Peyton's brother Eli Manning and the New York Giants play host to the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium — a midweek tradition the league and NBC have established for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Mike Shanahan met with Peyton Manning after Redskins completed trade for No. 2 pick in draft By Mark Maske The Washington Post March 27, 2012 Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan met with quarterback Peyton Manning at Shanahan‘s home in Denver when Manning was a free agent prior to his signing with the Broncos last week. The meeting took place on the day after it was reported that the Redskins had completed their trade with the St. Louis Rams for the second overall selection in the NFL draft. The Redskins are likely to use that pick on Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Baylor. It is not clear how seriously Manning considered signing with the Redskins, or how intent the team remained on trying to sign Manning after completing the trade with the Rams. Manning‘s agent, Tom Condon, did not respond to a request for comment Shanahan‘s meeting with Manning, which first was reported by Sports Illustrated, was confirmed by two people with knowledge of it. The meeting took place on March 10. According to the Sports Illustrated report, it lasted three hours and also included Shanahan‘s son Kyle, the Redskins‘ offensive coordinator. The Sports Illustrated report described Manning as ―stunned‖ when he got word the previous night, during a meeting with Broncos front office executive John Elway, about the Redskins‘ trade with the Rams. According to the report, the Shanahans wanted to meet with Manning the following day anyway and Manning agreed. Several people familiar with the process said earlier in the offseason that the Redskins planned to pursue Manning aggressively and, if they were rebuffed in that pursuit, would do all they could to trade up in the first-round draft order to get Griffin. But people who knew Manning said when Manning became a free agent that the Redskins faced significant obstacles in trying to sign him. If he‘d chosen the Redskins, Manning would have had to face his brother, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, twice per season. Peyton Manning would have joined a Redskins team that didn‘t seem championship-ready, having totaled only 11 victories the past two seasons, and lacked a proven offensive line and a 1,000-yard

receiver last season. He would have had to switch conferences from the AFC to the NFC. There was speculation at the time that Manning wanted to find a team with which he could play his home games indoors, but that ended up not being the case when he chose the Broncos. People who knew Manning also said at the time, though, that Manning would like the organizational stability that Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowl-winning coach in Denver, and General Manager Bruce Allen have given the Redskins. The Redskins didn‘t appear to get far in the Manning sweepstakes. He narrowed his choices to the Broncos, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers before signing a five-year, $96 million contract with Denver last week. It‘s also not clear if the Redskins could have fit such a significant contract for Manning beneath their salary cap after the NFL reduced the team‘s salary cap by $36 million over two years. At least half of that salary cap cut must be absorbed by the Redskins for the upcoming season.

Peyton Manning was stunned when the Redskins traded for the No. 2 pick By Cindy Boren The Washington Post March 27, 2012

When Peyton Manning was released by the Indianapolis Colts, the Washington Redskins were ready to give him a hard sell. How far did they get with Manning? Well, a meeting at Coach Mike Shanahan‘s home in Denver. Sports Illustrated‘s Peter King has the details; the scene begins with Denver Broncos Vice-President John Elway taking Manning to dinner at a Denver club. When the Hall of Fame quarterback sat with Manning alone at the club, Elway saw a person ―in shock‖ over being cut and imagined what it would have been like if the Broncos, for whom he played his entire career, had released him after 13 or 14 seasons. ―There‘s got to be a dagger in your gut right now,‖ Elway told Manning. ―Take your time. Be thorough. Make the right decision, whether it‘s us or someone else.‖ ―I put myself in Peyton‘s shoes,‖ Elway told SI on Sunday night. ―No pressure. Don‘t give the hard sell. Let the organization speak for itself. I told him that as much as I wanted him to play for the Broncos, I knew it would be stupid if we forced him and it wasn‘t a good fit. That‘s how I‘d feel.‖ Midway through the evening Elway received a text telling him the Redskins had just pulled off a huge trade with St. Louis for the second pick in the draft, presumably to take prized Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. Elway told Manning, ―Whoa— Washington just traded for the second pick. Looks like they‘ll get RG3.‖

―What!?‖ Manning said, stunned. From that reaction, Elway knew that the Redskins had been on Manning‘s list. Manning stayed with former teammate Brandon Stokley during the trip and worked out with him the next day. That afternoon Manning had another appointment scheduled—with Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and his son Kyle, Washington‘s offensive coordinator. Though it made little sense after the Rams deal, the Shanahans wanted to keep the date, and

Manning did. They discussed football for three hours at Shanahan‘s expansive house in Denver. Talk about strange connections. Shanahan had been Elway‘s coach for those two Super Bowls and was fired by the Broncos after the 2008 season. Now Elway ran the Broncos. As Shanahan talked with Manning, a text message popped up on the coach‘s phone. It was from Elway. ―Hey, Mike, put in a good word for us with Peyton.‖ All Shanahan could do was laugh.

John Fox can’t pass on tales of Manning By Ian R. Rapoport Boston Herald March 27, 2012 PALM BEACH, Fla. — John Fox recounted his heroic pursuit of quarterback Peyton Manning yesterday, with the Broncos coach in full celebration mode. ―I guess I had a vertical leap, and you could have slid a paper underneath it,‖ Fox, speaking at the AFC coaches breakfast, said jokingly of his reaction when Manning told him he had selected Denver as his next playing destination. ―It was very exciting.‖ With the coronation finished, Manning has gone back to work. The former Colts star, who missed all of last season with a neck injury, continues to improve his arm strength. The coaches, meanwhile, have the task of making his transition to a new team work. Manning was outspoken in his appreciation of the offensive minds on the Broncos, and Fox said coordinator Mike McCoy will mix last year‘s run-first attack with Manning‘s pass-happy ways. ―(Manning) has been doing one way for 14 years and had success, so we‘d kind of be silly not to take some of what he‘s done in the past and not utilize his strengths and his comfort zone,‖ Fox said. ―I think that was a factor.‖ To replicate what he did in Indianapolis, though, Manning may have to take charge. ―Like anything, Peyton is like a coach on the field,‖ Fox said. ―He paints a great picture. He‘s going to direct traffic as well as maybe anybody in the league. That‘s that experience I was talking about.‖ Philbin: Ask Flynn The assumption was that former Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn chose the Seahawks in free agency earlier this month because the Dolphins were too involved in the Manning chase. Pressed for why Flynn went elsewhere, Joe Philbin — the new Miami coach who was offensive coordinator for Flynn in Green Bay — said questions should be directed to the quarterback. ―You need to ask Matt Flynn why he‘s in Seattle,‖ Philbin said. ―There‘s a myriad factors that go into why people make decisions about their own future, which is their prerogative. It always takes two people to get a marriage, and so I wish him well. But he‘s better to ask why he‘s in Seattle.‖ Branch up for job

The Patriots [team stats] have 10 receivers on their roster, and coach Bill Belichick insinuated more may be on the way. That‘s fine with veteran Deion Branch, who re-signed with the Pats for one year last week. ―It brings out the best in you,‖ Branch told WEEI. ―That‘s what it is all about. Competition is always good. I think going into this year, it‘s going to be very exciting to see what this next receiving group will look like for next season.‖ A rush to succeed Losing starting running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis will sting, but second-year players Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen could help the Pats. Belichick appeared cautiously optimistic about each player. Ridley showed promise by averaging 5.1 yards on 87 carries last season. Vereen had 57 yards on just 15 carries. ―We‘ll see how it goes with those guys,‖ Belichick said. ―We drafted them, we obviously like them enough to draft them. We‘ll see how it goes. I don‘t know. Neither one of them played a whole lot last year. They played some. I‘m sure there‘ll be competition at that position, just like there is every other one.‖

Denver Broncos coach John Fox adds reinforcements for return to Charlotte By Joseph Person The Charlotte Observer March 27, 2012 PALM BEACH, Fla. John Fox will be coming back to Charlotte this season, and he will bring a future first-ballot NFL Hall-of-Fame quarterback with him. This time, Fox will man the sideline as coach of the Denver Broncos. During his nine years with the Carolina Panthers, Fox‘s quarterbacks formed a forgettable list that included Chris Weinke, Rodney Peete, Randy Fasani, 44-yearold Vinny Testaverde, Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen. Fox made it to the Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme in 2003, but he has never had a quarterback like he has in Denver, following the Broncos‘ win in the Peyton Manning Sweepstakes. And no, don‘t expect Fox to run draws on third-and-long. Or more to the point, don‘t expect Manning to let him. ―I think he‘ll have some ideas‖ on the Broncos‘ offense, Fox said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings. Then he laughed. Fox , and everyone associated with the Broncos, is in good spirits these days. During a wild, 48-hour span last week, the Broncos signed the most notable free agent in NFL history and traded one of the most polarizing figures in sport. Hello Peyton, good-bye Tim Tebow. ―I guess I attempted a vertical (leap), but you couldn‘t have slipped a paper underneath it,‖ Fox said of his reaction to Manning‘s call informing the Broncos he was Denver-bound. ―It was very exciting,‖ Fox said. ―Having been in recruiting a long, long time ago … it‘s always exciting to get a player of that caliber.‖ Fox, who is always cautious with the media, drew a big crowd of reporters Tuesday morning at the AFC coaches‘ breakfast at the Breakers Resort. Fox detailed Denver‘s pursuit of Manning, who worked out at Duke with Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe, his quarterbacks coach in college at Tennessee. Fox and John Elway, the Broncos‘ executive vice president of football operations, flew to Durham to watch Manning throw.

Manning, who has had four neck procedures during the past two years, showed Fox and Elway enough to convince the Broncos to sign the 36-year-old to a five-year, $96 million deal. ―He said in our press conference, and he‘s right, he could play tomorrow. But he‘s not where he wants to be at this point,‖ Fox said. ―I‘ve got a lot of guys rehabbing in our locker room from injuries a year ago. So it‘s very common in late March, early April in this league to have guys rehabbing and getting healthy for the season. And he‘s on that list.‖ Teams‘ offseason programs don‘t begin until April 16. Under the terms of the new collective-bargaining agreement, coaches can‘t oversee on-field activities until May. But Fox said that‘s plenty of time for Manning to get familiar with a scheme that will change dramatically from the spread offense Fox and former Panthers offensive coordinator Mike McCoy installed after Tebow took over for Kyle Orton in Week 7 last season. Tebow led Denver to a series of fourth-quarter comebacks as the Broncos made the playoffs in Fox‘s first season. ―I thought our staff, our players, our team did a great job adjusting to Tim Tebow‘s strengths. I‘m sure our players, our staff, will do a great job adjusting to Peyton Manning‘s strengths,‖ Fox said. ―It‘ll be quite a bit different. I thought last year‘s (offense) was effective and I expect this year‘s to be effective.‖ Manning, who won four most valuable player awards and a Super Bowl during 14 seasons in Indianapolis, called his own plays with the Colts. Fox indicated Manning would be given the same latitude in Denver. ―I think he‘ll raise all boats on our offense. It doesn‘t matter whether it‘s players or coaches,‖ Fox said. ―We know his M.O. He‘s a general out there, does a great job and we‘re looking forward to him doing that to our offense.‖ Fox still has a house at Quail Hollow and returns frequently to see his three sons. One of Fox‘s sons lives in Charlotte; the other two attend Elon. Still, Fox said it would be odd returning to Bank of America Stadium. ―It‘s always weird going to back to your (old) place. I‘ve done it a bunch of times, whether it was New York or you name it,‖ said Fox, who was let go after a lameduck, 2-14 season in 2010. ―But at the end of the day, it‘ll be another game. It‘ll be a trip I look forward to, and look forward to the trip home (to Denver) better if we win.‖

Manning good fit for Broncos By Karl Terry Quay County Sun (New Mexico) March 28, 2012 Peyton Manning remade in orange. That's something I can live with. In the last few months I've written a couple of columns about the circus that was Tim Tebow in Denver. So I decided before I started crowing about Manning signing with my favorite team the Broncos, I had better examine just how far onto Tebow's circus bandwagon I had climbed. For those of you who can't remember or didn't read those columns I'm happy to report both doses praised Tebow for his personal life and his leadership but still expressed more than a little skepticism about his passing game, which I feel is the final measure of an NFL quarterback these days. So with the assurance that I hadn't completely gone into the bag for Tebow, let me gush a little bit about Manning. Yes, Peyton Manning has got a passing game. He was torturing NFL defenses with it before Tebow was out of grade school and now he's a Bronco. I've admired Manning's style, work ethic and football smarts since his first year at the Colts. I never really considered the idea that Denver would go after him when Indianapolis dropped him after he missed all last season after neck surgeries. When it became apparent John Elway and crew were serious about courting him I got excited like I haven't been over a news story in a long time. After he helped the Broncos recover from a 1-4 start and win a playoff game for the first time in years, Tebow had burrowed into the hearts of most Bronco fans. Even I was suffering from Tebowmania, I'll admit it. That fact meant it was going to be impossible to get rid of him without a fan uprising unprecedented in Broncoville. So Elway snagged the only player who could possibly make the Broncomaniacs go deaf, dumb and blind as Tebow, the elephants, the trapeze artist and the fat lady were sent down the road to the New York Jets. Former Jets quarterback "Broadway" Joe Namath hates the trade. Could be because he recognizes that the Jets paid a lot of money for a quarterback that may never be a starter again. Or it could be that Joe is worried that he'll lose his place in Jets lore as the biggest media sensation they ever experienced.

We'll leave Namath and the Jets fans to the pages of the celebrity magazines and Bronco fans will wait and rejoice on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" after Peyton and the Broncos win their second Super Bowl together.

Broncos coach John Fox on bringing Peyton Manning to Denver By Hank Siegel KDVR.com (Fox 31) March 27, 2102 PALM BEACH, Fla. — Broncos Head Coach John Fox, attending the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida spoke to the media this Tuesday morning commenting on his new quarterback, Peyton Manning. Responding to the first question which was about his plans for Manning, he laughed and said ―play him.‖ He went on to mention several reasons why Manning might have chosen Denver. ―This is a small fraternity of people—players, coaches, everybody. You figure there are only 31 other people that do what you do. I think guys see what everybody‘s work is. We look at tape. When I say, ‗We,‘ I‘m talking about the league, our players and coaches. I think [Manning] was aware of that. You‘d have to ask him, but that could have been a factor.‖ ―I think when we visited—you kind of know that day is coming, all of us do. Until it happens, it doesn‘t hit you. I think that was a little bit of his situation. I thought it was important to get it rolling as far as what that process was. I didn‘t know if he and his agent, Tom Condon, really laid out any kind of a plan. I can‘t say that I had a perfect plan or that we had a perfect plan. But, we just meshed and at the end of the day, it was good. It was hard, because he‘d been through such an emotional rollercoaster, but I think it was good that he got into another building, saw what it was like and started the healing process, I guess.‖ ―Like all of us, when you make decisions in your life it‘s a gut feeling and it usually revolves around people. You want to feel comfortable. There are different cities that have different attractions or distractions but at the end of the day, it usually revolves around the people you are going to be with all hours of the day and sometimes night.‖ ―I‘ve gotten to know the family over the years. He‘s close friends with a guy that belongs to my golf club and he‘d been there to play golf. So, I‘ve been around him a few times—Pro Bowls, just pleasantries when you play. So, I kind of knew the guy. I‘m familiar with both brothers and even his dad I‘ve run into a few times at games. But really, it was, ‗Hey, we‘re interested.‘ I think he had some interest in us and really through the whole process at the end of the day, I‘m glad he chose us.‖ ―There are rules in this league. He was property of the Indianapolis Colts until that day they had their press conference, and actually it wasn‘t even over then. You had to wait until the waivers cleared that night through our waiver system in New York.

I contacted him I think that night when he returned to Miami. Obviously it was a very emotional day for him, I knew that. Sometimes it‘s just nice to hear a friendly voice. We talked, I gave him some time. I think the next day we talked again, set something up very quickly and got him to Denver. We‘re glad he chose us at the end of it all.‖ Talking about the offense he said: ‖I thought our staff, our players, our team did a good job adjusting to Tim Tebow‘s strengths, and I‘m sure our players [and] our staff will do a great job of adjusting to Peyton Manning‘s strengths. I think it will be quite a bit different. I thought last year‘s was effective, and I expect this year‘s to be effective.‖ ―I think like anything, Peyton is like a coach on the field. He paints a great picture. He‘s going to direct traffic as well as maybe anybody in the league. That is that experience that I was talking about with our quarterback a year ago—it takes time to develop that. Peyton has been through those trenches, so he knows. As I think John [Elway] said, I think he‘ll raise all boats and he‘s very helpful. He‘ll speed up the process, so that‘s a positive that he has that capability.‖ ―I think sometimes what defines you as a quarterback, is your ability to convert on third downs and he‘s had a pretty good history in that area. Tim is going to develop, as I said even before we traded him, he‘s a young player that is getting better at maybe the hardest position in sports to compete at. He‘s just going to get better. I‘m not changing my tune just because he‘s not with us anymore. I think the Jets got a heck of a player and he‘ll grow and develop there. ―I think he‘ll raise all boats on our offense—it doesn‘t matter whether it‘s players or coaches. We‘re really excited. We know his M.O., he‘s a General out there who does a great job, and we‘re looking forward to him doing that to our offense.‖ ―Part of coaching is utilizing your players‘ strengths so they can have success. In Peyton‘s case, he‘s exhibited that over a long period of time at a high level. In my opinion, he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he‘s done playing, and I hope that‘s not anytime soon. He will definitely bring the best out of anybody that we trot out there on offense and that‘s what we‘re planning on him doing. ―There is no substitute for experience whether you are dealing with a young quarterback or a very veteran quarterback. [Manning] has that ability. We are going to push that envelope to the brink and let him take charge or be that General. I think our coaching staff is very excited about getting going when that time is permitted, and we look forward to that opportunity.‖ Coach Fox also spoke about Tim Tebow. ―We took a good first step [last year]. It‘s not where we want to end up, and Tim was a big part of that. I know that I will be forever grateful. He sparked our city. Our team did, but he had his hand in it for sure.‖ ―…it‘s never easy to say goodbye to anybody. In this league, it‘s part of the business. I talk to our players all the time, when we‘re in season, that‘s football.

The offseason is business. At the end of the season when you stand in front of your team, I don‘t care which coach, it‘s never easy. Just like your final cut-downs at camp are never easy. You get to know people that in essence you‘re firing. Changing is not easy. Tim did a great job for us. Things are always changing. We said that Tim Tebow was going to be our starting quarterback going into the season. That wasn‘t a lie—it‘s a fluid process and things change. We had an opportunity to get Peyton Manning. We had no idea of that at the end of our season. It‘s a process, it‘s a fluid one and you make moves to get better. Whether it‘s Brodrick Bunkley leaving, it‘s a business. There are no hard feelings, we respect everything he did and he knows the feeling is mutual. We wish him nothing but the best, and the same with Tim Tebow.‖ ―Respectfully, there wasn‘t contact immediately because you don‘t know you‘re getting [Manning]. Nothing changed. When he made the decision, we had discussions with Tim. At the point where we were going to sign Peyton Manning is when we had discussions. Tim understood. He gets it. I told him then, along with John [Elway], we told him then that we were going to move forward and do what‘s best for both parties. That‘s our job. That‘s what [Owner and CEO] Pat Bowlen hired us to do and we‘ll attempt to do it the best we can. Time went on, this opportunity came and there were discussions with Tim and his representatives throughout the process. We tried to do what was best for him and what was best for the Denver Broncos.‖ ―I think that in our league or in sports or in our society, I think he‘s a type of kid that should be celebrated. I think there are a lot of so-so stories, and I think he‘s a good story.‖ ―I would never bet against him in anything, really. He gets it. He‘s a great teammate. He doesn‘t have a lot of wrong answers, let me put it that way. Like I said, I‘d never bet against him.‖ How did he react to hearing that Manning had chosen the Broncos? ―I attempted a vertical, but you could‘ve slid a paper underneath it. It was very exciting. Having been in recruiting a long, long time ago—all of us had, actually, John [Elway], Peyton—you‘ve been on that side of it, so it‘s always exciting to get a player of that caliber.‖ ―I‘m almost giddy, to note, and rightfully so. He still has a lot of work to do and we still have a lot of work to do. There are no automatics in this league, for sure. What we make of it will be the key.‖

Manning Could Play Tomorrow The Sports Xchange March 27, 2012 Quarterback Peyton Manning is healthy enough to play right now, but he‘s not 100 percent recovered from four neck procedures in a 19-month span and Broncos coach John Fox equated it to similar situations with other players rehabbing from injuries during the offseason. ―I‘ve got a lot of guys rehabbing in our locker room from injuries a year ago,‖ Fox said at the owners meetings Tuesday. ―It‘s very common in late March to have guys rehabbing getting healthy for the season, and he‘s on that list.‖ Fox said it took him about three minutes to call Manning after the 14-year veteran was released by the Colts on March 7. Manning visited the Broncos first in his free agent tour, and Fox admitted it was an ‖emotional rollercoaster― of going through the process and waiting for the quarterback‘s decision. Fox had the benefit of knowing Manning a bit through a mutual friend at a golf club in Charlotte, and had talked with him several times through the years at Pro Bowls and other events. And when Manning made the phone call March 19 to inform them he wanted to sign with Denver? ‖I guess I had a vertical leap and you could have slid a paper underneath it,― said Fox. ‖It was very exciting.‖ Bringing in Manning means the Broncos will make another major shift to their offense after tailoring the play-calling to Tim Tebow‘s strengths last season. But Fox said the process will be helped immensely considering Manning‘s vast experience. ―Peyton is like a coach on the field. He paints a great picture, he‘s going to direct traffic as well as maybe anybody in the league,‖ said Fox. ―That‘s that experience I was talking about whereas our quarterback a year ago, it takes time to develop that. Peyton‘s been through those trenches so he knows, as I think John (Elway) said he‘ll raise all boats. He‘s very helpful, he‘ll speed the process, but he has that capability.‖ The biggest question is when Manning will be ready to take the field with the Broncos. He‘s continuing his rehabilitation and working with the team‘s medical staff, but the collective bargaining rules prevent him from taking part in any teamorganized on-field work until May. That‘s why the Broncos did their due diligence in flying to North Carolina to watch Manning go through throwing sessions with Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who was Manning‘s offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee.

―There was a comfort level there, (Cutcliffe) offered some security there and there‘s a lot of gurus there at Duke from the science aspect of it so he had good facilities and good direction and from what I saw it definitely paid off,‖ said Fox. Asked what he‘ll do with Manning now, Fox deadpanned: ―Play him.‖

Full Draft Order Set By Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com March 27, 2012 The official round-by-round order of the 2012 NFL Draft has been set, and the Broncos have seven selections. Round Round Round Round Round Round Round

1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6,

Pick Pick Pick Pick Pick Pick Pick

25 (25th overall) 25 (57th overall) 25 (87th overall) 13 (108th overall) — From New York Jets 25 (120th overall) 2 (137th overall) — From St. Louis Rams 18 (188th overall) — From New York Jets

The two picks from the Jets came in a trade for quarterback Tim Tebow and a seventh-round selection. The extra selection from St. Louis came in exchange for wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. The Broncos have taken a player with the 25th overall selection twice before — Tebow in 2010 and quarterback Tommy Maddox in 1992. Other notable 25th selections include cornerbacks Vontae Davis (2009) and Mike Jenkins (2008), linebacker Jon Beason (2007), wide receiver Santonio Holmes (2006), defensive linemen Chris Hovan (2000) and Ted Washington (1991) and safety Donovin Darius (1998). Last season, the Broncos had the No. 2 overall selection, but General Manager Brian Xanders said there‘s not much difference between a high pick and one in the 20s. ―In terms of the 25th pick, I don‘t think it‘s any different than the second pick because you have to have a thorough analysis and evaluation of everybody in all columns, across the board — from quarterback, offensive line, receiver, running back, tight end, all across the board,‖ Xanders said from the Broncos‘ suite at the NFL Scouting Combine. ―Then be ready for anything that could happen – a guy that falls out of the top 20 and you go up and get him, or be patient and stay, or you get the calls to trade down and be ready for that. It happened last year we were at the top of the second, we got a trade to move down eight spots and pick up a fourth and a fifth that we really needed. We moved down and it worked out. ―You never know what phone calls you‘ll get,‖ he continued. ―You‘ve got to be prepared for everything.‖

The first round of the 2012 NFL Draft kicks off in primetime on Thursday, April 26. The second and third rounds will be held on Friday, April 27, with rounds four through seven concluding on Saturday, April 28.

NFL Considers Rule Changes By Stuart Zaas DenverBroncos.com March 27, 2012 At the annual NFL meetings that are being held in Palm Beach, Fla. this week, the NFL competition committee will propose a series of playing rule changes for the 2012 season to the NFL‘s ownership group. After the conclusion of the 2011 season, the competition committee, which is chaired by Atlanta Falcons President and CEO Rich McKay, took feedback from fans, all 32 NFL clubs, officials, media, medical consultants and the NFLPA and came up with the following rule proposals, as explained by McKay: Playing Rule Proposal No. 1 is submitted by Buffalo. It is a change to instant replay in which Buffalo proposes that the replay official in the booth make all decisions in the booth as opposed to the referee. That is the only change in the rule they proposed. That would move the decisions from the referee to upstairs. Playing Rule Proposal No. 2 is submitted by Pittsburgh. It is a proposal in which they want to modify the horse collar tackle rule. The rule now provides an exception to horse collar tackles to the quarterback inside the pocket. They proposed that the exception be taken out. In other words, if a quarterback inside the pocket is tackled by a horse collar tackle, it would be a 15-yard penalty. It currently is not. Playing Rule Proposal No. 3 is also submitted by Pittsburgh. It is a proposal in which they ask that the postseason overtime rule be used in the regular season also. It would be a change in what we call the ‗Opportunity to Possess Rule‘ that now occurs in our postseason. They would propose that it would also be used in the regular season. Playing Rule Proposal No. 4 is a cleanup rule about the kicking of the football. If you kick a football and it happens by the offensive team before possession changes, then it is a loss of a scrimmage down. It is really because there are some instances in which the kicking team gains an advantage or isn‘t penalized substantially on a muffed kick by kicking the ball. We wanted to marry it up with the college rule and make it also a loss of down – a simple cleanup rule. Playing Rule Proposal No. 5 is an adoption, if you will or a proposal to adopt the college rule on too many men on the field. It would be a dead-ball foul now as it is in college. If you line up on offense for more than three seconds or if on defense you line up and the snap is imminent, then the official will shut the play down and it will be a dead-ball foul, five yards and you go from there. You would still have the same situation if a player is trying to run off the field or something like that. In that

case, it would be a live-ball foul and a five-yard penalty. It deals a little bit with, and is a little bit of a reaction, obviously, to the Super Bowl (XLVI) play. Playing Rule Proposal No. 6 is an expansion of our defenseless player rules. All we are doing there is we have always given crackback protection to the defensive player from the low block from the person who is lined up outside and blocks inside and goes low. You guys have heard it forever. We have said that if he has crackback protection, the (offensive player) cannot go low. We propose that the protection be expanded to defenseless player protection, which means you cannot go low but you also cannot hit him in the head nor lead with the head against that player. We just think that player is in a very vulnerable position inside, and we are trying to give that defensive player a little more protection. Playing Rule Proposal No. 7 is our last Playing Rule Proposal. It is an instant replay proposal submitted by the Competition Committee. Last year, we proposed that you would be able to review scoring plays. This year we would expand that and try to propose that you would be able to review scoring plays and additionally review what we will call ‗traditional turnovers.‘ When I say review, I mean that a review would be instigated by the replay official upstairs. As you know, last year we changed that. We took scoring plays from the coaches and put it upstairs as an automatic review for him (the replay official) to confirm. If he (the replay official) felt it needed to be reviewed by the referee, then he stopped the game. We would use that same procedure for turnovers – fumbles, interceptions and the like. That would be an expansion of the replay assistant‘s capabilities and take it out of the hands of the coaches, without affecting in any way the coach‘s ability to still have three challenges if he gets the first two right or two challenges if he doesn‘t. In addition to the seven rule proposals, the competition committee also recommended changes to the league‘s bylaws which include adjusting the trade deadline, training camp roster sizes and an injured reserve list exception. Bylaw Proposal No. 1 is a cleanup rule with respect to the teams that have games on Thanksgiving and Christmas in giving them the ability to use the waiver procedure like other night games. Bylaw Proposal No. 2, we proposed that the trade deadline be moved from after the sixth week of the regular season to after the eighth week of the regular season. It would be a two-week move in the trade deadline. Bylaw Proposal No. 3 is we propose a 90-player training camp offseason limit. In that limit, we would also count the unsigned draft picks, which we haven‘t in years past; those players have been exempt. It would be an increase from what has traditionally been 80 players, although last year we obviously made the exception given the unique year. We propose 90 this year. In that, we propose two cuts – one cut coming after (preseason) Week 3, you would go from 90 to 80; and then you would go to 53 in the last cut.

Bylaw Proposal No. 4 is a contingent proposal in case we don‘t end up with a 90man roster and we end up with an 80-man roster. It is a way to cut down the roster if that were to happen. Bylaw Proposal No. 4 is a contingency proposal, if you will. Bylaw Proposal No. 5 is a proposal in which we seek to move the final cut-down date to Friday night as opposed to Saturday where it has been. It is in recognition of the Kickoff Game being on Wednesday night and trying to give those two teams the opportunity to have a practice on Saturday. Bylaw Proposal No. 6, I‘m going to call it an ‗injured reserve exception for major injury to a designated player.‘ Traditionally, in our system, injured reserve players have been out for the year. In this case, if that player was on the roster all the way through the first regular-season weekend, then you could put that player on injured reserve, designate that player for return and the player could begin to practice six weeks after he has gone on that list and play in games eight weeks after he has gone on that list. You could put him on later in the season, but you could take the player, for instance, who was hurt in the preseason, carry him through the first week of the regular season, put him on this list and bring him back during the season. Bylaw Proposal No. 7 is an exception or an addition to the inactive list which would give each team the right by the Friday of each week to designate up to one player who could be on the inactive list, and if they were diagnosed with a concussion, they could go on that inactive list; you could then add another player to your roster, they would stay on that inactive list until they take them off. You must take them off or put them on prior to Friday at 4:00 PM. At no time could you have more than one on that inactive list. Last year‘s major rule change proposed by the committee and ultimately passed by the league was moving kickoffs up by 5 yards to help cut back on injuries. McKay said that concussions on kickoffs were reduced by 40 percent while only affecting the average drive start by roughly 1.5 yards.