Elway looking to make a Big Push for Kirk...

[jetsons]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000918115/article/john-elway-not-done-swinging-and-missing-for-qb

John Elway 'not done swinging and missing' for QB

 

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• 
• By Kevin Patra
• Around the NFL writer
• Published: Feb. 28, 2018 at 04:51 p.m

INDIANAPOLIS -- "Life is too short to rebuild in the NFL" -- John Elway, Denver Broncos general manager.

John Elway doesn't want to tear down a championship football team. He wants to add one missing piece: Quarterback.

The Broncos are poised to hit free agency targeting the biggest fish in the pond, Kirk Cousins. Elway plans to make a hard charge at quarterbacks hitting the open market before turning his attention to the draft if he strikes out.

"I think we are going to explore all options in free agency and see where that goes," he said. "Obviously we've got the 5th pick in the draft too. So that will all play into it. So, we'll continue to look at all the options out there when it comes to quarterback."

Since landing Peyton Manning in free agency in 2012, Elway has struggled to unearth and develop a quarterback. He used a second-round pick on Brock Osweiler (2012), a seventh-round selection on Trevor Siemian (2015), and traded up to get Paxton Lynch in the first round (2016). None could help buoy a championship defense.

The misses at quarterback won't deter Elway from swinging hard again.

"Believe me, I'm not done swinging and missing," Elway said. "Misses don't bother me. We've just got to figure out a way to get it right."

Swing one is Cousins.

Elway said he has the cap space to bring in a high-priced quarterback. The Broncos, however, will have competition for Cousins' services from teams like the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets.

If he can't land Cousins, other free-agent options include Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater or AJ McCarron. Elway could also use the No. 5 overall pick on another rookie quarterback.The Broncos will use the allure of a playoff-ready defense and two Pro Bowl caliber receivers to woo Cousins and others. Elway said Wednesday "the plan is" to bring back both Demaryius Thomas (picking up his option) and Emmanuel Sanders.

The Broncos will use the allure of a playoff-ready defense and two Pro Bowl caliber receivers to woo Cousins and others. Elway said Wednesday "the plan is" to bring back both Demaryius Thomas (picking up his option) and Emmanuel Sanders.

The Broncos GM is confident if he can land a foundational quarterback Denver can leap right back into the Super Bowlhunt.

"I still think we aren't too far away," he said. "Obviously, we've got to get better at [the quarterback] position. We didn't play well there last year -- and that doesn't go all on the players, there were some things we should have done differently that we didn't do. I feel like we can get back in the thick of things rather quickly because we still have a good defensive football team. On the offense, we're going to get better with Bill Musgrave being the offensive coordinator ... Figure out what we do at the quarterback position. So, I'm excited about where we are and think we have a chance to get back in the thick of things quickly."

[Mike135]

Great to hear.  Go get him John.

[ChuckkieB]

I feel this is a two horse race between Denver and Minnesota.  I think it will come down to which team Cousins thinks gives him the best chance to win right now......unless of course the money offer is much higher from one team.

[varjet]

  The Jets will offer Cousins $1mm more than the better teams.  Mac will not want to offer more than that for fear of being viewed as a sucker.  With the Jets cap space, $1mm more to play for the Jets in NJ would seem like a fair premium.  

Cousins will turn it down.

If the Jets were assured of getting Mayfield at 6, I think Mayfield, blowing their wad on FAs, and using all the draft picks is a pretty good strategy.  Unfortunately, I think the Colts, Browns or Broncos could try and extract some draft picks to make that happen, but with $100m in cap space the strategy still works.  Use the 3rd round pick on the best QB that falls, sign McCown, and cut the other 2 clowns.

[Kleckineau]

Elway clearly understands the risk / reward ratio that Macc hasn't and probably will never learn.

[32EBoozer]

Jason from OTC expounds on the QB situation

https://overthecap.com/tag/new-york-jets/

..........Okay, so starting with $98.8 million in cap space, let’s see where we stand after re-signings. Let’s call the ASJ and Tomlinson re-signings worth $4 million in 2018. We’ll have Davis at $4 million as well, then add $6 million for Ealy, Bass, Enunwa, and Pennel. That brings us down to $84.8 million in cap space.

If they re-sign McCown or they sign Bridgewater, that will probably be in the $6 to 7 million range in terms of cost. Bradford could be a little higher between $8 to 12 million a year dependent on how confident teams are in his knee, while Jason projects Keenum could go in the $12 to 15 million range per year. To play this scenario out, I think Teddy Bridgewater would be the best option out of any quarterback on the market for the Jets and where they are as an organization in 2018. If they bring Bridgewater in on a two to three year deal worth $7 million per season, which I think it’s more likely they get him on a two year deal as he’ll want to hit free agency again as soon as possible, they’re down to $77.8 million in cap space. That’s a lot of space left to sign offensive linemen, edge rushers, a WR1, a CB1, and even a running back if they so choose. That’s enough space that they should even have money they could rollover to take another big step forward in 2019.

This situation provides them the opportunity to build a good roster around Bridgewater like he had in Minnesota before he went down with his injury. The Jets can sell Bridgewater on the opportunity to play on a roster that he could succeed with and elevate the perception of him around the NFL to cash in on his next contract. He’s an accurate, mobile, young game manager who could be the perfect bridge to whoever they hope to draft in the first round. As stated before, with a two-year contract, it would provide the Jets the opportunity to re-coup any draft picks they trade away if they move up into the first three to four picks to draft a quarterback.