With Brock Osweiler having signed with the Texans and Robert Griffin III reaching a deal with the Browns, the inventory on the veteran quarterback market is dwindling. The most experienced quarterback on the Broncos’ roster is now Mark Sanchez, so what are the defending champs planning to do?
Mike Klis of KUSA speculates that Denver is still waiting on Colin Kaepernick. While the 49ers insist they will not release Kaepernick, they have until April 1 to determine if they want to make $11.9 million of the $14.3 million he is owed in 2016 guaranteed. If the Broncos trade for Kaepernick before that, they’d have to absorb that salary. The Niners are reportedly asking for a second- or third-round pick for Kaepernick, and the sense is that Denver is not willing to pay that price.
The 49ers could be bluffing about their intentions with Kaepernick to increase his trade value. Even if they were planning to cut him, admitting that before the April 1 deadline would be bad for business.
So, as Klis notes, the Broncos could be waiting until at least that date. They could also wait until the NFL Draft on April 28 to see what the Niners will do with the No. 7 overall pick. The Browns are expected to draft either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff at No. 2. If the Cowboys don’t take a quarterback at No. 4, San Francisco would likely have an opportunity to draft the quarterback the Browns pass on.
For a while, there were rumors that the 49ers were interested in RG3. Now that he has signed with Cleveland, they could be more inclined to hang onto Kaepernick.
Assuming the Broncos see Sanchez as a backup, there is also one other veteran quarterback they could have their eye on. We should know more about Denver’s intentions on April 1.
