We will update this page daily on the whereabouts of free agent quarterback Peyton Manning this weekend.  Re-fresh your browser accordingly.

7:00 p.m. (MT):  After 2,266 words, over 22,500 reads and over twenty-four hours of coverage, this live tracker will now end.  Manning is expected to return to his home in Miami this evening and is not expected to make any more visits before announcing his decision sometime before free agency beings at 2:00 p.m. (MT) on Tuesday.  For more updates and breaking coverage once he signs, check BroncoTalk.net daily.

6:54 p.m. (MT):  Klis has chimed in to say that it appears to be doubtful that Manning will make his decision on Monday.  It is still expected that he will choose between the Cardinals and Broncos before the start of free agency on Tuesday, however.

6:52 p.m. (MT):  You can read my take on the situation over on Broncos Zone.

6:38 p.m. (MT):  Great information on Manning’s visits can be found here.

6:08 p.m. (MT):  Somers reports that Manning is flying back to his home in Miami.

5:38 p.m. (MT):  Sources close to the Broncos tell CBS4‘s Vic Lombardi that Denver’s chances of signing Denver are about 80%, per MaxDenver.com‘s Andrew Mason.  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

In the midst of the Peyton Manning media circus at Dove Valley, a new shoe has dropped: two three Denver Broncos players are in serious trouble.

Linebacker D.J. Williams and defensive end Ryan McBean have each received six-game suspensions from the NFL for violating its Substance Abuse Policy, Vic Lombardi of CBS4 reports. Both plan on appealing their suspensions with federal lawsuits.

Tight end Virgil Green has also received a four-game suspension.

Lombardi expands: “The more I learn about this, I think McBean and DJ have a good reason to file a lawsuit.” Lombardi broke the Green news moments later.

Williams has two years left on his six-year deal he signed in 2008. McBean will be a restricted free agent in 2012. Green was a 7th round draft pick of the Broncos in 2011.

We’ll have more as it comes.

Peyton Manning attends a press conference announcing Manning's release from the Colts at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on March 7, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Joey Foley/Getty Images)

The plane has landed.

Peyton Manning, John Elway and the Denver Broncos are at Dove Valley as we speak. The Broncos will try to keep the greatest free agent in NFL history in Denver, away from the Arizona Cardinals, where he has reportedly scheduled another visit.

Local media swarmed Centennial airport. A few dozen fans and more media awaited their arrival at Dove Valley. ESPN aired helicopter footage over Broncos HQ.

Arrive they did. (See, there’s a grainy slideshow. And video).

It’s all a little nuts.

Will the Broncos insist they see Manning throw before hammering out a deal? Manning could easily hint that another team would be willing to sign him without having to see him work out. Manning might even be right. Would the Broncos do the right thing and insist he throw the route tree before throwing tens of millions of dollars at him?

One would hope so. We’ll soon find out.

The Denver Broncos‘ top brass — Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway, General Manager Brian Xanders and Head Coach John Fox — were all in Stillwater, Okla., scouting Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden when they decided to add another passenger for their trip home.

That passenger? Free agent quarterback Peyton Manning.

Manning, Elway, Fox and Xanders are all on a flight to Denver, Co. as we speak, according to multiple reports.  Manning is meeting with Elway and the Broncos in Denver this evening to discuss his future and possibly signing with the team.

Manning reportedly has the Broncos on his short list of teams and is scheduled to visit the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins — if he leaves Denver without a contract.  Manning reportedly wants to sign with a team before Tuesday, when the 2012 NFL year and free agency begins.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The draft is 48 days away, and here at Bronco Talk we need you to help us in our first ever interactive mock draft!

The Rules

You are the GM. There are currently 29 teams in the first round. You will assume control of a franchise and you will elegantly and ardently, elucidate your selection for your respective team. The article should ideally be 200-300 words in length, but if you want to write more, you are welcome to.

This means that if you get assigned the Cleveland Browns, you will have two articles to write. One article for pick 4, and another article for pick 22.

To Enter

All you have to do is email me your top four teams you would like to select for, your pen name, a contact email for the other participants, and a couple sentences about you (where you’re from, who you are, and etc) and why you want to participate.

Send your emails to – east@broncotalk.net.  Just to be clear, draft picks will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis. If someone beats you to your top team, I will go down your list and assign you the next available franchise.

The Twist

Oh, and here’s the twist. All participants will receive a list of contact emails of the other participants. Why? Trades are in effect for this interactive mock draft. If you want to select higher, or even lower at that, you need to email the reader assigned at that spot and work out a deal. However, this is completely optional, don’t let this twist keep you from signing up.

Below is the list of people we currently have signed up. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• Is it too early to quote Samuel L. Jackson from a movie if it hasn’t come out yet? The Denver Broncos “desperately” want Peyton Manning, Peter King says. [ProFootballTalk]
• They could even get Rockies first baseman Todd Helton into the mix, who started ahead of Manning at quarterback at Tennessee. [Denver Post]
• Some Broncos fans respond with a desperate billboard of their own. [Denver Post]
• Brian Griese believes the Broncos have a realistic shotat landing the quarterback. [ProFootballTalk]
• And Peyton Manning’s neck should be more than fine, say various specialists. [New York Times]
• I give my two cents in a Bloggers Roundtable. [Mile High Report]
• BT’s own Ian Henson goes in-depth about the Broncos. Very worthwhile read. [Zoneblitz.com]
• The Broncos main needs are at DT, S, and RB. [CBS Sports]
• They have the cap space but won’t spend wildly. [CBS Sports]
• Top 10 free agent QB’s. [Fifth Down]

Not only are the Denver Broncos interested in Peyton Manning, but the future Hall of Famer is intrigued by Denver as well. Vic Lombardi of CBS4 reports:

“I still think Miami is the frontrunner,” Lombardi says. “Then maybe the Jets. But do not discount the Broncos.”

UPDATE: CBSSports.com reports Manning’s three frontrunners are Miami, Washington, and…. yup. Denver.

Peyton Manning speaks during a press conference announcing his release from the Indianapolis Colts at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on March 7, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Joey Foley/Getty Images)

If you wanted the Denver Broncos to be aggressive in free agency this year, you’ve got it. Less than 12 hours after Peyton Manning‘s farewell press conference in Indianapolis, reports indicate the Broncos have already contacted Manning’s agent, inquiring about the NFL’s greatest free agent’s interest in coming to Denver.

According to multiple reports, they’re “very active” in their pursuit of Manning and considered frontrunners in landing his services. Reports CBS4 Denver —

CBS4′s Vic Lombardi has learned through multiple sources close to the situation that the Broncos have already contacted Manning’s agent. The quarterback was released by the Colts on Wednesday after 14-seasons in Indianapolis.

The sources told Lombardi that the Broncos pursuit of Manning is very active and the team could be among the frontrunners to land his services. As many as a dozen teams are believed to be interested in the future hall of famer.

Mike Florio at PFT echoes those sentiments —

One league source told PFT in response to the Klis report that there’s a belief the Broncos quietly have positioned themselves to make a significant push to land Manning.

Hoo boy. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

For today’s Daily Links, I visited the local newspaper websites covering several different teams said to be pursuing Peyton Manning to get the local pulse of the action.

• Miami Dolphins — Manning is in south Florida, and the Dolphins are ready to spend. [Miami Herald]
• Arizona Cardinals — “Kurt Warner brought us to the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning can finish the job.” [Arizona Republic]
• Washington Redskins — The Redskins may need Peyton Manning more than Manning needs the Redskins. [Washington Post]
• New York Jets — Getting the other Manning in New York makes too much sense. [NY Daily News]
• Houston Texans — No, the Houston Texans won’t pursue Peyton Manning. [Houston Chronicle]
• Seattle Seahawks — If Peyton Manning is healthy, Seahawks must roll out red carpet. [Seattle Times]
• Kansas City Chiefs — Chiefs must do everything to get Manning.
• San Francisco 49ers — Publicly, officially, the 49ers have no interest in Peyton Manning. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Teams are not allowed to begin signing free agents until March 13th, and contacting them before that time would be considered tampering.  With that said, Houston Texans free agent defensive end Mario Williams is in Denver this evening, which could meaning nothing — but we’ll throw it out there.

Mario Williams in at the Nuggets game.So is David Stern.

— Colin Daniels (@southstands303) March 8, 2012

We reported last weekend that the Denver Broncos would be in the running for quarterback Peyton Manning and Williams, and the team has been heavily pursuing Manning.  Denver would make a huge splash in free agency by signing either of the two players, and the team has already drawn a lot of attention for it’s interest in Manning.

With lots of cash available to spend, might this be the off-season that the Broncos make waves in free agency?  We’ll find out in the coming weeks.