The Denver Broncos are being linked to possible deals to acquire San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel.
The Broncos are in danger of losing their top two quarterbacks this summer. Legendary QB Peyton Manning has already announced his retirement on Monday, while backup Brock Osweiler is now an unrestricted free agent.
According to a recent report from 9News, the Broncos have offered a three-year, $45 million contract to Osweiler but no deal is imminent at this point. In fact, the Broncos, according to a report from Sports World News, are competing with the Houston Texans, St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns in the race to sign Osweiler.
And if Osweiler bolts out and sign elsewhere, NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed that the Broncos could shift their focus on striking a trade to acquire Kaepernick from the 49ers.
"If they lose Brock Osweiler to the Texans, expect the Broncos to turn their attention to Kaepernick, to try to work out a trade with the 49ers," Rapoport said via NFL.com. "There have been several teams sniffing around Kaepernick the last several days, but it is obvious that Osweiler is the big domino to fall here."
The NFL.com report also pointed out that a deal between the Broncos and 49ers is highly likely because Broncos general manager John Elway and his 49ers counterpart Trent Baalke has a close relationship. It is also worth noting that Kaepernick's agents has reportedly asked the 49ers permission to seek a trade, ESPN reported.
Kaepernick had a disastrous year for the 49ers last season, as he tallied just 1,615 passing yards for just six touchdowns against five interceptions. The 28-year-old superstar lost his starting spot midway through the season after going 2-6. The former Nevada standout also underwent shoulder, thumb and left knee surgeries.
Meanwhile, the Broncos are also being linked to Manziel, who is expected to be released by the Browns this summer. There is no concrete report to prove Denver's interest in the two-year quarterback, but Super Bowl 50 Most Valuable Player Von Miller recently said that they might see Manziel excel in Denver in the future.
"Some of the stuff he was doing in college, he going to do the exact same thing in the National Football League," Miller said in a recent GQ interview. "I feel like -- you know you never want to blame a team -- I don't think he had enough support around him. Who knows? You might see Johnny Manziel in Denver."
